One of the earliest cultivated grains, barley has held a special place in the Indian diet. Known as jau in Hindi, barley is consumed by Indians in varied forms—barley sattoo (a porridge dish), barley roti (made with wheat), barley water and barley soup. It is also germinated and worshipped during Navratras. Often referred to as the poor man’s cereal and cultivated along with wheat, barley is fed to patients as it is believed to have a healing effect.

Several studies suggest that barley can lower cholesterol levels by 15 per cent in individuals with elevated cholesterol levels. In one study, subjects with hypercholesterolemia were fed barley or oat foods for six weeks. Barley and oat flours were used in equivalent amounts in breakfast cereals, bran muffins, and flat bread recipes. While both barley and oat diets lowered total cholesterol by five per cent, LDL (bad) cholesterol was reduced by 14 per cent in subjects fed barley diet compared to seven per cent in those fed the oat diet.

Barley and oats are a good source of “beta glucan”, a water-soluble form of fibre. The viscous fibre seems to retard fat and cholesterol absorption by the intestine. The fibre tends to bind bile salts, thus increasing cholesterol removal from the body. Presence of fat-soluble substances such as tocotrienols (vitamin E) in it appears to suppress cholesterol synthesis by the liver. However, this does not explain barley’s efficacy in getting cholesterol levels down. A 100 gm of barley contain about 3 gm of soluble fibre which pales in comparison to oatbran’s 7.2 gm. Barley’s cholesterol-reducing capacity goes beyond what its soluble fibre content provides. Scientists are trying to figure out what is it about barley that makes it effective.

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