Barley can lower blood cholesterol
A diet that includes lots of barley, three times a day, has lowered blood cholesterol by about 15% in a number of medical studies.
That same high fiber content keeps us regular, relieves constipation and wards off a wide variety of digestive problems. It also may help block cancer. As anyone who has done any Bible study at all knows, bread - always made from barley or other whole grain flours - was regarded as so vital to good health and a long life that it was called "the staff of life."
Barley is effective at shutting down the liver's production of the bad LDL cholesterol that does so much damage to our arteries - the kind that can cause strokes and heart attacks. In one interesting study on animals, researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture discovered that the production of LDL was reduced by a remarkable 18% when large amounts of barley were added to their diet.
In a follow-up study, scientists at Montana State University discovered that a high barley diet had the same effect on people. In that study, a group of men ate many foods containing barley, including cereal, bread, cakes and muffins made from barley flour. After six weeks of three servings a day, the men's cholesterol levels dropped an average of 15%. Those whose cholesterol levels were the highest at the start showed the most significant improvement.
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