Diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, is a growing health concern around the world. Million are affected by its challenges: elevated blood sugar, avoidance of favorite foods, always checking blood sugar levels, and fear of future complications. Kidney damage, increased risk of heart disease, painful neuropathies in the feet, loss of eyesight, and even amputations are all part of the type 2 diabetes package. Along with faster aging and an earlier death. Diabetes is a very hard taskmaster.
Even while people continue to search for natural ways to manage their blood sugar levels, barley grass juice powder has emerged as a promising functional food. Recent animal studies with something called barley microgreens (pulverised grass powder from young juicy barley grass) suggest that it may deliver considerable benefits for controlling blood sugar and reducing oxidative stress. Of course, these are just animal studies, so studies in people need to actually confirm if this works as well in people. Let’s explore what the science says and how barley grass juice powder might fit into a regimen for managing diabetes.
As we have stated in other articles, barley grass juice powder is the dark green, fresh-cut-grass-smelling (if it is a good brand), powder from juice made from young barley grass leaves and stems. In the best practices, barley is sown in fields that are composted and enriched using biodynamic and regenerative farming principles and practices. Deep well, mineral-rich water is used to further enhance the mineral availability for the grass. The grass is intentionally grown during the cooler seasons of spring and fall for slower growth, allowing the grass to take up the minerals from the soil and produce the complex antioxidants and phytonutrients that protect the plant, and in turn, protect those who eat the plant. The barley grass is harvested at the peak of nutrition, without any of it touching the ground. After transport from the field the grass is washed, juiced and quickly chilled. The chilled juice is then dried at a low temperature (so low that enzyme activity is preserved) in a low oxygen environment to shield the partially-dried particles from oxidative damage during the dehydration process. Dried powder is stored cold until bottling and shipping to suppliers. The resulting product is gluten-free and full of enzyme activity, as verified by our Raw Food Lab.
Two key studies provide insight into how barley grass, particularly in the form of microgreens or juice, may help manage diabetes and its complications in rats. Here’s what they found:
1. Improved Blood Sugar Control and Reduced Oxidative Stress
A study published in Heliyon (2019) investigated the effects of barley grass juice in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Rats were given 1 mL of barley grass juice daily, and the results were striking:
- Lower Blood Sugar: The treatment significantly reduced fasting blood glucose.
- Improved Lipid Profile: Diabetic rats exposed to aflatoxin showed significantly elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol.
- Boosted Antioxidant Status: The juice decreased oxidative stress markers while increasing total antioxidant capacity and catalase enzyme activity, suggesting it may protect against diabetes-related cellular damage.
- These results show that barley grass juice could support glycemic control, help with abnormal blood lipid levels, and reduce oxidative stress, a major contributor to diabetes complications.
2. Protection Against Diabetes and Aflatoxin-Induced Damage
A 2021 animal study published in Experimental Biology and Medicine (Maywood) and a second accompanying 2022 article about reproductive dysfunction in male rats in Food Science & Nutrition explored the effects of barley microgreen (BM) in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes, some of whom were also exposed to aflatoxin B1, a toxic environmental contaminant linked to worsened diabetes outcomes. The study divided rats into eight groups, including controls, diabetic rats, aflatoxin-exposed rats, and those treated with a barley microgreen diet. Key findings include:
- Improved Blood Glucose: As seen above, the barley grass supplement improved blood sugar levels, compared to each experimental group. (See Figure 1)
- Improved Insulin Activity: Insulin resistance was lowered and insulin sensitivity improved. Beta-cell function was much better and more beta cells were visible under the microscope. (See Figure 2)
- Reduced Oxidative Stress: Both diabetes and aflatoxin increased oxidative stress markers like malondialdehyde (MDA) while decreasing antioxidants like glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT). The barley microgreen diet significantly reduced MDA and boosted antioxidant enzyme activity.
- Enhanced Reproductive Health (from the 2022 article): Diabetes and aflatoxin caused severe reproductive issues, including reduced sperm count, increased sperm abnormalities, and testicular damage. The barley microgreen diet improved sperm count, reduced abnormalities, and alleviated testicular degeneration.
- Histopathological Benefits: Under the microscope protection of the liver, kidneys, and pancreas was pronounced.
These results suggest that barley microgreens can counteract the compounded damage of diabetes and environmental toxins like aflatoxin, offering broad protective effects.
The benefits observed in these studies likely stem from the rich phytochemical profile of barley microgreens:
- High Antioxidant Content: Compounds like β-carotene (vitamin A precursor), vitamin E, and phenolic compounds neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS), reducing oxidative stress that exacerbates diabetes complications.
- Grass Juice Factor: This unidentified compound (perhaps a flavonoid) has improved growth of animals and offered disease protection in research done in the 1940s through the 1960s.
- Bioactive Compounds: Flavonoids, and other phytochemicals may improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation, and protect against cellular damage.
- Anti-Inflammatory Properties: By inhibiting pathways like cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase, barley microgreens may reduce systemic inflammation, a key driver of diabetes complications.
While these findings are promising, they come with an important caveat: the research was conducted on rats, not humans. Animal studies provide valuable insights into biological mechanisms, but differences in metabolism, physiology, and disease processes mean that results may not directly translate to humans. The amounts necessary to help a rat aren’t going to be the same, even correcting for weight, as in people. Also, the streptozotocin-induced diabetic state in rats is different from chronic type 2 diabetes in people. Human clinical trials are needed to confirm whether barley grass juice powder can deliver similar benefits for people with diabetes.
Even though these results aren’t confirmed in people, you don’t have to wait to see if you benefit from taking BarleyMax. After all, we already know from our own analysis and many people’s stories that barley grass juice powder is a nutrient-dense, low-calorie food that can be a valuable addition to any diet. Here are 6 simple, easy ways to take BarleyMax:
- Mix with Water. One of the easiest and simplest ways to take BarleyMax is to mix 1 teaspoon into 3-4 ounces of water
- Blend into a Smoothie
- Stir into Orange Juice
- Mix with Protein Powder Drinks
- Mix into Fresh Vegetable Juice
- Make a “Rise and Shine” Drink
Barley grass juice powder can complement a holistic approach to diabetes management. Consider these evidence-based strategies:
- Hallelujah Diet: Focus on raw fruits and vegetables, fresh salads, vegetable juices and a plant-based diet to stabilize blood sugar. The Hallelujah Diet has worked wonders for many people suffering from type 2 diabetes, even before they lose much weight.
- Become Thinner: Excess fat accumulation in the liver and pancreas are the root causes of type 2 diabetes. Lose the fat, lose the diabetes. Even if you are not obese, you are too fat for your own genetic makeup; you have crossed your personal fat threshold.
- Take a Walk after Eating. Studies show a 2-10 minute walk after a meal can cut glucose spikes by 12%.
- Drink Water Before Eating. Drink 500 ml of water 30 min before meals to feel less hungry, shed pounds, and lower fasting blood sugar, says a 2021 J Diabetes Metab Disord study.
- Manage Your Stress: Chronic stress can worsen blood sugar control, so practices like gratitude journaling and deep breathing help ease your mind.
- Get Great Sleep: Your body repairs and your brain cleanses while you sleep. A short night’s rest tends to make glucose control worse the next day as well.
The animal studies reviewed here indicate that barley grass juice powder is great for improving blood sugar control (in rats), and for protecting the liver, kidneys, and pancreas from oxidative damage due to high blood sugar and toxins. The flavonoids and bioactive compounds are likely responsible for these benefits, not just the vitamins and minerals that are in barley grass. Lots of other foods have more vitamins and minerals without having these same benefits. But barley grass juice powder has some special properties not found in most other foods, and even other vegetables. BarleyMax is easy to incorporate into your diet and lifestyle, so give it a try!
Sources:
1. Mohamed RS, Marrez DA, Salem SH, Zaghloul AH, Ashoush IS, Farrag ARH, et al. Hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of green sprouts juice and functional dairy micronutrients against streptozotocin-induced oxidative stress and diabetes in rats. Heliyon. 2019 Feb 1;5(2). DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01197
2. Khattab MS, Aly TAA, Mohamed SM, Naguib AMM, AL‐Farga A, Abdel‐Rahim EA. Hordeum vulgare L. microgreen mitigates reproductive dysfunction and oxidative stress in streptozotocin‐induced diabetes and aflatoxicosis in male rats. Food Sci Nutr. 2022 Jul 7;10(10):3355–67. DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.2936
3. Mohamed SM, Abdel-Rahim EA, Aly TA, Naguib AM, Khattab MS. Barley microgreen incorporation in diet-controlled diabetes and counteracted aflatoxicosis in rats. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2022 Mar;247(5):385–94. DOI: 10.1177/15353702211059765
