Barley Grass: How A Plant Remedy May Offer Vital Protection Against Heart Disease, Stroke And Ulcerative Colitis

Barley grass, the botanical name of which is hordeum, is proving to be an extremely valuable remedy for a host of complaints. It contains an active ingredient called proanthocyanidin - a powerful plant chemical that works at a cellular level. It is able to prevent cells from damage caused by harmful free radicals and other toxins, and helps protect immune system cells - thereby reducing the risk of inflammation, infection and cancer.1

More recently, researchers from the School of Bioresources, University of Andong in Korea, isolated yet another potent plant chemical in hordeum (barley grass) called lunasin. Also present in soya, lunasin is renowned for its ability to prevent skin cancer cells from multiplying.

Better still, the Korean scientists discovered that hordeum (barley grass) is a particularly rich source of lunasin, and when they conducted further laboratory studies they found it was able to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells too. While these preliminary findings are certainly very promising, more research is needed to determine whether it is indeed able to prevent the spread of breast cancer.2

Two areas where there is currently no dispute and plenty of scientific backing, relate to hordeum's ability to combat ulcerative colitis and blood clots - the latter making it particularly effective in helping to prevent heart attacks and stroke.

Hordeum (barley grass) can bring much-needed relief from the debilitating symptoms of ulcerative colitis
Numerous studies have shown that hordeum can help treat ulcerative colitis - inflammation of the bowel that causes severe pain in the colon and abdominal area in addition to frequent bouts of diarrhoea, which can eventually leave sufferers seriously malnourished. The condition is linked to low levels of friendly bacteria in the gut and an accumulation of toxins in the bowel. Hordeum (barley grass) helps reverse this by stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria, which in turn helps reduce inflammation and improves symptoms.

Recent research carried out by Japanese scientists from the Department of Internal Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, has revealed that hordeum also contains a particular type of protein (rich in the amino acid glutamine) and a special type of fibre (rich in hemicellulose). Both of which are able to help ulcerative colitis by repairing and stimulating the growth of cells lining the inside of the bowel wall. Glutamine in particular is credited with possessing an ability to nourish and improve the metabolism of these cells.

Hordeum (barley grass) also helps combat ulcerative colitis by lowering the amount of inflammatory chemicals in the bowel, including one called epithelial NF-k, and by regulating the water content of the stools. Not only are these actions beneficial in terms of helping to improve the symptoms of colitis but they may also play an important role in reducing the frequency and duration of any relapses.3

In a study performed at the Nutrient Food and Feed Division, in Tokyo, scientists selected 18 patients with ulcerative colitis. Over the course of four weeks, half of the participants received standard anti-inflammatory medication (including steroids) and the other half were treated with up to 30g of hordeum extract each day. At the end of the study, all of the patients in the hordeum (barley grass) group reported significant improvements in their symptoms - including fewer episodes of diarrhoea and less pain - compared to the group receiving conventional medication.

In addition, further tests revealed that hordeum (barley grass) had succeeded in increasing the amount of friendly bacteria in the patients' bowels too. According to Dr Kanauchi, who led the study: 'Oral treatment with hordeum may have the potency to reduce clinical activity of ulcerative colitis. We believe that these results support the use of hordeum administration as a new adjunct therapy for this condition'.4

Helps prevent harmful blood clots and lowers cholesterol
There is also mounting evidence to suggest that hordeum (barley grass) may play an important role in the fight against heart disease and stroke. A stroke is caused by a blood clot which blocks the circulation of blood in a particular area of the brain, resulting in muscle paralysis, difficulty in speaking or swallowing, and memory problems. Heart attacks are caused in much the same way, in that a blood clot blocks the circulation of blood, although this occurs within the arteries of the heart rather than the brain. It therefore follows that in order to reduce the risk of blood clots forming and triggering either of these two potentially fatal conditions, the blood must be kept as fluid as possible. This is where hordeum is proving so invaluable.

Japanese researchers have shown that 250ml of hordeum (barley grass) tea taken just once, improves the flow of blood for several hours.5

Not only that but hordeum (barley grass) also possesses another impressive heart and brain protective benefit. Scientists from the Department of Nutrition, China Medical College in Taiwan, have reported that hordeum leaf extract reduces the amount of LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol.

This is the 'bad' form of cholesterol which, when present in excess, can block the arteries and lead to a heart attack or stroke. The scientists gave 15g of hordeum leaf extract to a group of 36 patients who had high LDL cholesterol levels in their blood. They found that, after four weeks of treatment, both the levels of LDL and the amount of harmful free radicals circulating were significantly reduced. Adding 200mg of vitamin C and 200mg of vitamin E to the treatment programme was found to produce even greater benefits in terms of lowering LDL levels.6

What to take for best results
Hordeum is available to take in powder form under the name of barley grass. The recommended dosage of barley grass is one teaspoon taken three times a day (mixed with water or juice) before meals.

1. Marles MA, Ray H, Gruber MY. Phytochemistry 2004, 64(2):367-383
2. Jeong HJ, Lam Y, de Lumen BO. J Agric Food Chem 2002, 50(21):5903-5908
3. Bamba T, Kanauchi O et al. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2002, 17(8): 8818-824
4. Kanauchi O, Suga T, Tochihara M et al. J Gastroenterol 2002, 37(14):67-72
5. Suganuma H, Inakuma T, Kikuchi Y. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol 2002, 48(2):165-168
6. Yu YM, Chang WC, Chang CT et al. Diabetes Metab 2002, 28(2):107-114