Barley grass is one of the green grasses. The true beauty of barley is found in the leaves; the young green shoots of power that form before the grain. The young leaves have a tremendous ability to absorb nutrients from the soil. When barley leaves are 12-14 inches high, they contain all the vitamins, minerals, and proteins necessary for the human diet, plus chlorophyll. These necessities are easily assimilated throughout the digestive tract, giving our bodies instant access to vital nutrients.
Large amounts of vitamins and minerals are found in green barley (Barley Greens) leaves. These include potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, beta carotene, B1, B2, B6, C, folic acid, and pantothenic acid. Barley grass is said to have 30 times more vitamin B1 and 11 times the amount of calcium than there is in cow's milk, 6.5 times as much carotene and nearly 5 times the iron content of spinach, close to 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.
Barley grass is very high in organic sodium, which dissolves calcium deposited on the joints and also replenishes organic sodium in the lining of the stomach. This aids digestion by improving the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. People with arthritis have used celery juice for years because of the organic sodium it contains (28mg per 100grms), but compare this to the amount of organic sodium in barley grass (775mg per 100 grams)!
Barley grass, at the time it is harvested to make juice, is about 45 percent protein. It has almost twice as much protein as an equivalent amount of wheat germ and about five times the minerals which accompany animal protein, in addition the protein in barley grass doesn't come burdened with fat.
Enzymes (barley grass is believed to contain up to 1,000 of them) are the necessary regulators of the body, without them our cells could not function and we would perish. Barley grass has one of the highest natural levels of enzyme SOD (superoxide dismutase), which is a powerful antioxidant that protects the cells against toxic free radicals, thought to be a primary culprit in aging.
Barley grass also contains one of the most amazing nutrients: chlorophyll, a natural detoxifier that rids the intestines of stored toxins. You don't have to drink green grass juices to get chlorophyll; it is present in all dark green, leafy vegetables. But the question is "how many servings of spinach, kale, collards, mustard greens, or turnip and beet tops, do you eat everyday?" And for those who do eat them regularly, there is, after all, a limit to the amount of spinach, kale and the likes someone can eat.
EQUINE:
A supplement of fresh nutritious barley grass in a horse’s diet provides rapid results ranging from higher energy levels to faster recovery times from infection. Fresh barley grass supplements increases sheen of the hair coat while increasing the haemoglobin level and blood count, giving the animal more “heart”. With a ration of barley grass, maximum performance is achieved on less protein due to better assimilation and digestibility of its daily feed.
