Pearl barley: benefits and harm to the body

Perlovka is one of the most popular products in Russian cuisine. This cereal has been used in food for many years, but has been produced commercially since 1930. Due to its unique properties, it is widely used in public catering.

What cereal is pearl barley made of?

Pearl barley is most often remembered when they want to cleanse their body of toxins or lose weight. But not everyone knows from which particular cereal pearl barley is made. And they produce it from peeled barley grains. In addition to cleaning, the grains are ground, however, all these types of processing in no way affect the preservation of useful properties.

Views

1. Whole grain barley - barley grains from which the shell was removed.
2. Dutch women are grains with more thorough processing than ordinary barley. Also in the process they are given a more round shape. The Dutchwoman is faster to cook than the previous look.
3. Barley - finely chopped barley grains.

What is the difference between barley and pearl barley

Many confuse barley with pearl barley. These two cereals are made from the same cereal - barley. But the fact that pearl barley grains are whole and chopped barley grains is their fundamental difference.

Composition and calorie content

Perlovka is quite high-calorie, 100 g of raw product contains 320 kcal, prepared on water - 121. In comparison with other cereals, these are quite high indicators. At 85%, barley consists of carbohydrates, 12% protein and 3% fat.

It is also proven that pearl barley contains a number of useful vitamins and minerals. These are A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, E, K, PP, zinc, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, iodine, chromium, fluorine, nickel, phosphorus.

What is useful pearl barley

General benefit

The composition of pearl barley is diverse, rich in fiber and various micro and macro elements. Perlovka is one of the three leaders in terms of usefulness and calorie content. With the constant use of this cereal, an improvement in the work of the body occurs:

• strengthening immunity;
• improvement of the nervous system;
• retardation of aging;
• bowel cleansing and restoration of its work;
• increase in hemoglobin in the blood;
• hair growth and nail strengthening due to its high calcium content;
• joint strengthening;
• good antioxidant;
• normalization of the pancreas;
• decrease in blood sugar;
• improvement of the musculoskeletal system.

Barley contains gordecin, which has powerful antibacterial properties.

In addition, pearl barley has a great effect on improving potency.

It is interesting! In ancient times, a pearl barley decoction was used as a unique, fast-acting antipyretic. The recipe for its preparation is very simple: for 100 g of barley, take 1 liter of water, cook for 20 minutes, then cool. They watered a miraculous broth for both children and adults.

With the help of pearl barley, you can clean the body. You must follow the pearl diet for one week. At the same time, you need to cook pearl barley porridge in water and eat it all seven days, three times a day. You can combine porridge with fresh vegetables, this will not hurt. Do not exclude snacks from the diet. Snack preferably dairy products with minimal fat content, dried fruits and freshly squeezed juices.

Porridge should be seasoned not with butter, but with vegetable oil, preferably olive. Salt should be completely excluded from the diet this week. A prerequisite is the use of large amounts of water, preferably half an hour before meals.

For women

For women, pearl barley is especially useful due to its healing properties. With regular use of this miraculous porridge, the fairer sex will not know health problems:

1. Intestines. Many women, especially those over the age of 35, suffer from constipation. If you constantly use pearl barley, you can get rid of this problem easily and simply. Pearl barley improves bowel function and reduces the risk of colon cancer.
2. Weight. Although barley is a high-calorie product, boiled porridge on water contains a little more than 100 kcal per 100 g. At the same time, it saturates the body due to the content of protein, carbohydrates and fiber. Perlovka is great if you want to arrange a fasting day. One day a week, it is recommended to eat only barley and drink water or green tea.
3. Joints. Calcium in barley is more than 10 times the amount contained in milk. Pearl barley has a beneficial effect on strengthening bone tissue and slows down the destructive processes in the joints. Those with cartilage problems should include pearl barley in their diet.
4. Liver and gall bladder. Barley lowers blood cholesterol and restores damaged organs. Those who consume barley at least once a week will never suffer from gallstones. Quick-acting is a decoction of pearl barley, which should be used to restore organs within 3-5 days a week.
5. A heart. Pearl barley restores the cardiovascular system.
6. Nerves. Barley favorably affects the nervous system. It is recommended to use more often for those women who occupy stressful positions and suffer from insomnia.
7. Immunity. A wide vitamin composition of pearl barley helps strengthen immunity.
8. Lactation. In this important period for a woman, you should drink a decoction of pearl barley. Not only is its regular intake helps to eliminate seals in the mammary glands, it is also a miracle cure that has a milk-producing property. Barley porridge is very useful for pregnant women.

Every woman who regularly eats barley will be healthy and full of strength.

For men

Many men neglect barley. Maybe it happened because this miraculous porridge was introduced into the soldiers ’diet from the time of Peter the Great. But he did it for a reason, but because of the useful composition and calorie content of this product.

Few people know, but the use of pearl barley in any form improves potency in men, positively affects the duration of sexual intercourse and serves as a prevention of diseases of the reproductive system.

Important! Do not abuse pearl barley. Men are allowed to eat pearl barley once a day, but not more often than 3 times a week.

During pregnancy

Many women in expectation of a child are wondering: “Is it possible to consume barley during pregnancy?”. Of course, barley is simply necessary in the diet of expectant mothers. However, a measure is needed in everything. The combination of vitamins and minerals found in barley makes this dish nutritious and very healthy. The use of pearl barley by pregnant women has an excellent effect on the health of both the mother herself and the child in the womb.

From the very first days, many pregnant women consider the calorie content of products, so that subsequently they do not acquire extra pounds after childbirth. The use of pearl barley porridge cooked on water will saturate a woman's body with useful substances, but will not add extra pounds. Fiber, which is part of pearl barley, helps a vulnerable female body fight undesirable toxins and toxins, which also prevents fat deposits from lingering in the body.

Phosphorus contained in pearl barley promotes good metabolism and helps in the formation of the skeleton of the unborn child. B vitamins increase hemoglobin in the blood and saturate a pregnant woman with energy, A - positively affects the condition of the skin, nails and hair, PP - strengthens the woman's nervous system.

As for the harm from barley during pregnancy, if you do not abuse this dish, nothing will happen. But you should not eat barley more than three times a week.

When breastfeeding

Proper nutrition of infants is the key to their health and proper development. For the first twelve months, breast milk is the basis of infant nutrition. Whether this food is healthy depends on the foods consumed by the nursing mother.

Pearl barley, as proven by researchers, increases the fat content of breast milk, which makes it more nutritious, so that the baby is well saturated. Vitamins contained in pearl barley prolong the period of lactation, so pearl barley must be present in the diet of a nursing mother.

The use of barley is allowed only a month or two after birth, as it can cause colic or bloating of the baby. During lactation, it is best to consume barley twice a week. This is one of those cereals that are anti-allergenic and cannot harm either the mother or the newborn.

For children

In the diet of each child must be present cereal products. There are so many useful substances in pearl barley that for a growing organism it is an irreplaceable product. The options for cooking pearl barley are very diverse: it is cooked with meat, vegetables, a sweet option is also possible - with dried fruits and vanilla. This allows you to adjust to the taste preferences of any child.

It is best to introduce pearl barley porridge into the diet from 2-3 years. This is not recommended before because of the poor absorption of cereals by the body. Due to the starch content in barley, it is considered heavy food.

When losing weight

Barley is very useful and is an ideal product for those who are struggling with excess weight.

Those who want to lose weight should cook barley porridge without butter and milk. Even without these products, it saturates the body and gives strength. It is better to use it in the morning for breakfast.

Due to the unique properties of cereals, nutritionists have created a lot of pearl barley diets that are quite effective, and the strictest of them allows you to lose one kilogram per day.

Before you go on a diet, you must carefully study the features, positive and negative sides, as well as contraindications. The undoubted advantages of the pearl diet:

1. This is the most budget option. It is in this case that one can say: "Cheap - does not mean inefficient." Diets based on the use of pearl barley always give results.
2. A varied menu. Barley is a product from which you can cook not only main dishes. There are many recipes for pearl barley soups, you can even prepare a healthy dessert.
3. The resulting carbohydrates do not harm the figure, because pearl barley promotes good metabolism and cleansing of toxins.
4. It often happens that diets deplete the body. If a person sits on a pearl diet, he is alert and energetic.

The negative points of the pearl diet:

1. Gluten contained in pearl barley narrows the circle of people who are allowed such a diet.
2. If a man eats pearl barley every day, there is a risk of a decrease in his sexual activity.
3. Porridge is contraindicated for people with high acidity.

The nutrition plan and details are best discussed with a professional nutritionist. What is good for one person can be deadly for another. Only a specialist can properly guide and give practical advice.

A strict diet is not for everyone. If it is not possible to sit on a mono-diet, you should combine barley with low-calorie foods. It is allowed to use:

• low sugar vegetables and fruits;
• cheese or cottage cheese with minimal fat content and without salt;
• dried fruits;
• seafood;
• nuts
• dark chocolate, but not more than one cube per day.

It is strictly forbidden to eat smoked meats, sweets, fatty meat and fish, pastries, legumes, sweet fruits and alcohol.

Is it possible to eat pearl barley in diabetes

Despite all the useful properties of pearl barley, in the presence of a disease such as diabetes, some nuances should be taken into account. Doctors recommend pearl barley for use by diabetics.

1. Such porridge should be consumed by healthy people, which helps in the prevention of diabetes.
2. If a healthy person eats a lot of sweets, followed by a portion of pearl barley porridge, the sugar level will stabilize.
3. Eating pearl barley regularly helps lower blood sugar levels for type 2 diabetics.
4. Diabetics should use cereals and soups based on pearl barley.
5. Those who suffer from diabetes are recommended to use only freshly prepared food from barley.
6. Germinated grains can only be eaten with the advice of a doctor.

Diabetics are generally not recommended to eat a lot. You need to get up from the table with a slight feeling of hunger. The use of barley in small portions will benefit a person suffering from diabetes.

Important: the glycemic index of pearl barley - 20-30 units.

Application in cosmetology

Pearl barley is a storehouse of vitamins and useful minerals, which is why it is used in cosmetology. From it you can make unique skin care products. The benefits of pearl barley in cosmetology:

• contains lysine, which contributes to the production of collagen;
• due to the presence of vitamin E is known for anti-aging properties;
• possesses antibacterial properties.

Skin products made on the basis of pearl barley are used to combat existing wrinkles. Barley masks are suitable for almost any type of skin.

A few topical recipes for skin care products from pearl barley:

1. Universal mask. To make such a mask, you just need to boil pearl barley in milk, without the addition of salt, sugar and oil. Wait until the porridge cools down, and in a warm form, distribute it on the face and neck. It is best to take a horizontal position and wait half an hour, after which it should be washed off with warm water. Such a mask should be done twice a week, and in a month the result will be visible.
2. Nutritious. To make this mask, you need to purchase pearl barley flour or grind cereals, and then pour boiling water over it. It is important not to overdo it with water, the consistency of the mask should be thick. Place the resulting mixture on cotton pads, and then put on forever. If the slurry remains, you can distribute it over the face. Wash off the mask after forty minutes. It nourishes the skin well, you can do it several times a week.
3. For very oily skin. If you systematically make this mask, it mattifies oily skin and makes it more elastic. Mix two tablespoons of chopped barley with a spoon of tomato paste. Drive egg white there and mix using a fork or whisk. Also add 2-3 drops of chamomile oil. Apply the resulting mixture to the face for twenty minutes, then rinse with cool water.
4. Moisturizing mask. Boil the cereal in water and add the ingredients to the still hot: the yolk of one egg, a teaspoon of olive oil and 50 g of freshly squeezed carrot juice. Mix everything thoroughly and cool. Apply a slightly warm mixture to the cleansed face. Keep the mask on your face for as long as possible, then rinse off.
5. Tonic. To prepare a tonic from pearl barley, you need to take finely ground cereals, one tablespoon is enough. Pour it with a glass of boiling water and put on fire for fifteen minutes. After allowing the broth to cool completely and strain it. Pour the liquid into the container in which the tonic will be stored, add a tablespoon of olive, two drops of essential oil, preferably lavender or sandalwood. The tonic is ready. Shake the container thoroughly before use. Tonic has refreshing and cleansing properties.

Facial skin care products made at home from pearl barley are very inexpensive, but quite effective.If you use these tools in the system, the result can compete with expensive salon procedures.

Also based on pearl barley make hair masks. They are suitable for repairing damaged and cut curls. The recipe for cooking is extremely simple: pour half a glass of pearl barley with boiling water and leave for half an hour. Then strain and add fat sour cream and a teaspoon of any vegetable oil. Apply the mixture to the hair, wrap the head with cellophane and keep warm for at least an hour. For effectiveness, you can warm your hair with a mask with a hot hairdryer, then rinse with shampoo. The result is simply amazing, the hair becomes soft and gain a lively shine. It is recommended to make such a mask once a week. Also, this tool well restores hair damaged by a perm.

For oily hair, you can prepare a banana-honey mask with barley. A tablespoon of honey, two tablespoons of olive oil and a sliced ​​banana must be whipped in a blender and add barley flour. After allowing the resulting mixture to stand warm for half an hour. Apply the finished mask over the entire length of the hair, carefully rubbing it into the scalp with massage movements. After application, wait 30 minutes and rinse with warm water.

Harm and contraindications

Even healthy foods can be harmful if abused. It is useful to eat freshly cooked pearl barley porridge even before it is completely cooled.

Do not get carried away with barley to people who can not tolerate gluten. This complex protein can cause digestive disorders, so if you are suspected of intolerance, it is better to consult a doctor.

Also dangerous is the use of pearl barley by those who are allergic to cereals. This is quite rare, but still happens, so you should pay attention to this.

Pregnant women should not abuse this porridge because it can cause gas formation. Also, when drinking insufficient water, barley can cause constipation. Those who often eat it need to consume a lot of fluids. So that barley is only beneficial, it should be limited to taking 1-2 times a week.

People with high acidity should also limit their intake of pearl barley.

How to choose and store

What should I look for when acquiring pearl barley? First, it’s important how pearl barley is packaged. It is best to buy cereals in cardboard packaging. Pearl barley grains release moisture, which is why cereals, which are sold in plastic bags, quickly become bitterness. If there are moisture droplets on a pearl barley bag, you should not buy one.

You should also pay attention to the color of the grains, they can be light beige, yellow and even with a greenish tint. The main thing is that all the grains are the same color. If in one package there are grains lighter and darker - this is the first sign that the cereal has started to disappear. Also, you should not buy cereals with grains that are clearly stuck together.

In order to cook pearl barley porridge, you should choose small grains. If the plans include pearl barley soup, you need to choose larger cereals.

Pearl barley has a long shelf life, but it is very important to store it correctly. After acquiring the cereal, fry it in the oven. This will not affect the quality and useful properties, if suddenly the croup contains beetle larvae (and this happens), then the heat will help get rid of them. Also, for the living creatures contained in the cereals, the cold is destructive, so an alternative is to put the groats in the freezer for 3-4 days. If you have a microwave, you can put pearl barley there for five minutes - the effect will be the same.

Do not store pearl barley in the same packaging that it was sold. It is best to pour it into a glass container or plastic container.Do not select a metal container for storage. It is best to store pearl barley in a cabinet, as direct sunlight reduces its shelf life.

Important! So that bugs do not start in the groats, you need to put several bay leaves in a jar. Their smell will scare off insects, which will ensure the safety of barley.

But even that cereal, which is in the container and protected from insects, cannot be stored forever. Do not store pearl barley for more than a year.

How to distinguish pearl barley from Poltava

These are two different cereals, because they are obtained from completely different cereals - barley and wheat. Visually, they are quite similar, but Poltava cereal has a more oblong shape compared to pearl barley.

What can be prepared from pearl barley: recipes

There are many dishes that can be prepared from pearl barley. This inexpensive but very healthy product is quite difficult to prepare. Below are delicious barley dishes.

Chicken stomach pearl barley soup

This is a tasty and satisfying dish, simple to prepare. It requires the following ingredients: half a kilogram of chicken stomachs, half a glass of pearl barley, one carrot, half onion, salt to taste, sunflower oil for frying and water.

The first step is to wash, clean the stomachs and cut into medium-sized cubes. Rinse the barley, pour hot water and set aside. Ventricles placed in a pan, pour cold water and cook for at least an hour on low heat. While the stomachs are boiling, do the frying in the traditional way. Finely chop the onion, chop the carrots on a fine grater and fry all this in vegetable oil until the vegetables change color. After that, drain the water from the pearl barley and place the groats in a pan where the chicken stomachs are cooked. When the barley is almost ready, add salt and fry, bring to a boil and remove from the stove. The soup is ready. This dish goes well with rye bread.

Barley porridge "Impeccable"

A delicious recipe for pearl barley with vegetables. For this you will need: a glass of cereal, a large tomato, medium carrots, two small onions, vegetable oil, salt, water.

First of all, you need to rinse the cereals well. In a separate pan, boil 4 cups of water and add barley. The cereal should boil for fifteen minutes, after which the barley must be decanted. In a saucepan or stew-pan, in which porridge will cook, pour half a liter of water and salt. After the water boils, pour barley into it and cook until it thickens. At this time, chop the vegetables and simmer in oil under the lid for ten minutes. After this, the vegetables need to be added to the barley, mix and simmer all together for another five minutes.

Exotic salad with barley, apples and honey

Salad needs the following products: a glass of pearl barley, parsley, mint, apples (green and red) 2 pieces, two tablespoons of lemon juice and apple vinegar, a tablespoon of olive oil, two teaspoons of honey, salt, ground black pepper to taste.

Pearl barley must be fried in a dry frying pan until golden brown. After that, pour water and cook for forty minutes. When the cereal is cooked, drain the water and add chopped parsley, mint and chopped apples to it. Mix oil, vinegar, juice and honey well and season salad with this mixture, add salt and pepper.

How to cook on a side dish

Barley can be prepared in different ways, everyone has their own taste preferences. There are two main ways to make pearl barley porridge:

1. Barley on the water. First you need to rinse a glass of cereal and leave it in water for the night. If this is not done, the porridge will be tough. After soaking, rinse the cereals again and place in the pan. Pour cold water, add a pinch of salt and sugar and put on a stove.When the porridge boils, make a slow fire and cook for another half an hour. Five minutes before the end of cooking, add a piece of cream to the porridge, which will make it more crumbly and aromatic. Turn off the fire, wrap the pot of pearl barley in a warm blanket, wait thirty minutes, and the dish is ready.
2. Barley porridge in milk. To prepare this dish, you need half a kilogram of pearl barley and 300 g of milk. In this case, as in the previous one, it is better to soak the pearl barley overnight. Pour the milk into a saucepan and simmer for fifteen minutes over low heat, after adding one and a half tablespoons of sugar. Then add the cereal to the milk and cook for forty minutes. Shortly before cooking, add a slice of butter. The richer the porridge, the better.

Is it possible to give pearl barley to animals

Barley is a product that is very useful to people, but whether it is safe for animals - should be understood. Both cats and dogs were originally wild, their main diet being animal food, not plant origin. Later, people tamed them and made them pets.

Veterinarians advise making an animal diet so that croup is no more than 25% of the menu. Barley can be given no more than once a week.

Interesting Facts

1. The word “pearl barley”, applied to cereals, comes from the word “pearl” - pearls. Externally polished barley grains resemble pearls. And considering how many useful substances are contained in pearl barley, it can truly be called the pearl of all cereals.
2. Even in ancient Rome, gladiators ate pearl barley, because it is very satisfying, it gives energy, stamina and strength.
3. Some nations used barley grains as a currency.
4. In the old days porridge made from pearl barley was a very exquisite dish worthy only of the royal family. The recipe was simple - barley grains were soaked overnight in warm water, and boiled in milk in the morning. After that, the cooked barley was languished in a charcoal oven, seasoned with cream and served.
5. In Russia, grain was prescribed for alcohol poisoning.

People have a very mixed attitude to pearl barley - someone loves her very much, and someone does not tolerate it at all. However, barley is one of those cereals that combine a low price and high calorie content.

Photo of pearl barley