Have you heard of barley flour before? It is one of the famous types of flour, which has been used for a long time, and this flour has many nutritional and health benefits, and many people depend on it, and for this reason we will explain to you the benefits of barley flour and its nutritional value, and the most prominent harms that may result from its use, so follow this article with us.

What is barley flour?

Barley flour is a soft flour, and it is made by grinding a quantity of whole barley grains, and any other flour can be replaced with barley flour, as it gives a distinctive flavor to the recipe and is also used as a thickener for texture, so many people add it to many types of soups and some sauces.

Nutrients and calories in barley flour

The nutritional value of barley flour exceeds the nutritional values ​​found in the famous wheat flour, and that is why it has been used for thousands of years, to obtain its important benefits and nutrients, as every 100 grams of barley flour contains:

• 345 calories.
• 75 grams of carbohydrates.
• 11 grams of protein.
• 10 grams of dietary fiber.
• 1.6 grams of fat.
• 0.8 grams of sugar.

Barley flour also contains many vitamins and minerals such as: iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, B-complex vitamins, vitamin E, and vitamin K.

Health benefits of barley flour

This flour is a powerful source of energy for the body, due to its important nutrients, so it is very beneficial for your physical health and mental health as well. The benefits include the following:

1. Regulates blood sugar levels

This flour helps a lot to feel full, and that is why your hunger levels remain low after eating it for a longer period of approximately 10 hours compared to other types of flour, and this is because it works to raise the blood sugar level more slowly, and therefore the foods prepared with it are considered a healthy and useful breakfast because they will make you reduce Your need for sugar during your day.

2. Supports heart health and blood pressure

The important nutrients that barley flour contains, such as various vitamins and minerals, make it a good choice to support the health and functions of the heart and blood vessels, and these elements greatly help in the formation of red blood cells in the body, and also provide oxygen levels in the blood, and all of this is in the interest of Heart muscle and health.

Also, its dietary minerals largely maintain blood pressure at healthy levels, and its fiber also supports healthy blood pressure levels and helps control cholesterol levels in the body.

3. Barley flour for joints and bones

Its important minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and others, make it at the forefront of foods that support bone and joint health, strengthen them, and improve their structure.

4. It reduces the risk of cancer

This is due to the fact that this flour contains selenium, which helps prevent chronic infections, which increase the chances of exposure and cancer, and this element helps protect cells from exposure to damage because it acts as an antioxidant, and this may also protect your body from cancer.

Also, plant foods that contain fiber greatly support the digestive system and reduce the chances of rectal and colon cancer.

5. It reduces inflammation

As barley is one of the foods that contain betaine, which the body converts into choline, and this choline is a nutrient that reduces inflammation in the body, and this substance helps you sleep healthy, support muscle movement in the body, support learning and also memory Significantly, it also helps to absorb fats in the body.

6. The benefits of barley flour for diet

This flour helps healthy digestion, and a feeling of satiety for the longest period, due to its natural fiber content, and for this reason it helps to lose weight because eating it will help you reduce your calorie consumption.

7. Benefits of barley flour for face and skin

This flour is used a lot in recipes for skin whitening and supporting its health, because the mask made from it removes dead skin cells, renews skin cells, opens them up and makes them smooth. It is possible to make these masks easily at home using lemon, rose water and honey, and apply the mask to the face.

Barley flour face mask

• Mix barley flour with water and raw milk.
• Mix them well until a mixture is formed but thin.
• Leave the mixture to cool for about 5 minutes.
• Wash your face with this wonderful mixture.

This recipe helps to remove dirt from the face, it also removes any excess oils in your skin and eliminates dead cells, refreshing the skin.

Barley flour mask for skin whitening and lightening

This mask requires natural ingredients, including:

• ground almonds.
• Almond oil.
• barley flour
• poppy seed.
• Rose water.

And then we prepare the mask, as follows:

• Mix in a bowl a tablespoon of (barley flour – ground almonds – poppy seeds) with a quarter of a spoonful of almond oil.
• Mix these ingredients with rose water well to make a suitable paste.
• Then put this paste on the face and leave it for several minutes.
• Gently rub your face to remove the mask from the face, then wash your face with water well

This mask is very useful and you will get smooth skin and get rid of blackheads.

How to make barley flour at home

This flour can be obtained and prepared in two ways:

The first way

This method depends on the fermentation process, and its steps are as follows:

• Clean the barley well while it is dry to get rid of any impurities.
• Then the barley is fermented in clean water, to allow the barley grains to grow.
• Then it is dried with hot air to stop its growth and germination.
• Then it is ground.

The fermentation process in this method changes the chemical composition of the barley grains, and this flour is known as malted barley flour, and this method is the method used to make commercial barley flour that is sold in various stores.

The second way

It is the simple and easy way by which barley flour can be made at home, and its steps are:

• Get rid of any impurities with barley grains.
• Barley grains are placed in the mill, to grind the grains well.
• In this method, peeled or pearl barley grains are used.

The first method is better and higher in the nutritional value of the resulting flour, because it uses whole barley grains and is therefore rich in nutritional values. Unlike pearl barley, which is more processed, some of its nutrients are reduced.

How is barley flour stored?

Barley flour is one of the types of flour that must be stored in a cold and dry place, and its storage period is from one to two months, or if it is stored in the freezer, it can be stored for three or four months, when needed, the required quantity is taken out and the rest of the flour is returned to a place store it.

Damage to barley flour

There are some harms and warnings that you should be aware of if you use this flour, which are:

• This flour contains gluten, so it is not suitable for people with gluten sensitivity, just like wheat flour.
• This flour contains a high percentage of dietary fiber, so you should add it to your diet gradually and not all at once in high proportions, because too much fiber may cause digestion problems temporarily, until the body adapts to the changes and the proportions of fiber it receives.
• If you add it to your diet, it is preferable to drink fluids and water a lot, because this will avoid the side effects of eating fiber, such as constipation.