What grain is barley groats made from, its benefits and harms and contraindications

Barley groats are a healthy product containing a large number of valuable components. It is used by people who monitor their health and body weight. The grain is not only used for making porridge, but also beer is brewed from it, and is also used as pet food. At the same time, many are interested in what grain barley is prepared from.

What grain is barley made from?

The product is made from barley.This grain crop is famous for its beneficial properties. It is also used to make pearl barley, which is polished during processing. As a result, the grains acquire a more regular oval shape. Processing results in the loss of a large amount of valuable fiber. Therefore, experts advise giving preference to barley groats.

Barley is also used to make barley groats. Essentially, it's the same thing. However, barley has a finer consistency because the grains are ground to make it. As a result, the finished porridge acquires a more pleasant consistency.

Chemical composition, trace elements and beneficial properties

Barley grains are a valuable source of carbohydrates and dietary fiber. 100 grams of product contains 12 grams of easily digestible proteins. It is important to remember that barley contains gluten. Therefore, it should not be consumed by people with celiac disease.

The cereal contains a lot of magnesium. Thanks to this, it brings great benefits to the body, influencing the work of 300 essential enzymes. Due to this, the cereal improves the process of glucose absorption.

Barley groats contain a lot of molybdenum. This substance is required for the absorption of sugar, fats, iron and copper by the body. It supports the nervous system and red blood cell synthesis. The product also contains selenium, which has a beneficial effect on the appearance of hair and skin.

Scientists have discovered important substances in cereals - lignans. They are distinguished by antioxidant properties that provide protection against cancer and heart pathologies.

Barley has beta-glucan in its cell walls. It helps maintain normal blood glucose levels and has anti-diabetic properties. This substance also helps lower cholesterol levels.

Vitamin K and choline are considered valuable components of barley. These substances help maintain memory and improve human intellectual functions.

So, the beneficial properties of barley cereal include the following:

• strengthening immunity;
• increased brain activity;
• improvement of thyroid function;
• normalization of the pancreas;
• increasing skin smoothness and elasticity;
• improving the appearance of hair;
• strengthening vascular walls;
• improvement of intestinal functions;
• decreased blood sugar;
• assistance in losing excess weight;
• increasing body tone;
• normalization of metabolic processes;
• eliminating heaviness in the stomach;
• strengthening bones, joints and cartilage tissue;
• elimination of gallbladder pathologies;
• reduction of bad cholesterol levels;
• elimination of pain – most often arthritic and rheumatic.

Its types

There are several varieties of barley groats, each of which has some characteristics.

Pearl barley

This is the most famous variety of barley groats. To obtain it, you must perform the following steps:

1. It is good to peel the achenes of glassy and semi-vitreous varieties.
2. Crush the grains to obtain kernels. Essentially, what is left is the seed protein with a small remnant of the shells.
3. Grind the grains to obtain smooth, round granules. They should be white or yellowish in color.

The finished product must be sorted using a sieve. The most valuable is the cereal, the grains of which have a size of 1.5-2.5 millimeters. The larger the fragments, the cheaper the pearl barley turns out.

Barley grits

To produce barley, do the following:

1. Clean the grains from debris and winnow.
2. Break up the fragments using a mill.

Unlike pearl barley, barley grits are not subjected to grinding and polishing. That’s why it has an irregular shape and sharp edges. In addition, the product consists entirely of whole grain. It includes not only the endosperm, but also the shell.

Barley groats are mainly used for making porridges. Sometimes it is added to puddings and casseroles. In some cuisines, the product is used as an ingredient in soups.

Since this cereal contains a lot of starch, which boils down to a paste, the porridge turns out to be homogeneous and lumpy. As it cools, it hardens greatly, becoming tasteless.

Other

Barley is most often used to make barley groats and pearl barley. However, there are other options. These include the following:

1. Rolled barley groats. To make it, grains are passed through a pair of rollers that spin quickly. As a result, it is possible to obtain cereals from flat grains that are more reminiscent of flakes.
2. Dutch. In essence, it is pearl barley, but it is smaller in size and undergoes careful selection.Unlike ordinary pearl barley, Dutch pearl barley is considered an elite cereal, which is used for preparing gourmet dishes.

How to cook barley groats

Preparing barley porridge is very simple. It is important to follow several rules:

1. Pour a glass of cereal into a cup and fill it with water. Leave overnight.
2. In the morning, rinse and pour into a saucepan with 500 milliliters of boiling water.
3. When the mixture boils, it needs to be cooked for another 10 minutes.
4. Then add milk to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil.

Ready porridge can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. At the same time, it will retain all its beneficial properties.

How else is barley used?

Barley is used not only for making porridges. Beer is often brewed from it. This product is also often used as animal feed. This cereal contains many useful components and is affordable. Therefore, it is used to feed livestock and poultry.

Harm and contraindications

Despite the obvious benefits of barley, it can also cause harm to the body. Side effects of cereal include the following:

• pain in the stomach;
• allergy;
• increased risk of miscarriage during pregnancy.

To avoid negative consequences, it is important to remember the contraindications to consuming this cereal. These include:

• high acidity of gastric juice;
• pregnancy;
• allergy;
• individual intolerance.

Barley groats are a valuable product that contains many vitamins and minerals. It can be used to prepare healthy dietary dishes. It is important to take into account that this cereal also has a number of contraindications for consumption.