Arthralgia refers to pain localized to a joint, regardless of the origin of the pain (which may or may not be due to joint inflammation). It should not be confused with Arthritis {Greek term “disease of the joints”} which is an acute or chronic joint inflammation that often co-exists with pain and structural damage.

In simpler words, joint pain or discomfort is common and usually felt in joints of the hands, feet, hips, knees, or spine. The joint can feel stiff, achy or sore with constant, cyclic or irregular pain episodes. In addition, the joint may feel stiff in the morning and feel better with movement or activity. However, too much activity could make the pain worse. [Read more…]

Sleep is a vital segment of life, and a healthy body is always blessed with good sleep. Improper and disturbed sleep is a potent indicator of mental and/or physical stress. Many ancient medicine system like Ayurveda, have insisted that insomnia, a general sleep disorder can be controlled with functional foods in diet.

Various researches into insomnia have revealed that chemicals/biochemicals such as tryptophan, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), calcium, potassium, magnesium, melatonin, pyridoxine, L-ornithine and hexadecanoic acid promote healthy sleep; whereas neurochemical factors include serotonin, noradrenalin, acetylcholine, histamine, orexin etc keeps the person awake. So, for a good sleep functional foods rich in sleep promoters play an important part. [Read more…]

神奇純有機大麥的益處

Benefits of Pure Organic Barley with Chinese Subtitles

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. [Read more…]

A number of epidemiological studies have shown that regular consumption of whole grain barley reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity etc. Researchers have often credited barley fiber, especially beta-glucan in whole grain barley for these health benefits but it fails to explain all the activity of barley. Whole grain barley also contains vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals, it is now believed that its therapeutic potential is contributed by all its components. Moreover, sufficient evidence supports that phytochemicals also play important roles in preventing the development of chronic diseases.

Barley competes well with other major cereal grains, such as wheat, oat, rye, and rice in terms of content and diversity of phytochemicals. In addition, barley has some unique phytochemical properties, such as the presence of all eight tocol (vitamin E) vitamers, which are usually not complete in some cereals.

The major phytochemicals in barley that have shown health benefits include phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans, tocols, sterols, and folates. They all belong to different classes of phytochemicals with each group having various bioactivities.

1. Phenolic acids: serve as an excellent dietary source of natural antioxidants with potent antiradical and antiproliferative activity.
2. Flavonoids: protection against UV radiation, modulation of many diseases including cancer and coronary heart diseases.
3. Tocols (Tocopherols and tocotrienols): antioxidant properties, cancer modulator, effects the cardiovascular system and also has the ability to clear atherosclerotic blockages (stenosis) in the carotid artery, potentially reducing the risk of stroke.
4. Sterols: has a positive effect in decreasing serum cholesterol levels, protect against cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and prevent colon cancer.
5. Folates are rich source of Vitamin B’s.

References:
1. Idehen, E.; et.al. Bioactive phytochemicals in barley. J Food Drug Anal. 2017, 25(1), 148-161. doi: 10.1016/j.jfda.2016.08.002.
2. Frei, B. Natural antioxidants in human health and disease. Academic Press, London (2012).
3. Gani, A,; et.al. Whole-grain cereal bioactive compounds and their health benefits: a review. J Food Process Technol, 2012 (2012).
4. Adom, K. K.; et.al. Antioxidant activity of grains. Int J Food Prop, 2007, 10, 231-244.

Hindu’s from India grow and worship barley for health and prosperity.

Beta-Glucan is a nonstarch polysaccharide (NSP) having documented health benefits and industrial applications. It is composed entirely of glucose, bound by beta -1,3 and beta -1,4 bonds and arranged linearly. It can be extracted from various sources, including cereals, bacteria, molds, and fungi. The chemical nature of extracted beta-glucan from these sources differs slightly.

Beta-Glucans are soluble fibres occurring in the bran of grasses (Gramineae) such as barley, oats, rye, and wheat in amounts of about 7%, 5%, 2%, and less than 1% respectively.

A diet rich in beta-glucans has a positive effect on human health by preventing chronic non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.

Most interesting and growing are health claim applications of barley beta-glucans. For Europe: EFSA in 2011 has approved a health claim for foods: “Barley beta-glucans have been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol.” Barley beta-glucans with average molecular weight between 100 and 2000 kDa evidentially lower/reduce blood cholesterol. At least three grams of barley beta-glucans should be consumed per day to obtain the claimed effect. The target population is adults with normal or mildly elevated blood cholesterol concentrations.

A diet rich in beta-glucans has a positive effect on human health by preventing chronic non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. The results of both clinical and preclinical studies have confirmed the antioxidant, immunomodulatory and antitumor properties of beta-glucans. Also, it has a prebiotic effect, supporting the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria.

Some of the reported health benefits of beta-glucans are:

1. Hypoglycemic properties
2. Hypocholesterolemic properties
3. Immunomodulatory and Antitumor properties
4. Prebiotic properties

Due to their properties, beta-glucans have a broad spectrum of use, especially in medicine, veterinary medicine, food, cosmetics and chemical industries.

References:
1. Technology of Main Ingredients-Water and Flours, Karl F. Tiefenbacher, in Wafer and Waffle, 2017.
2. Ciecierska, A.; et.al. Nutraceutical functions of beta-glucans in human nutrition. Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig . 2019, 70(4), 315-324. doi: 10.32394/rpzh.2019.0082.

Barley beta-glucans have been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol.