What is the use of drinking barley water?
Discover how to prepare barley water and much more about this drink
Do you want to discover what the properties of barley water are? Then you should read this note, where you will be able to learn more about this remarkable source of fiber and zinc, among other things.
What is barley water?
Barley is basically cereal grain. In addition to being one of the cheapest cereals, added to the fact that it is available throughout the year, it contains many medicinal properties, it is a good digestive, antispasmodic and diuretic.
This is why it has been used for food and medicinal purposes since ancient times. One of the most traditional preparations that exist with this cereal is, precisely, barley water.
It basically consists of a slow cooking of barley with water. Once a milky liquid is obtained, it is strained, allowed to cool and drunk. But to teach you how to prepare it properly, we will take care of it later. First to know its benefits.
Benefits of barley water
Drinking barley water can end up being a very useful natural remedy for various issues. It is excellent for quenching thirst, it also helps reduce annoying heartburn and fight diarrhea.
Do you want to know what barley water is for? Here we tell you several of its main benefits.
- For digestion. One of the things that pearl barley is good for in the form of water is to combat all kinds of digestive problems, such as diarrhea, heartburn, nausea and also stomach cramps.
You can drink it both cold and warm. And for these types of issues it is ideal to have a little cinnamon.
- For babies. A little barley water is usually given to babies with stomach cramps, since it has astringent properties and it is not harmful.
- To lose weight. It can also be used to lose weight since, thanks to its antioxidants, among which are vitamin C and zinc, it increases lipid metabolism, it also contains fiber that collaborates by purifying the body and giving a sense of satiety.
This purifying function works throughout the body, including kidneys, prevents gallstones.
- For cholesterol. For its part, studies carried out by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that the fiber contained in barley water reduces cholesterol, also improves cell activity, which reduces the oxidation of fats and reduces the formation of clots that clog the arteries.
- For arteriosclerosis. It also prevents atherosclerosis due to its high content of niacin or vitamin B3.
Its content of phosphorus, calcium and copper make it a very effective remedy to improve and maintain bone health. In short, an excellent ally for your health that you can use at any time.
Check: Importance of drinking enough water throughout the day
Does barley make you fat?
All very nice, but you must be wondering if pearl barley makes you fat… And the answer is that it all depends on how much you eat and how you prepare and accompany it.
With regard to barley water, you should not have so much trouble drinking a little a day, because it is not so fattening. Simply sweetening it with stevia or some other product without calories or with few will be enough.
The consumption of pearl barley in excess can make you fat. It is that, like almost any cereal, it is rich in carbohydrates and calories. 100 grams of dry barley (uncooked), give you about 350 calories, of which 73 grams are carbohydrates (but more than 15 correspond to fibers, this is a good fact) and about 12 correspond to proteins.
For this reason, if you consume it in moderation and accompany it correctly, you should not gain weight when consuming it.
How to make barley water at home
Barley water can be made by yourself with just a few ingredients. Obviously you will need barley, water, lemon and if you want a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, in addition its preparation is very simple and you will be able to know it in this step by step.
- Put a cup of barley to cook in a liter and a little more clean water. Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to a minimum, cover and cook for approximately 40/50 minutes.
- If necessary, add water at some point during cooking. Strain and reserve the liquid, which is usually added a little ground cinnamon, honey or sweetener preferably and also add a little lemon juice.
- Barley water is usually cooled beforehand, being extremely useful in summer as a great natural refreshment, which also nourishes and provides good properties.