Does Barley Reduce Weight

Kritika started her weight loss journey with the best of intentions. She has stocked her fridge with the healthiest foods, joined a gym membership, and bought a meal tracker app subscription. One week into her regimen, though she’s failing and failing hard. The problem is her hunger. To reduce her calorie intake, she needs to eat less. But she can not stop herself from thinking about food all the time. What is she doing wrong?

Quite likely, it does not include enough fiber in her diet. You see, fiber-rich foods provide a feeling of fullness and keep dieters from snacking. The less they eat, the more likely they are to achieve their weight loss goals. Kritias doctor thinks the same and advised her to eat barley. This super trendy, super-effective fiber-rich grain has become every dietician’s favorite recommendation. Want to know why? Read on as we discuss the link between barley and weight loss.

What is Barley Exactly?

Before we answer the question does barley reduces weight, let us first cover what barley exactly is. Barley is a grain with a nutty, chewy consistency that is especially common in the American diet. The grain is rich in multiple nutrients and contains many health benefits, such as promoting weight loss, improving digestion, and even lowering cholesterol levels.

How Does Barley Help Weight Loss and Overall Health?

Nutrient-Rich:

Does barley reduce weight? Yes. But, more importantly, this nutrient-rich grain has a highly significant impact on overall health. Barley is rich in vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds. When consumed in its whole grain form, barley is also rich in fiber, magnesium, selenium, copper, vitamin B1, and many other nutrients.

Barley also contains lignans, a group of antioxidants linked to reducing cancer and heart disease. The best way to consume barley is by soaking or sprouting the grain. This helps reduce their anti-nutrient content and allows for better absorption of nutrients in the grain.

Fiber-Rich Barley Reduces Hunger :

Now that we have covered barley’s health benefits, let us answer the all-important question: Does barley reduce weight? And the answer is yes. Barley does help weight loss. Barley is rich in fiber content and particularly a fiber called beta-glucan, which promotes a feeling of fullness.

By consuming barley, a person is likely to feel fuller for longer, which will help with weight loss. Soluble fibers such as beta-glucan slow digestion and lower appetite, leading to lower overall calorie intake. And if it is the stubborn belly fat you are targeting, the soluble fiber present in barley is even more effective.

Boosts Immune System :

Barley has an excellent nutrient profile that works to stimulate the responses of the immune system. How that works is by accelerating recovery from disease. While not directly answering the question of whether barley reduces weight, an overall healthy immune system allows a person to train harder at the gym, sleep better, and eat better, all of which ultimately helps in weight loss.

Aside from weight loss, the nutrients in barley fight cell damage that occurs with age and lifestyle factors. Thereby slowing the natural aging of the body.

Barley May Help Lower Cholesterol :

Barley has been found effective in lowering cholesterol levels. This works through beta-glucans found in barley which lower the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol by binding to bile acids. The body removes bile acids which in turn prompts the liver to produce more bile acids: the eventual result, lower cholesterol circulating in your blood.

Fiber Content in Barley Improves Digestion :

Barley can help boost your intestinal health. The high fiber content in barley is primarily insoluble fiber which adds bulks to the stool. This, in turn, improves intestinal movement and reduces constipation. Studies have shown a positive link between barley intake and improved bowel function in adult women.

Improve Heart Health :

Barley is a whole grain that has been found to improve heart health. So not only does barley reduce weight, adding barley to your diet may lower your risk of heart disease. Barley’s soluble fiber content also helps bring blood pressure levels down.

Easy to Consume :

If you are still wondering does barley reduce weight, this final point should convince you definitively. The number one issue most dieters face when sticking to any diet is consistency. Barley is a cheap and easy-to-consume ingredient, making it a versatile option for a weight loss diet. Not to mention, it is an excellent alternative to refined grains.

Replace high carb and therefore weight loss no-no dishes like rice pilaf, risotto, or pasta with barley porridge. For people, who dislike the taste of barley, you can hide the ingredient by adding it to soups, stuffings, stews, and salads. Barley also works excellent as a dessert in the form of barley puddings and even ice cream.

Yes, ice cream. Make a healthier ice cream alternative by choosing a recipe with barley in it. Similarly, you can buy a barley version of bread instead of whole-grain bread.

Don’t Overdo Barley Consumption

Always remember that overconsumption of any ingredient, however beneficial its qualities, is a recipe for disaster. Moderation is vital when it comes to barley as well. And there are special precautions you will need to take if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have celiac disease.

For example, it is inadvisable to consume barley sprouts in high amounts during pregnancy. Similarly, you should exercise caution and contact your health provider to ensure barley does not interfere with any medication you are consuming.

For example, as it can lower blood sugar levels, consult your physician before adding barley to your diet if you are currently on medication to manage your blood sugar. And finally, make sure you are not allergic to barley. Barley contains gluten, so make sure to confirm any allergies before consuming.