Barley Grass Juice: The Alternative to Wheatgrass

"Barley grass is one of the most incredible products of this decade. It improves the skin texture and the dryness associated with aging." ~Dr. Howard Lutz.

Some people really don't like the taste of wheatgrass,
if this is you, try barleygrass juice!

Of all the grasses, Barley grass has probably been researched more, due to the efforts of Dr. Yoshihide Hagiwara, President of the Hagiwara Institute of Health in Japan. Hagiwara reports that he researched over 150 different plants over a period of 13 years. He found that in barley was the most excellent source of nutrients that the body needs for growth, repair and well-being.

A biologist named Yasuo Hotta from the University of California, La Jolla, found in barley grass a substance called P4D1. This substance not only has strong anti-inflammatory action but was shown to actually repair the DNA in the cells of the body. This aided in the prevention of carcinogenesis, aging, and cell death. He reported in a Japan Pharmacy Science Association meeting that P4D1 suppresses or cures pancreatitis, stomatitis, inflammation of the oral cavity, and dermatitis, and also lacerations of the stomach and doudenum. He found that barley juice is much stronger than steroid drugs but has fewer if any side effects. Dr. Howard Lutz, who is director of the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Washington, D.C., has said this about barley grass: "(Barley grass is) one of the most incredible products of this decade. It improves stamina, sexual energy, clarity of thought, and reduces addiction to things that are bad for you. Barleygrass juice also improves the texture of the skin, and heals the dryness associated with aging."

Some people who try grass juice find that they just cannot tolerate wheatgrass juice. It is extremely detoxifying and makes some people nauseous every time they drink it. These people may find that they can tolerate barley grass juice. The juice is milder, although quite bitter, compared to the sweetness of wheatgrass juice. Barley grass is very high in organic sodium. People who have a tendency towards dehydration need more organic sodium. People with arthritis have used celery juice for years because of the organic sodium it contains. According to Hagiwara, in his book, Green Barley Essence, barley grass has 775 mg. organic sodium per 100 grams. This contrasts with 28 mg. sodium per 100 grams in celery. Organic sodium keeps calcium in solution in the bloodstream and also dissolves calcium deposited on the joints. (For this reason alone, it should be very calming to the nerves.) Barleygrass juice also replenishes organic sodium in the lining of the stomach. This aids digestion by improving the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

Besides chlorophyll and a myriad of vitamins, minerals and enzymes, barley grass juice is said to have 30 times as much vitamin B1 as in milk, 3.3 times as much vitamin C, and 6.5 times as much carotene as in spinach, 11 times the amount of calcium in cow's milk, nearly five times the iron content of spinach, nearly seven times the vitamin C in oranges, four times the vitamin B1 in whole wheat flour, and 80 micrograms of vitamin B12 per 100 grams of dried barley plant juice. This analysis was done by the Resource Research Association, Office of Science and Technology, and Japan Food Analysis Center. This same food analysis center which did research on the dried barley grass juice, found that it contains per 100 grams: 775 Na, 8,800 K, 1,108 Ca, 224.7 Mg, 15.8 Fe, 1.36 Cu, 534 P, 7.33 Zn. Closest to it is spinach: 25 Na, 490 K, 98 Ca, 59.2Mg, 3.3 Fe, 0.26 Cu, 52 P

Many people have claimed that regular supplementation with green barley juice stimulates weight loss, which research says is due to the enhancement of the cytochrome oxidase enzyme system which is essential for cell metabolism. Another enzyme contained by barley grass is superoxide dismutase (SOD), a powerful antioxidant which protects the cells against toxic free radicals which are thought to be a primary culprit in aging and many other diseases.

"It has been my experience, after growing both wheatgrass and barley grass and providing juice for people, both in my green house and in juice bars, that people who tend to be arthritic do better with barley grass juice because of its high sodium content. Many people using this juice have found relief from pain with a week or two." KK Fowlkes

We have Ann Wigmore to thank for her research on wheatgrass and Yoshihide Hagiwara to thank for our knowledge about barley grass juice. In addition Hippocrates, the father of medicine advised, "Let your food be your medicine," and Shin Huange-ti, said "It is the diet which maintains true health and becomes the best drug."

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