Although mankind has used Barley grain for millennia, only in the early Twentieth Century did we discover the exceptional nutritional richness of its young, leafy growth (cotyledons). Abundant in chlorophyll, protein, vitamins and minerals, it is a superb, broad-spectrum superfood. It is ideal both for those wanting to begin a detox regime, and to provide basic support to an ongoing healthy diet.

A signature component of barley is the green pigment chlorophyll, which allows plants to convert light into energy via photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is high in magnesium, which is essential to humans for bone strength, proper muscle function and normalising blood pressure and flow.

Barley grass’ protein assists us as we build, repair and maintain muscle tissue. The protein in Barley grass has 18 of the 22 amino acids, including all of the eight essential amino acids that the body can’t make for itself. Barley grass is thus an excellent source of protein for vegans, who often lack it in their diets. The vitamin content of Barley grass is also significant. It provides 30 times more Vitamin B1 than cows’ milk, required for proper function of the nervous system and muscles. Its Vitamin B2 helps us extract energy from carbohydrates and produce healthy red blood cells. Vitamin B6 is required for the absorption of amino acids and chemicals involved in brain function. It also helps muscle function, enabling blood haemoglobin to bind oxygen. B9 (folic acid) is essential for women before and during pregnancy, as well as being beneficial to blood health. Vitamin B12 is used in almost every bodily process. Vitamin C helps heal wounds and regulate blood flow, but is also highly antioxidant.

Barley grass is an excellent natural source of minerals. As well as the magnesium in its chlorophyll, it contains calcium, copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium. These are all essential to our diets, and can be lacking in modern, processed foods. Calcium promotes the growth and maintenance of healthy, strong bones and teeth, as well as good circulatory and nerve health. Copper helps the body absorb fats and aids melanin and dopamine production, governing mood, reaction to sunlight and skin health. Iron aids red blood cell production, preventing anaemia. Manganese is needed by many functions throughout the body. Phosphorous is required for general cellular function. Potassium works with sodium to allow nervous impulses to flow and facilitate muscle reaction.

Antibacterial, strengthening to the liver and stabilizing of blood sugar, Barley grass is beneficial those attempting detoxification and weight loss, as well as those suffering from hypoglycaemia and diabetes, arthritis, asthma, blood clots, migraine, inflammatory issues and stomach problems. As an all-round nutritional powerhouse, it has few peers.

Production
We source our Barley grass from an organic farm in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is harvested while the plant is still young, below 30 cm tall. Within 1-6 hours of harvest the Barley grass is transported to an organically certified dehydrating company, where the moisture content is reduced to approximately 4% by air dryers. The drying process takes between 20 and 25 minutes. Samples are taken hourly for daily quality assurance testing. Once dried, the powder is milled, to particles first of approximately 150  – 200 microns, then 50 microns. It is then packaged, awaiting transport to the UK.

Organic Certification
Rainforest Foods Barley grass powder is certified by the Soil Association, one of a handful of organic certification bodies in the UK. These are regulated in their turn by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). The role of the Soil Association is to ensure that all foods sold as organic are definably so. It does this by auditing every stage of the supply chain, through growth, export and processing. Soil Association certification – indicated by the Soil Association logo and the EU organic leaf symbol on our packaging – is a guarantee that our customers are purchasing an organic product. All organically-certified products must also carry a certification code on their packaging. For UK companies such as Rainforest Foods this has the format GB-ORG-XX, XX indicating the certifying body. If this is not present, a product is not organic. The Soil Association code on our products is GB-ORG-05.

Ingredients
Organic Barley grass powder.

Suggested Use
We recommend that you take one heaped teaspoon (3 grams) mixed with water or juice, once or twice a day. It should ideally be taken mid-morning and/or mid-afternoon. We also recommend that you take a reduced dose during the first week to minimise detoxification symptoms. Store your Barley grass in a cool, dry place.

Nutritional Analysis
For details on nutritional content, please click on the back label image above.  For further information about Barley grass, please visit the Barley grass overview and read Barley grass articles on our blog.

Write Review

Your Name:


Your Review: Note: HTML is not translated!

Rating: Bad            Good

Enter the code in the box below: