Barley Grass

Barley grass is one of the green grasses - the only vegetation on earth that can supply sole nutritional support from birth to old age. Agronomists place this ancient cereal grass as being cultivated as early as 7000 B.C., probably in the dry lands of south western Asia. In the West, barley grass was first known for the barley grain it produces; there is written mention of the grain as early as 2800 B.C. in Babylon. Barley is also a Biblical food, mentioned no fewer than 32 times in the Bible.


The nutrients in barley grass

Barley grass is considered the most nutritional of the green grasses. Barley grass contains a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals, amino acids, including the eight essential ones that we must get from our diets, proteins, enzymes, chlorophyll and phytochemicals.

Amino acids and proteins
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, which are the major constituents of every cell and body fluid, and are thus necessary for the continual cell building, cell regeneration and energy production that we need for life. An added benefit of the green barley 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).

Enzymes
Green barley leaves contain a multitude of enzymes. Enzymes are essential for the thousands of chemical reactions that occur throughout the body, including the production of energy at the cellular level, the facilitation of digestion, the absorption of digested nutrients, and the rebuilding and replenishing of all that the body requires for metabolism to occur.

The enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a powerful antioxidant thought to slow the rate of cell destruction by providing a defense against free radicals, especially the most prolific free radical, superoxide. Superoxide free radicals are thought to be responsible for the breakdown of synovial fluid that leads to the inflammatory response in joints. Much of the current clinical research on SOD is focused on arthritis, bursitis, and gout. Low levels of SOD are also associated with cataracts and other degenerative diseases. In addition, it is believed to help the body use zinc, copper, and manganese more effectively.

As SOD is heat sensitive, it is thought to be the yardstick for measuring overall enzymatic activity. If SOD is present in a food in an active state, it can be concluded that the other enzymes in the food are also present in an active state.

Enzymes are not found in processed and cooked foods.

Chlorophyll
Green barley grass also contains chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has been studied for its potential as a deodorant, in stimulating tissue growth, and in stimulating red blood cells in connection with oxygen supply. Perhaps most remarkable is the similarity between chlorophyll and the red pigment in blood. Research in the 1940's demonstrated that the two pigments react the same during breakdown.

According to an article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (Jan. 4 1995), chlorophyll fed to laboratory animals reduces absorption of three dietary carcinogens: heterocyclic amines (found in cooked muscle meats), polycyclic hydrocarbons (found in smoked and barbecued foods), and aflatoxin (a mold on peanuts). The chlorophyll formed complex compounds with the carcinogens while they were still in the digestive tract, limiting their bioavailability.

Chlorophyll also removes carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, the by-products of respiration and pollution, and has been found to reduce fecal, urinary, and body odor in geriatric patients. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound-healing properties.

Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals are simply plant chemicals that are thought to be essential to health. They have been associated with the prevention and/or treatment of at least four of the leading causes of death - cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension - and with the prevention and/or treatment of other ailments, including neural tube defects, osteoporosis, abnormal bowel function, and arthritis, as well as numerous chronic conditions.

Barley grass vs. barley grain

Green grasses are at their nutritional peak before they enter the reproductive cycle. To create grain, the plant must channel its nutrition up to the seed heads. When grasses are harvested before they enter the reproductive cycle, they have a different chemical makeup from their adult, largely depleted, counterparts. Young grasses contain about the same vitamins and minerals as dark green vegetables. When these grasses are juiced and concentrated, as in AIM BarleyLife, they are far superior nutritionally. This amazing discovery is supported by data.

For example, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Database, barley contains 22 International Units (IU) of vitamin A per 100 g and barley flour contains no vitamin A. AIM BarleyLife?, however, contains 19,700 IU of vitamin A per 100 g. This is 2 1/2 times the beta carotene found in an equivalent weight of raw carrots and about 25 times that found in an equivalent weight of raw broccoli. Vitamin A is an important antioxidant known to protect cells. It is implicated in cardiovascular health and is believed to have anti-cancer benefits. To use another example, barley contains 33 mg of calcium per 100 g and barley flour contains 32 mg of calcium per 100 g. AIM BarleyLife? contains 730 mg of calcium per 100 g. This is more than 7 times the calcium found in an equivalent weight of raw broccoli. Calcium is essential for bone development. You can see then, that grasses, when juiced and concentrated as in AIM BarleyLife?, offer us great nutrition.

The Best Barley Concentrate for You!

AIM BarleyLife? is a whole food concentrate that captures all the nutrients in green barley grass. The power of AIM BarleyLife? is found in this combination of nutrients. The powdered juice of AIM BarleyLife? is as close to the natural state of young green barley leaves as possible and thus supplies the leaves' nutrients in natural proportions.

AIM BarleyLife? is produced in the clean, green, pristine lands of New Zealand and Canada. While American soil, water and air have become increasingly devoid of nutrients and polluted from chemicals, the soil, water and air in New Zealand and Canada are richer and purer than in many places in the world.

A barley used for AIM BarleyLife? is grown from a variety of seed that allows for the longest harvest window and is residue-free. The leaves are harvested with state-of-the-art equipment when their nutrients are most potent and alive. The leaves are then juiced (not milled, as in many other barley grass products) and processed using the most advanced and efficient - not to mention patent-pending - cold processing method for maximum freshness and nutrition. The juice is spray-dried, using a special, low-temperature process. This preserves the delicate balance of nutrients and phytochemicals.

This same high-quality green barley juice concentrate is available in convenient, easy-to-take vegetable capsules. They dissolved quickly for better absorption and faster assimilation.

info@healthyhealing.ca

Barley barley... it reminds me of beer