Asia is considered to be the birthplace of barley, but in our country cereal also occupied a special place due to its nutritiousness and benefits. The unpretentiousness of this culture ensured its distribution throughout the world; today it is grown even at an altitude of 5000 meters above sea level. Have barley flakes preserved all the benefits of cereal and what are the features of their preparation, described below.
Historical facts
Today, barley dishes are rarely found on tables, because at a certain time the cereal was almost completely replaced by wheat. This happened in the 19th century due to the fact that an unpretentious culture was considered a cheap product and it was not possible to make big money for it. Then whole fields of cereals were subjected to artificial destruction, and the wheat that was known to everyone today replaced the once popular porridge. On the tables of indigenous Russian peoples, porridge from barley was considered the basis, so its departure was almost a tragedy at that time.
Today, barley flakes and cereals are equated with fodder culture. It is practically not cooked at home, and it is mainly found on hospital or army tables. Porridge is considered peasant food and is ignored to a greater extent because little is known about the benefits of the product in the modern world. Moreover, among the gladiators of the Roman Empire, barley was the basis of the diet, and philosophers of ancient Greece considered culture a unique food for the brain.
Cereal production
Barley flakes are made exclusively from whole grains, therefore they retain all the benefits of cereal. Production includes several stages. First, the grains are prepared - cleaned and washed. Then, under a special press, each grain is flattened into thin plates, which we call flakes.
At the end, the product is flavored with steam, which further reduces the time of its preparation, but at the same time retains all the benefits and taste. By the way, the taste of flakes is much richer than the cereal itself.
Structure
The calorie content of barley flakes is 320 Kcal per 100 g. The calorie content of whole cereals is slightly less and equal to 310 Kcal. Flakes retain in themselves all the benefits of the cereal itself, therefore they are composed of:
- fiber;
- essential amino acids;
- starch;
- provitamin A;
- B vitamins;
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin D
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- phosphorus;
- iodine;
- copper;
- iron;
- chromium;
- zinc;
- sulfur;
- copper;
- cobalt and other minerals.
Barley porridge is able to make up for the lack of fluoride in the body, which is necessary for normal brain activity. There is approximately 6% of dietary fiber in cereal, which means that when it is consumed, digestion improves markedly, the product removes toxins from the body and helps to reduce weight.
Also, the benefits of barley flakes lies in a natural antibiotic that can strengthen the walls of blood vessels and fight the causative agents of ulcers in the digestive system.
The benefits of cereal
In addition to the above characteristics of the composition of the culture, attention should be paid to the presence of lysine in it. It is this amino acid that strengthens the immune system, protects the body from colds and herpes. Barley flakes are recommended for a child to be included in the diet from 10 months. Silicon, which is part of the cereal, strengthens bone tissue and cartilage, which is important for a growing body. The finished dish will bring additional benefit if you add fresh fruits and berries to it. The low glycemic index of porridge makes it safe for a small organism and adult diabetics.
An interesting fact is that after soaking the cereal in water, the antifungal and antimicrobial substance hordecin appears. When brewing flakes, it is also formed and consumed together with the main product, because water in this case does not need to be drained. Thus, the benefits of flakes are even greater than those of the cereal itself.
It is believed that barley is able to prevent the formation of malignant tumors in the body and rejuvenate it. That is why many beauties use the finished product as cosmetic masks.
Vitamins and minerals in barley flakes improve brain function, which is important for children during training periods. Barley also improves memory and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
A soft broth of cereals envelops the walls of the stomach and promotes the healing of small wounds, which is important if there is a history of gastritis or peptic ulcer. Choline in cereals helps to improve the functioning of the kidneys, regulate the level of insulin in the blood and avoid fatty degeneration of the liver. Fiber removes bad cholesterol from the body, and beta-glucan helps to avoid premature aging and activate the immune system.
Cereal Harm
In some cases, the benefits and harm of barley flakes can cause the body in almost equal quantities. Ailments and pains in the stomach can be triggered by a combination of cereal with egg proteins. In addition to such a limitation, barley should not be eaten in any form for all healthy people if the body does not have an enzyme to break down a specific protein in the composition. This is considered a congenital anomaly and refers to the individual intolerance of the product.
According to many doctors, all pregnant women should also exclude the culture from the diet, since the chemicals in some chemicals can provoke premature birth.
You should also be wary of this product with a tendency to allergic reactions.
Scientific research
Despite the decline in popularity of the product in recent decades, some scientists do not cease to argue that the benefits of cereal are incomparable with any common today. Strong evidence was provided by Japanese scholar Yoshihide Hagiwara. The specialist claims that in terms of the amount of fiber the culture is ahead even of oatmeal, due to minimal mechanical processing. In addition, the cereal has a balanced chemical composition and maximum nutritional value due to the high concentration of trace elements, fiber and vegetable protein. The scientist also noted that barley has certain differences with barley grits, although the basis of both products is one cereal. The fact is that in the production of pearl barley, grains are intensively polished and lose some of the useful substances.
The scientist devoted 13 years of life to this work and during this time studied more than 150 types of crops.
Interesting Facts
Barley cereal or cereal porridge is recommended to regularly use for people suffering from diabetes. This is due to the fact that the product is able to reduce the level of sugar already in the body and the risk of allergic reactions. The latter is especially useful for young children prone to such negative manifestations.
The ability of the product to strengthen bones and cartilage is useful not only for babies. With diseases of arthritis, porridge helps to significantly improve well-being. Also, the culture has an anti-inflammatory effect, a diuretic effect and improves intestinal motility. A properly prepared product has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, prevents the risk of depression and stimulates the production of endorphins.
It is important to know that the amino acids contained in the cereal accelerate the production of collagen, which can significantly improve the condition of the skin and achieve a rejuvenating effect. Using this knowledge, you can not only eat porridge for food, but also use it as a face mask to speed up smoothing of wrinkles, eliminate the cause of acne and make the skin more radiant.
Cooking recipes
The easiest way to cook porridge from barley flakes. To do this, take a glass of the main product and 3 glasses of liquid. You can only use water or water in half with milk. Sugar and salt are added to taste.
To cook porridge, you need to boil water, pour flakes into it and cook for no more than 5 minutes, then add milk and leave over low heat for another 10 minutes. If the dish is only on water, then cook should be only 15 minutes.
Similarly, you can cook porridge from wheat-barley flakes or any mixture of cereals.
At first you can cook cereal soup. For such a diet dish you only need to add grated carrots, peeled and chopped white radish, celery and onions to the finished chicken broth. After that, add barley flakes and add a little orange zest for flavor. Salt and pepper are added to taste.
If necessary, quickly prepare a delicious dessert for tea or just treat yourself to a healthy snack, you can make cookies from barley flakes according to the following recipe. First you need to pour boiling water over 250 grams of cereal so that water covers them on your finger. Add 100 grams of butter there and leave to swell. At this time, 1 egg must be ground with 100 g of sugar, pour a glass of kefir into the mixture, 200 g of cream and vanillin to taste. Add the resulting liquid to porridge, add a little raisins, honey or sugar and 150 g of flour there. The resulting batter should be put on a baking sheet with a spoon and baked until golden brown.
Conclusion
Many do not like barley porridge because of its fresh taste, but you can change this by adding spices, fresh fruits, milk or other products to the recipe. If you teach a child to eat such a dish since childhood, then he will not have problems with taste perception in the future. When cereals are added to baking, the finished products have a bright taste and aroma of fresh bread.
Proper nutrition is the key to the health and longevity of everyone, so any taste can be corrected for the benefit of the body.