08/07/06 Benefits of Barley

According to the top notch ag research and extension departments at the University of Idaho, Spring barley is an important crop in the state with approximately 900,000 acres harvested annually. That number could explode thanks to the USDA nod of approval on clinical trails that found that barley actually reduces the rate of heart disease. Barley is rich with a fiber called beta-glucan, in fact it has more beta glucan than even oats and because beta glucan can also play a role in moderating glucose in insulin, doctors could soon be looking to barley to make a positive contribution towards improving the health of people with type two diabetes as well. Like a list of film credits, barley's benefits keep rolling& USDA human nutrition researcher, Dr Joan Conway believes barley will help weight watchers by reducing hunger for two to three hours. Barley has made the USDA's "in" list, gaining rave reviews and this new darling of the grain world could insure a blockbuster future for NW barley growers