Barley Grass (from Pure Healing Foods)

Barley Grass

Whole Foods Nutrition Vs Vitamin & Mineral Supplements

Many consumers often wonder whether, since they are taking a multiple vitamin/mineral formula, they should also consume green foods. The enzyme rich live foods in barley grass provides vitamins and minerals as nature intended, with all the naturally occurring co-factors and synergistic compounds intact. These whole foods contain hundreds and possibly thousands of yet to be discovered nutrients that cannot be isolated and put into a vitamin/mineral supplement.

With whole foods and their concentrates containing complete nutritional complexes, the body is able to recognize these foods, easily assimilating what it needs and excreting what it doesn't. This is called "selective absorption". Most vitamin and mineral supplements however, are made from fractionated, isolated, or synthetic sources - leaving your body no choice but to deal with these incomplete substances, thereby creating a potential environment of bio-chemical imbalances and toxicities.

Benefits of Barley Grass

Barley grass is one of the green grasses. The true beauty of barley is found in the leaves; the young green shoots of power that form before the grain. The young leaves have a tremendous ability to absorb nutrients from the soil. When barley leaves are 12-14 inches high, they contain all the vitamins, minerals, and proteins necessary for the human diet, plus chlorophyll. These necessities are easily assimilated throughout the digestive tract, giving our bodies instant access to vital nutrients.

Large amounts of vitamins and minerals are found in green barley (Barley Greens) leaves. These include potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, beta carotene, B1, B2, B6, C, folic acid, and pantothenic acid. Barley grass is said to have 30 times more vitamin B1 and 11 times the amount of calcium than there is in cow's milk, 6.5 times as much carotene and nearly 5 times the iron content of spinach, close to seven times the vitamin C in oranges, four times the vitamin B1 in whole wheat flour, and 80 micrograms of vitamin B12 per 100 grams of dried barley plant juice.

Barley grass is very high in organic sodium, which dissolves calcium deposited on the joints and also replenishes organic sodium in the lining of the stomach. This aids digestion by improving the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. People with arthritis have used celery juice for years because of the organic sodium it contains (28mg per 100grms), but compare this to the amount of organic sodium in barley grass (775mg per 100 grams)!

Barley grass, at the time it is harvested to make juice, is about 45 percent protein. It has almost twice as much protein as an equivalent amount of wheat germ and about five times the minerals which accompany animal protein, in addition the protein in barley grass doesn't come burdened with fat.

Enzymes (barley grass is believed to contain up to 1,000 of them) are the necessary regulators of the body, without them our cells could not function and we would perish. Barley grass has one of the highest natural levels of enzyme SOD (superoxide dismutase), which is a powerful antioxidant that protects the cells against toxic free radicals, thought to be a primary culprit in aging.

Barley grass also contains one of the most amazing nutrients: chlorophyll, a natural detoxifier that rids the intestines of stored toxins. You don't have to drink green grass juices to get chlorophyll; it is present in all dark green, leafy vegetables. But the question is "how many servings of spinach, kale, collards, mustard greens, or turnip and beet tops, do you eat everyday?" And for those who do eat them regularly, there is, after all, a limit to the amount of spinach, kale and the likes someone can eat.

Importance of green foods

The importance of green foods in our diet is now being validated scientifically. Dehydrated cereal grasses compare favourably with other greens in respect to both nutrients and cost. It is an excellent and convenient source of green food nutrients.

Green food nutrients support healthy blood and circulation. Iron, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B12, pyridoxine and protein are all vital for the formation and maintenance of adequate levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells. Chlorophyll may also be beneficial in these processes. In addition, chlorophyll, vitamin K, and calcium are all involved in blood clot formation and breakdown.

Users of barley grass have also found it useful as an aid in weight loss and good for the heart, healing of ulcers, correcting blood sugar problems and, most of all, as a general tonic.

Amino Acids and Proteins in Barley Grass

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins; 20 of them are present in the body proteins in significant quality. Proteins are the major constituent of every cell and body fluid (except urine and bile) and are thus necessary for the continual cell building, regeneration, and energy production that we need for life. An added benefit of the Barley Grass leaf proteins is that they are polypeptides; smaller proteins that can be directly absorbed by the blood, where they promote cell metabolism (the chemical changes that we need to live) and neutralize substances that are bad for our health. Barley Grass contains 18 amino acids (including the 8 essential amino acids) - that is, the amino acids that we must get from out diets; the body cannot produce them by itself.

Alkalinity and More

Barley Grass leaves are extremely alkaline, so digesting them can help keep the body's alkaline and acidity ratio balanced. Our cells cannot adequately function if the pH range (which measures alkaline and acidity) is not in a very narrow range. Most processed foods are acidic, and when we consume too many of them, the acidity/alkaline balance is upset. This may result in possible fatigue.

Recently research has unveiled a wealth of other possible benefits of Barley Grass. Extracted compounds have found to have hypercholesteromic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-ulcer properties. A new antioxidant, 2"-0-GIV, has been isolated and reported to have antioxidant activity equal to or superior to vitamin E. Finally, studies have shown that when Barley Grass juice is added to injured cells, the cells' DNA repair themselves more rapidly. This may contribute to preventing the changes that often lead to cancer, rapid aging, and cell death.

The Medicinal Benefits of Barley Grass Powder

from "Barley Grass", by Betsy Block, NATURAL HEALTH Magazine - Oct 1999 pg. 44

WHAT IT IS - Barley grass (Hordeum vulgare) is the seedling of the barley plant. It is usually harvested about 200 days after germination, when the shoots are less than a foot tall.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE - A concentrated source of nearly three dozen vitamins and minerals, barley grass is particularly rich in vitamins A, C, B1, B2, folic acid, and B12; calcium; iron; potassium; and chlorophyll. Unlike most plants, barley grass provides all nine essential amino acids (those which your body can't produce).

HEALING CLAIMS - Barley grass is a powerful antioxidant that is believed to help the body kill cancer cells and overcome a variety of ailments, including acne and ulcers.

HOW IT WORKS - An antioxidant called alpha-tocopherol succinate - a potent relative of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) may be responsible for much of the plant's anti-tumor action, according to Allan L. Goldstein, Ph.D., head of the biochemistry department at George Washington University's School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., who has studied barley grass. Though its mechanism is unknown, alpha-tocopherol succinate seems to inhibit several types of cancer, including leukemia, brain tumors, and prostate cancer.

According to Yoshihide Hagiwara, M.D., a researcher in Japan and author of the book "Green Barley Essence" (Keats, 1985), barley grass helps cure skin diseases and ulcers by promoting the growth of new cells. It is not known exactly how this happens, although barley grass is high in chlorophyll, an antibacterial green pigment.

THE EVIDENCE - There have been no clinical trials of barley grass. In an experiment at George Washington University, Goldstein and his colleagues exposed leukemic cancer cells to dehydrated barley grass extract. The extract killed virtually all of them. Encouraged, the researchers then subjected brain cancer cells to the extract. It eradicated 30 to 50 percent of these cells. In a third trial, the extract inhibited the growth of three types of prostate cancer cells by 90 to 100 percent. Compare Curing Massive Cancer With Green Barley Pills.

In Japan, where barley grass extract is popular, there is anecdotal evidence that it helps the body heal from many illnesses. In one informal study, a Japanese dermatologist observed a group of 7.5 patients with skin diseases ranging from melanosis (darkening of the skin) to eczema. The patients who took barley grass extract healed faster than did those who did not. They also noticed improvements in appetite and bowel regularity.

ref : http://www.purehealingfoods.com/barleyGrassInfo.php

What (or Who) is Santé International

U.S. Food and Drug on Consumption of Barley Products

ref : http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/2006/ucm108657.htm

What is Barley Grass

Scientific Name(s): Hordeum vulgare L., Hordeum distichon L. Family: Poaceae (grasses)

Common Name(s): Barley grass

Uses

Barley grass is rich in vitamins and minerals, has antioxidant properties, and has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels. Use as a cancer preventive or treatment has been suggested; however, this remains to be substantiated.

Dosing

A dose of 15 g/day dried barley leaf extract has been used to lower cholesterol.

Contraindications

None identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

Although hypersensitivity to barley products typically is associated with the seed and not the green leaves or shoots, patients with celiac disease or other sensitivities to barley probably should avoid use of barley grass.

Toxicology

No data.

Botany

Barley grass consists of the young green leaves of the barley plant, as opposed to the grain (for barley grain, refer to the Barley monograph ). Barley plants can grow under a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. However, superior soil conditions are reflected in plants with higher nutritional content, and commercial suppliers of barley grass strive for optimal soil conditions for the crop. Favorable results have been achieved with crops grown in California. Barley grass is at its nutritional peak before the plant begins to produce flowers and seeds; harvesting takes place approximately 2 weeks after seeding. 1 At this stage of development, the young grass contains vitamins and minerals similar to those of dark green vegetables. 2 Barley grass is available commercially in dried and powdered form prepared from the whole leaves or juice obtained by milling the leaves.

History

Barley is considered to be the first cereal grain cultivated by humans. Ancient Asian and Middle Eastern cultures reportedly included young wheat and barley grass plants in their diets. 3 In the early part of the 20th century, the roles of cereal grains and vitamins in nutrition were investigated. For example, chickens fed a 10% mixture of cereal grass responded well in growth, appeared to have increased resistance to degenerative diseases, and increased winter egg production. Further studies concerning “grass juice factor,” a water-soluble extract of grass juice, found several beneficial growth and health effects from its supplementation in animal diets. A dehydrated preparation of cereal grass called cerophyl was approved as an “accepted food” by the Council of Foods of the American Medical Association in 1939. 3

Chemistry

A wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes have been isolated from barley grass. 2 It is particularly rich in beta-carotene, calcium, iron, and vitamin C, and contains abundant chlorophyll. Other vitamins, electrolytes (eg, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium), and minerals isolated from the plant in substantial quantities include vitamins B ₁ , B ₂ , B ₆ , B ₁₂ , pantothenic acid, and folic acid. Also of note are enzymes, particularly the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase, and nitrogen reductase. 3 , 4 A number of C-glycosylflavones with documented antioxidant effects have been isolated from the plant; saponarin is the major flavone. 5

Uses and Pharmacology

Many claims have been made regarding the health benefits of barley grass supplements. Suggested benefits include prevention and cure of cancer, treatment of HIV infection, cholesterol lowering, detoxification of pollutants, protection against solar and other forms of radiation, and boosting energy and immunity. However, objective evidence supporting many of these claims is lacking.

Hyperlipidemia

Cholesterol-lowering effects have been attributed to the hexacosyl alcohol and β-sitosterol fractions of barley leaf extract. 6 β-sitosterol is thought to act by inhibiting the intestinal absorption of cholesterol and accelerating its catabolism to bile acid. The mechanism of action of hexacosyl alcohol remains unclear.

Animal data

In hypercholesterolemic rats, β-sitosterol decreased plasma cholesterol within 1 week. 7 Rabbits receiving a barley leaf supplement in combination with an atherogenic diet demonstrated reductions in plasma levels of serum triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol compared with animals on the atherogenic diet alone. 1 Histological examination of the thoracic aorta of these rabbits supported the findings; atherosclerotic lesions covered 90% of the surface in animals fed only the atherogenic diet compared with 60% in animals receiving barley leaf extract plus an atherogenic diet. However, the effect of probucol, an established hypocholesterolemic agent, was superior to that of barley leaves (8% lesions). This result indicates that, while barley leaf may be useful in the prevention of cardiovascular disease or as an adjuvant to other treatments, it unlikely is suitable as a primary treatment for atherosclerosis.

Clinical data

Decreases in plasma total cholesterol and LDL-C concentrations were observed in hypercholesterolemic men receiving 15 g/day barley leaf extract 6 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations were increased. Barley leaf was most effective in patients with higher initial cholesterol levels. Similar results were reported in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus. 8

Antioxidant activity

Reactive oxygen species have been shown to play an important part in mediating the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and can be instrumental in the pathogenesis of diseases such as rheumatoid synovitis, arthritis, and gout. The ability of barley leaf extract to scavenge free radicals is thought to derive from the presence of polyphenolic compounds; free radicals are rendered less reactive by donation of hydrogen ions from the phenolic moiety with the formation of less reactive phenoxyl radicals. 1 Green barley extracts, in particular a purified extract containing substances less than 1 kDa, have shown in vitro inhibitory actions on TNF-α isolated from blood and spinal fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. 9

Animal data

Increased production of oxygen-free radicals by peripheral blood leukocytes has been observed in rabbits receiving a high cholesterol diet; addition of barley leaf extract to the diet lowered their production. 1

Clinical data

Blood levels of oxygen-free radicals were reduced by supplementation with 15 g/day barley leaf extract in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. 8 Addition of vitamins C and E to the barley leaf supplements inhibited oxidation of small, dense LDL more effectively than barley leaf extract supplements alone. The lag phase of LDL oxidation was increased after supplementation with barley leaf extract. Similar results were noted in nondiabetic, hyperlipidemic subjects. 6 Antioxidative effects were less pronounced in smokers than in nonsmokers.

Cancer prevention

Barley grass extracts protect human fibroblasts against carcinogens. The mechanism of action is unknown but may be associated with the plant's antioxidant activity or its chlorophyll content. The antimutagenic effects of chlorophyll and its metabolites have been demonstrated in vitro and in vivo; it has been suggested that complexes may be formed between the carcinogen and the chlorophyll that may inactivate the carcinogen. 10In addition, antioxidants, including superoxide dismutase, found in high concentrations in green barley juice protect against radiation and free radicals.

Animal data

Animals receiving diets that include wheat grass have shown decreased cancer incidence; similar results might be expected with barley grass supplementation.

Clinical data

Research reveals no clinical data regarding the use of barley grass for cancer-preventive properties.

Other uses

In an observational study, patients reported improvement in fibromyalgia syndrome from a dietary intervention that included barley grass. 11

Dosage

A dose of 15 g/day dried barley leaf extract has been used for cholesterol lowering. This dosage provided 40 to 45 mg total phenols, 3,500 to 4,000 units β-carotene, and 15 to 20 mg vitamin C. 6

Pregnancy/Lactation

Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

Hypersensitivity reactions to barley are well documented. These typically are attributed to the storage protein present in the seed of the plant and not to the green, aerial parts of the plant (see Barley monograph for further details). It may be prudent to restrict the use of barley grass in hypersensitive people, including those with celiac disease.

Toxicology

Research reveals little or no information regarding toxicology with the use of this product.

Bibliography

1. Yu YM, Wu CH, Tseng CE, Tsai CE, Chang WC. Antioxidative and hypolipidemic effects of barley leaf essence in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis. Jpn J Pharmacol . 2002;89:142-148.
2. Barley Grass. Available online at: http://www.naturaltechniques.com/barley_green_grass.htm . Accessed March 7, 2005.
3. Margen S. The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition . New York, NY: Rebas; 1992.
4. Balch JF, Balch PA. Prescription for Nutritional Healing . 2nd ed. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing Group; 1997.
5. Ohkawa M, et al. Three new anti-oxidative saponarin analogs from young green barley leaves. Chem Pharm Biol . 1998;46:1887-1890.
6. Yu YM, Chang WC, Liu CS, Tsai CM. Effect of young barley leaf extract and adlay on plasma lipids and LDL oxidation in hyperlipidemic smokers. Biol Pharm Bull . 2004;27:802-805.
7. Ohtake H, Nonaka S, Sawada Y, Hagiwara Y, Hagiwara H, Kubota K. Studies on the constituents of green juice from young barley leaves. Effect on dietarily induced hypercholesterolemia in rats [in Japanese]. Yakugaku Zasshi . 1985;105:1052-1057.
8. Yu YM, Chang WC, Chang CT, Hsieh CL, Tsai CE. Effects of young barley leaf extract and antioxidative vitamins on LDL oxidation and free radical scavenging activities in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Metab . 2002;28:1262.
9. Cremer L, Herold A, Avram D, Szegli G. A purified green barley extract with modulatory properties upon TNF alpha and ROS released by human specialized cells isolated from RA patients. Roum Arch Microbiol Immunol . 1998;57:231-242.
10. Chernomorsky S, Segelman A, Poretz RD. Effect of dietary chlorophyll derivatives on mutagenesis and tumor cell growth. Teratog Carcinog Mutagen . 1999;19:313-322.
11. Donaldson MS. Metabolic vitamin B12 status on a mostly raw vegan diet with follow-up using tablets, nutritional yeast, or probiotic supplements. Ann Nutr Metab . 2000;44:229-334.

Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health

 ref : https://www.drugs.com/npp/barley-grass.html#ref6

Falcons Ready for Take Off

For a number of days I have been contemplating on starting the blog.  Finally, this is the initial blog.  Hopefully, a lot will be posted about our business, our products and benefits.

This is the UAE Falcons signing on.

TGBTG!