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Gluten is a protein composite found in grains like wheat, rye and barley.

Meanwhile, the word organic, refers to certain standards and practice in growing and processing of food and food products that suggest natural, safe, healthy and free from inorganic fertilizers and pesticides. If a product has gluten and organic, like a gluten organic barley, it is usually printed in the package for consumer information.

This is done because it may be contraindicated to those with sensitivity to the gluten.

The word organic is mistaken to mean healthy for everyone, except perhaps to those with gluten allergy. If it is barley, wheat or rye, being organic is not everything. Thos who are sensitive to gluten need to be prudent because these three grains are notorious for their gluten.

This is the reason why food products must be labeled and so that people sensitive to gluten will avoid food indicated as gluten organic barley. Besides, organic can be both applied to both gluten and gluten-free barley or food products.

Gluten is only found in the seeds of grasses and stored as part of endosperms. It is a composite protein because it consists of gliadin and glutelin bound with starch (in the endosperm) that is used as food during germination. Having gluten allergy makes eating difficult because its typically used in making high-quality breads and pastas.

Those who are gluten intolerant, however, are aware that diet is important in the management of this disease.

Sensitivity to gluten may lead to complications like celiac disease. This is a hereditary and lifelong autoimmune condition that may lead to multi-system disorder. Many diseases can possibly develop if the nutrients in the diet is poorly absorbed like anemia, scurvy and osteoporosis. Staying away from food with gluten is the only recourse to keep symptoms away. Hence, labels in food products are important for safety reasons.

Gluten-free food may not always mean 100 percent gluten-free as long as it passes FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) standards.

Gluten organic barley is of course the best choice if there is no issue of allergy; also, being organic makes barley a very healthy option.

What is Barley Grass To The World

Barley grass is one of the most economically important plant in the world.

In fact, its production in 2007 made it on the fourth rank because of the quantity produced; this equated to roughly 136 million tons and an area of cultivation which reached 566,999 square kilometers.

What is barley grass?

For botanists, barley grass or Hordeum vulgare is a self-pollinating grass. It has fourteen chromosomes in diploid state which has been cultivated through all these years. This grass has spikes containing spikelet that shatter to release the grain inside. The spikelet is in trio with the middle spikelet being fertile, while the lateral ones are not.

The barley cultivars that kept this trait became known as the two-row barleys. A single-gene mutation led to the formation of six-row barleys that has both lateral spikelet becoming viable too. The hullless or “naked” barley variety that used to be a commonly consumed food crop in the early years, is now re-discovered for many other useful applications.

What is barley grass that it would have such economic importance?

The two-row barley having less protein than its counterpart, the six-row barley, it makes and is a better source of most alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. This implies having more sugar for fermentation.

Hence, when malting to make alcoholic beverages like ales and beers, the lower protein two-row barley is preferred. This is traditionally used in English and German beers. On the contrary, the six-row barleys are traditionally preferred for American lager style of beer. Interestingly, the two-row barley is becoming increasingly used now in making beer.

By boiling water with barley, the non-alcoholic drinks that can be produced is called barley water or barley tea (mugicha in Japan). Lately, barley plays an important role as animal feeds. It is the principal feed in many industrialized nations like the US, Canada and European countries.

Barley has so many vital nutrients that makes it another super food. It has, in fact, about 8 amino acid. It is effective in managing normal blood sugar levels. Barley that still has the bran, even if dehulled, are still very rich in nutrients. Barley is still widely used as an ingredient or as a food staple in many countries in the Midle East, Europe, and Africa.

In the modern world, the uses are far-reaching. The role of barley is symbolical as it helps the society enhance food security in every home, development of the rural areas and bringing sustainable development to the fore.

Innovating Barley Grass Powder

Nothing can beat the benefits of freshly extracted barley grass not even its derivative the barley grass powder.

People have no choice but be satisfied with the next best because it is not easy to get fresh extracts of barley grass all the time. Those who are really into barley, do their utmost best to gain an access to fresh sources, otherwise, they grow it themselves. While every grower will attest to the simplicity of the procedure, it will always demand some time and attention that some just do not have.

This is where barley grass powder enters the picture.

Barley grass powder is actually derived from dried young leaves of barley.

The best time to reap these would be at a time when their nutrients are at the peak (which is about two weeks after germination) or when grasses are approximately 7 inches in height. This is soon followed by the movement of nutrients to the parts where they are needed to be spent up or to be stored like in grains or flowers. It is at this stage when they must be harvested to be used as a fresh juice or as a material for barley grass powder.

Doing the harvesting later can forfeit the nutrients in the amounts that is less than its potential.

The consumption of barley grass powder works best when one wishes to control the concentration of uptake. The barley powder is more concentrated than its fresh counterpart and is also more convenient to prepare. Blending it with water or some other beverage can be done anywhere, anytime. Blending it with other beverages may also efficiently masks its flavor and smell if you are not too keen about these.

One thing that must be done with thoroughness is to research first the good brands of barley grass powder before spending on it. With the sudden popularity and demand, it is expected that many competitors will emerge including bogus ones. Such products can drain your finances without providing you the expected benefits. Gather information to be forearmed and everything you may need is right there.

With the advancements in science and technology is it not too much to expect a barley grass powder that is at par with the natural one?

Barley Grass Juice: Fresh Or Powder

With barley’s rediscovery, its benefits are rediscoverd by this generation.

History can testify how primitive cultures have used barley in making bread and beverage thousands of years ago. It is about the same because barley is making a return still as a beverage.

This time, however, it is in the form of barley grass juice.

Barley is a super food based on the fact that it is a loaded source of many nutrients like phosphorus, selenium, copper, zinc, essential amino acids, proteins and fibers. Even in a drink form, it is still regarded as such because it can provide all essential nutrients in just the right concentrations.

It helps the body form a barrier against dreaded afflictions like cancer. It cleanses the system, perks up the circulation, it heightens energy, and slows down aging caused by antioxidants just to cite a few.

These are all well studied an substantiated. But typical in a commercial world, such demand is grabbed by massive number of manufacturers with production. Thus, the barley grass juice powder was launched. If there is one confusing angle that enthusiasts are confronted with it’s the dilemma on- which more healthy, the commercially-prepared barley juice powder or the barley grass juice?

While there could be some variations, these are insignificant and both juices will still be both amazingly healthy.

What one must guard against are fly-by-night manufacturers of barley juice powder that are just up for some bucks. One must take stock of what’s out there and how such perform in terms of feedback from consumers. These information are just too easy to get with the big web. Opting for the use of powder will accord one with convenience and greater control over the desired concentration.

Modern technologies try very hard to approximate the exact process by which nature makes things, yet no matter what, it will never be perfect. Nothing can still come close to natural. Growing one’s own barley grass is the best way to maximize the benefits. Growers will attest to its lack of difficulty but must still give it some time and thought.

The bottom line: it doesn’t really matter what barley grass juice you take so long as you take it.