Barley
The Bible is filled with reference to barley, which is among the earliest known and most
nourishing grains ever to be cultivated. In fact, some scholars say The Feast of
Unleavened Bread was an ancient barley harvest festival that became the celebration of
the Passover.
Bible history experts say that barley was not as valuable as wheat. But it was the staple
food of the masses and as such was a prominent feature of the early Israelites.
Nevertheless, the fact that barley is mentioned so often shows that the people of the
period consumed great quantities of this grain, which played a vital role in their health
and healing – whether they knew it or not.
For thousands of years, barley has enjoyed a fine reputation as a food that improves
potency, vigor and strength. Roman gladiators were sometimes called hordearii, meaning
“barley eaters,” because the grain was added to their diet to give them bursts of strength
before their contests. Today, we know from studies that barley is one of three balanced
starches – along with rice and potatoes – that are rich in complex carbohydrates that fuel
the body with a steady stream of energy.
Even today, barley is still an important food throughout the Middle East – which may
account for the generally low rate of heart disease in that part of the world. In some
places, barley is recommended as “medicine for the heart.” That’s because, say
nutritionists, it is full of beta glucans – a type of fiber that can lower the risk of heart
disease by reducing levels of artery-clogging LDF.
A diet that includes lots of barley, three times a day, has lowered blood cholesterol by
about 15% in a number of medical studies.
That same high fiber content keeps us regular, relieves constipation and wards off a wide
variety of digestive problems. It also may help block cancer.
As anyone who has done any Bible study at all knows, bread – always made from barley
or other whole grain flours – was regarded as so vital to good health and a long life that it
was called “the staff of life.”
Barley is effective at shutting down the liver’s production of the bad LDL cholesterol that
does so much damage to our arteries – the kind that can cause strokes and heart attacks.
In one interesting study on animals, researchers from the United States Department of
Agriculture discovered that the production of LDL was reduced by a remarkable 18%
when large amounts of barley were added to their diet.
In a follow-up study, scientists at Montana State University discovered that a high barley
diet had the same effect on people. In that study, a group of men ate many foods
containing barley, including cereal, bread, cakes and muffins made from barley flour. After
six weeks of three servings a day, the men’s cholesterol levels dropped an average of
15%. Those whose cholesterol levels were the highest at the start showed the most
significant improvement.
