Barley is a grain with medicinal and dietary benefits.The nutritional value of barley In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the world.Numerous studies have shown that little can be done to improve and alleviate the intestinal environment constipationreduce visceral fat.
In 2007, research from Japan showed that barley can reduce cholesterol in internal organs and low-density lipoproteins. Japanese men with cholesterolemia were randomly assigned to two groups.
The test group ate rice mixed with barley and the placebo group ate rice without barley for 12 weeks. I understand.
A second barley called mochi barley is also beneficial to health, as revealed in a study conducted by the Western Japan Research Center. research Published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology in 2017.
Following the research team’s guidelines, nursing home caregivers provided the elderly with rice mixed with glutinous barley as a staple food for five months.
As a result, of the 28 elderly dieters with an average age of 89, 14 who were suffering from constipation experienced a significant increase in the number of bowel movements from an average of 9.2 times to 12.1 times per month. It turns out that there is As provided by barley, it may promote peristalsis in the elderly. The use of laxatives has also decreased significantly.
Additionally, older study participants preferred glutinous barley over other high-fiber foods such as glutinous barley and mushrooms.
Barley is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, β-glucan, which is a water-soluble dietary fiber, insoluble dietary fiber, and vitamin B. Dietary fiber is beneficial to the body, relieving constipation and helping in weight loss. , prepares the intestinal environment and improves peristalsis.
health and longevity
Improving the intestinal environment not only eliminates constipation, but maintaining a healthy intestinal flora also plays an important role in overall health.
Japan has one of the longest life expectancies in the world. Specifically, the number of centenarians in Kyotango City is three times that of Kyoto Prefecture. According to Kyotango City statistics, as of September 1, 2022, the number of centenarians is 124, or 237 per 100,000 population, 3.3 times more than his nationwide.
Professor Yuji Naito of the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine studied the “secret” of a centenarian in Kyotango City.he discovered There are significantly more butyric acid bacteria in the intestines of the elderly than those of the neighboring city of Kyoto.
Yuji speculated that the gut microbiota of local elderly individuals contained large amounts of Clostridium butyricum in association with high dietary fiber. Clostridium butyricum metabolism can increase the number of immune cells, reduce inflammation, and also act as a protector of the cerebral and central nervous system. “Perhaps this is one of the key reasons for their longevity.”
According to Yuji, research on the genetic analysis of the intestinal bacteria of ancient humans has shown that they are richer and more diverse than those of modern humans. The nutrients and materials needed for optimal health cannot be produced without the enormous diversity of genetic gut bacteria. In the internal environment, it leads to a decrease in the number of Clostridium butyricum in the intestine.
According to the 2020 Japanese government guidelines, dietary fiber intake should be at least 21 grams per day for men aged 18-64 and at least 18 grams for women.
Dietary fiber is relatively abundant in vegetables, but not so much in foods such as fish and meat. As an effective method of ingesting dietary fiber, barley, brown rice, germ rice, whole grain bread, etc. should be the staple food, and beans, fruits, mushrooms, seaweed, dried carrots, pumpkin, burdock, bamboo shoots, broccoli, mushrooms, natto (whole soybeans) traditional Japanese food made from), green beans, adzuki beans, shiitake mushrooms.
