Introduction
Barley grass juice powder is a popular, nutrient-dense superfood. Here at Hallelujah Diet we have known that for 30 years, as people have reported everything from generally feeling better and being more energetic, and less prone to succumb to attacks on the immune system, to assisting in weight loss. BarleyMax seems to help maintain and restore normal cellular processes throughout the body. And it doesn’t take much. Even as little as 3 teaspoons a day of BarleyMax, our flagship premium organic barley grass juice powder, has been very helpful to people. In this article I want to highlight the role of barley grass juice powder in supporting weight loss, featuring results from a modern animal study that show us some of the mechanisms by which this happens.
What Is Organic Barley Grass Juice Powder?
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.
Barley grass juice powder is not the same as barley grass powder. As mentioned in a previous article the barley grass powder is just expensive hay. The nutrients remain locked up in the dehydrated cells of the grass and are not fully accessible to human digestion. But organic barley grass juice powder has the whole-food nutrients readily available for assimilation. While BarleyMax does has vitamins and minerals, it is the phytochemicals, the enzymes, the unique growth factors, and what the late Dr. Kohler at the University of Wisconsin called the Grass Juice Factor (probably a flavonoid), that give barley grass juice its extra healing edge. There are nutritional factors that promote healing in barley grass juice that can’t be found in isolated or synthetic nutritional products.
Nutritional Profile of Barley Grass Juice Powder
So, what’s in BarleyMax? If you are taking 3 teaspoons a day, then BarleyMax is an excellent source (>20% of DRI) of vitamin K, a good source (10-20% of DRI) of folate and manganese, and a decent source (my definition, 5-9% of DRI) of riboflavin, vitamin A, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.
A recent analysis of fresh barley grass juice found flavonoids, saponins and terpenoids in the juice. When analyzed in detail by GC-MS a total of 12 volatile fatty acids were identified in significant quantities, including vaccenic acid (a precursor to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA, which has been studied for weight loss), and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), which is a precursor to anti-inflammatory eicosanoids like prostaglandin E1. There are flavonoids and other compounds in barley grass juice as well, but they weren’t detected in this kind of analysis.
Then, when researchers tested the barley grass juice for its antioxidant capacity they found that it was effective as the antioxidant rutin. These results align with our previous in vitro testing also showed that BarleyMax prevented DNA damage in the comet assay.
Barley Grass Juice Powder Helps Rats Win the Fight Against a High Fat Diet
Recently an animal study examined the ability of barley grass juice to assist in weight loss. There were 5 groups of rats. One fed regular chow (control group); one fed a high-fat diet (obese group); one fed high-fat diet plus atorvastatin (a statin drug); one fed high-fat diet plus 200 mg/kg of barley grass juice powder per day; one fed high-fat diet plus 400 mg /kg of barley grass juice powder per day. The treatments lasted for 60 days.
Then the rats were tested for body weight, cholesterol levels, liver enzymes, carotid artery histology, liver histology, liver antioxidant enzyme levels, and other liver abnormalities due to obesity.
Here are the results of what happened with the barley grass juice powder:
(1) Completely prevented abnormal weight gain for rats on the high fat diet.
(2) Cholesterol levels were also normalized, even better than with the statin control.
(3) Liver enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP) remained normal even while on high fat diet.
(4) Carotid artery histology was near normal despite high fat diet.
(5) Liver histology was very similar to healthy control rats.
(6) Antioxidant enzymes in the liver (catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and reduced glutathione (GSH)) were normalized.
(7) Lipid peroxidation in the liver was at low, normal levels.
(8) PPAR-gamma protein (elevated by high fat diets and obesity) and caspase 3 (a marker of cell death elevated by high fat diet) were both normal in spite of the high fat diet.
These results indicate that barley grass juice powder interacts at a deep level with metabolism threatened by a high fat diet. Indeed there is potential for this simple whole-food product to be a great weapon in helping reverse obesity and the underlying metabolic disorders that come with it.
Of course, rats are not people. While these results indicate what could be possible, and the kinds of interactions seen in rats, there is no guarantee that such results happen in people. Doses that the rats took might not translate into reasonable doses of barley grass juice powder in people. But given that there are similarities between rat metabolism and people, it is worth exploring these kind of tests further in people.
2 Reasons Why You Should Start Taking BarleyMax for Weight Loss
The first reason to start taking BarleyMax is the spillover effect. When you adopt one positive health habit, you are more likely to adopt other health promoting activities as well. So, taking BarleyMax every day could be just the thing you need to get the ball rolling.
Second, the nutrient-dense BarleyMax can help satisfy the deep hunger your body has for nutrition so that you have reduced cravings for junk food. The dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) and methyl vaccenate contribute to reduced inflammation as well, which could contribute to less cravings.
So, feed your body the nutrition it really craves and take a positive step towards health, which will lead to you being open to taking even more steps. And, just like that, you are on your way!
Not sure how to start taking BarleyMax? Here are 6 ways to incorporate BarleyMax into your diet. You got this!
