Barley is not only nutritious but also has significant practical value in medicine. Experiments conducted by scientists at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia have shown that eating barley can lower cholesterol levels in the human body by as much as 12%. The beta-glucan content in barley, which lowers cholesterol, is higher and more uniform than that in oats. In a study with 21 people with high cholesterol, one group ate barley-based foods for four consecutive weeks, while another group ate an equivalent amount of oat-based foods. The results showed that the barley group experienced a 6% reduction in blood cholesterol levels and a 7% reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is closely linked to heart disease.
As early as in ancient times, the working people of our country had rich experience in using barley for medicinal purposes. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" of the Ming Dynasty records that barley is salty, warm, slightly cool, and non-toxic, with functions of relieving thirst and clearing heat, replenishing qi, and regulating the middle energizer. Modern medicine has also proven that barley can relieve summer heat, treat gastritis, and duodenal bulb ulcers. Barley malt has effects such as aiding digestion, stopping lactation, and reducing edema. Folk remedies are commonly used to treat common and frequently occurring diseases as follows:
1. Patients with gastritis or duodenal bulb ulcers, during the active phase of the disease, can eat more barley-based foods as an adjunctive therapy;
2. Steam dry barley flour to make a soup, take it twice a day to relieve bloating after meals;
3. Roast barley until black, grind it into a powder, and mix with sesame oil to treat scalds and burns. Apply it to the affected area several times a day;
4. Wash the face, hands, and feet with juice boiled from barley seedlings to prevent and treat chapping of the skin on the face, hands, and feet. It is an excellent skincare product.