Regular consumption of whole grain barley and its hydroalcoholic extract reduces the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease, etc. These benefits have been attritubted to beta-glucan and phytochemicals such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans, tocols, phytosterols, and folate.

Generally, the content of nutritious and functional ingredients differ depending on the growth stage of barley grass, various cultivars or on the processing technology.

Barley grass has young green leaves and stem of vegetative growth stage from seedling at 10 days after sprouting to elongation stage. Barley grass is rich in nutritious and functional ingredients, which include dietary fiber, protein, fat, vitamin A, vitamin C, Calcium, Sulphur, Chromium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, chlorophyll , superoxide dismutase (SOD), saponarin, flavonoid, polyphenol, GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid), tryptophan.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces neural excitability in the mammalian central nervous system. It provides relaxing, antianxiety, and anticonvulsive benefits; alleviates pain; regulates sleep; and increases cognitive and reproductive effects.

Barley grass contains abount 300 enzymes for human body utilization, such as Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) which has powerful anti-inflammatory activity.

Plenty of experimental data prove that barley grass powder is rich in GABA, flavonoids, SOD, Potassium-Calcium, vitamins, and tryptophan, which are known to play a pivotal role in preventing chronic diseases. Such a combination of ingredients provide barley grass with hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, constipation-preventive, anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities.

References:
1. Zeng, Y.; et.al. Preventive and Therapeutic Role of Functional Ingredients of Barley Grass for Chronic Diseases in Human Beings. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018, 3232080.
2. Lahouar, L.; et.al. Therapeutic Potential of Young Green Barley Leaves in Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: An Overview. Am J Chin Med. 2015, 43(7), 1311-29. doi: 10.1142/S0192415X15500743.

Barley grass is super-rich in vitamin-C, calcium and potassium.