If you are a vitamin and enthusiast, you have probably heard about tocotrienols. Like vitamin E, tocotrienols are antioxidants, meaning that they help reduce damage to the body from dangerous oxygen molecules called free radicals. And barley is one of the richest sources of these compounds.
• Tocotrienols are potentially more powerful antioxidants than other chemical versions of vitamin e. They have at least 50 percent more free radical-fighting power than other forms. That translates into a lot of heart disease-fighting might.
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• Tocotrienols fight heart disease in two ways. One, they help stop free radical oxidation, a process that makes low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the dangerous type, more likely to stick to artery walls. And two, they act onthe liver to reduce the body's production of cholesterol.
• Barley also contains lignans, compounds that have antioxidant ability and thus provide still more protection. Lignans can help prevent blood clots from forming tiny, further reducing the risk of heart disease.
• Barley is exceptionally high in both selenium and vitamin e. Although research results are mixed, there's mounting evidence that both help protect against cancer. Indeed, some researchers believe that selenium may work best as an anti-cancer agent when combined with other antioxidants, which, as we've seen, barley has in abundance.
• Besides helping to reduce damage from dangerous LDL cholesterol, there's another way in which barley helps keep blood vessels healthy. It's loaded withbeta-glucan, a soluble fiber that type of forms a gel in the small. Cholesterol in your body binds to this gel, which is then excreted from the body.
• Soluble fiber does more than lower cholesterol. It also binds to potential cancer-causing agents in the internecine, keeping them from being absorbed. And because soluble fiber soaks up lots of water in the colon, it helps digestion work more efficiently, thereby preventing constipation.
• One cup of cooked pearl barley contains 36 micrograms of selenium, more than half the Daily Value (DV), and 5 international units of vitamin E, 17 percent of the DV
• Although pearl barley is the most common form found in American grocery stores, it is been refined no less than five times to scrub off thehealthful outer husk and bran layer.
• A more nutritious choice is hulled barley. Stripped only of the outer, inedible hull, it's the best source of fiber, minerals, and thiamin. It also has a more distinctive, nuttier flavor than its highly processed counterparts. You can generally find hulled barley at health food stores.
• Add barley flakes to cookies, muffins, or bread. They will add a distinctly nutty taste while delivering more fiber and nutrients than you will get from white flour alone.
Barley-A Great Grain For The Heart, Cancer And ConstipationFriends Link : Organic Shampoo For Dry Hair