Before we actually get into the details of Activated Barley, we need to look briefly at barley in general.
Research conducted in Canada, the United States, and Australia has shown that barley can play a significant role in lowering blood cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Other studies have shown that non-insulin dependent diabetics (Type II) had improved blood glucose levels as a result of including barley in their diet. It should be noted that barley rates an astoundingly low 27 on the glycemic index. That's 22 percent less than skim milk! And yet which one is banned form the low carb no grain diets?
In addition, barley has high concentrations of tocotrienols, antioxidant compounds that work to suppress the activity of the first rate-limiting enzyme (HMG-CoA Reductase) in the liver, thus reducing cholesterol synthesis. And barley is one of the highest known sources of beta-glucans, carbohydrates (there's that word again) that have remarkable immune boosting properties and have been shown to improve blood glucose and lipid levels among diabetics in clinical trials.
Historically, barley has been used for thousands of years. The Roman army marched on it. It was the primary staple of their diet. They picked up that trick from the Greek gladiators who trained on it and were known as "barley eaters." (So much for meat being the food of choice for macho men.)
In ancient Rome, a food made from spouted barley, honey, and colostrum was used to sustain infants whose mother's died in childbirth. In more recent years, the same formula has been used by the UN to prevent starvation in 3rd world countries.
Activated Barley
The problem with barley is that it's extremely gelatinous. All attempts to dry it and package it for commercial distribution failed until a company in Sweden figured out a way to use low-temperature steam (produced in a partial vacuum) to take the barley just up to the point of sprouting -- before it turns gelatinous, but after the point where all the proteins and carbohydrates have been converted, and at a temperature low enough so that no enzymes are damaged
This turns out to be a remarkably interesting point for food. It's like the food is placed in a state of suspended animation at the point where all of the energy of the grain has been marshaled to sprout the pearl -- and not yet expended in the act of sprouting.
The result is a brand new superfood with unbelievable properties. Think of it like a bullet in a gun.
- The bullet in the chamber is like the barley pearl. All the energy is dormant -- unavailable.
- The bullet after it has fired and left the gun is like the barley sprout. All of the energy has been expended in the act of making the bullet shoot out of the gun -- or in this case, the barley sprout. The energy is no longer available.
- But pre-sprouted barley is different. It's like being able to freeze time at the moment the gunpowder has fired and before the bullet has left the gun. A huge amount of energy is now locked in the chamber, available in an easily used form, just waiting to be directed in any way you want. What if you could take that energy and use it for other things rather than making the bullet fly? What if you could use the energy locked in the pre-sprout phase to nourish the body rather than make the barley sprout? That would be a true superfood.
And in fact, this superfood produces some astounding numbers on the Bovis Scale.
If you are not familiar with the Bovis Scale, it was developed by a French physicist and quantifies or measures how positively or negatively charged a substance is. For living organisms, the key reference point on the scale is found at 6,500 Bovis Energy Units. From 0 to 6,500, the charge is in the negative range, or life-detracting, while above the 6,500 point the energy gradually becomes more positive, or life-enhancing.
The desired minimal energy level for humans is found between 8,000 to 10,000 Bovis Energy Units, or slightly positive. The Earth itself creates energy in the 7,000 to 18,000 range. This energy is also referred to as "Biophotons", which are light particles invisible to our eyes. This positive radiation is necessary to the maintenance of life on Earth.
A simple way of describing Bovis Energy Units would be to call them "Bio-Photon-Activating" Energy Units.
Bottom line:
This new pre-sprouted ultra-long-chain carbohydrate found in pre-sprouted barley registers between 100,000 to 320,000 on the Bovis Scale. That is unheard of for food. The only thing I've ever seen higher than that is specially treated water.
Note:
While the concept of the Bovis scale is based on sound theory, and the results on the body of the ingestion of high Bovis foods and water is clearly observable, accurate methods for measuring substances on the Bovis scale are in short supply. At this point in time, it is probably best to consider Bovis ratings as general indicators, rather than as accurately verifiable numbers.
The Properties of Activated Barley
- Like regular barley, it ranks incredibly low on the glycemic index.
- It has all of the nutritional value of barley -- high levels of tocotrienols and beta glucans.
- It contains 1,000s of active enzymes.
- It is an ultra-long-chain carbohydrate that takes up to 4 hours to break down in the digestive tract -- thus providing a slow, sustained release of energy and insulin.
- Because the release is so slow, it actually lowers the body's insulin response.
- It provides over 400% more energy per calorie than any other food calorie known. (Despite what the USDA may tell you, not all calories are created equal.)
- It produces readings of up to 320,000 on the Bovis scale.
THE ABOVE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS INGREDIENT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.
Modern miracle, ancient medicine
Over 2000 years ago, the fathers of medicine discovered that barley grain had many uses. Among the most amazing was a special "barley milk" that was created using an exacting process that unlocked its nutritional treasures. This process was called activation. Once "activated" by the special method, this barley milk would be fed to newborn babies whose mothers were unable to breastfeed them. In this way numerous deaths were averted. As the Romans conquered, they took great pride in the fact that they also brought progress in the form of civilization. Running water, education and medicine were some of the benefits of citizenship. The Romans shared the recipe for activating barley grain so effectively that the United Nations adopted the method hundreds of years later as a powerful tool to battle hunger, disease and death in areas ravaged by famine and drought. This is due to the activated barley's ability to provide steady energy even to full grown men for several hours, on as little as 10-20 grams. Two other examples of historical note are the use of barley meal by both Roman armies and Gladiators. The armies of Rome conquered all of Europe as they marched at speeds that averaged up to 5 miles per hour and often moved entire armies 40 miles per day (a speed that has earned them the respect of every army since). Their staple food was barley meal. Historians always noted that this was due to barley meal's ability to provide energy and endurance for extended periods of time. However, modern science shows that they also benefited from the immune boosting qualities which enabled them to stay healthy and heal quickly! The Gladiators had an even closer association with barley meal. A recent documentary on the History channel revealed that the word Gladiator means "men who eat barley". This was due to the fact that each Gladiator was required to eat a meal of barley every morning prior to fighting in the circus. The Gladiators' owners invested a lot of time and effort to protect their "investment", and barley was the chosen food of stable masters who administered food, medicine, massage and comfort to those whose lives were intricately linked to performance. It is interesting to note that Galen, the most famous of Roman doctors and personal physicians to Emperor Marcus Aurelius himself, got his start as a doctor at a gladiator school in Asia Minor. As so often happens, the Greeks lay claim as the first to use barley for increasing endurance. History reveals that the original Olympians consumed barley porridge to gain a nutritional advantage over their competitors long before Roman armies or Gladiators adopted the practice. Now a modern Gladiator, US Olympic Wrestling Team Captain Eric Guerrero believes it has given him an edge as he heads to Athens, the original home of Olympic barley eaters. Eric reports that he has more energy, better digestion and an overall feeling of strength since he has added the ultimate body fuel, Activated Barley to his regimen as he trains for Athens! "I had a terrible diet and never realized how it might affect my performance. I now know the importance of balancing my energy levels and fueling my body with Activated Barley®. I believe I can compete at the highest level for years to come and hope that I can bring home medals from Athens as proof." A distinguished wrestler, Guerrero posted an amazing 126-4 (97%) record and has been a member of the USA's wrestling team four times and brought home four US Open Championships. In 2003 he was voted the Most Distinguished Wrestler in the USA and earned a spot on the 2004 Olympic Wrestling Team. But before you dismiss Activated Barley as just another athletic / endurance product, you should consider the amazing potential benefits of its most active ingredient Beta-Glucan because the activation process that makes Activated Barley increases the Beta-Glucan by 77%-94%according to recent tests, performed in July 2003 by AnalyCen in Sweden.
What are Beta-Glucans, why are they so important?
Beta-Glucan is the name given to a class of polysaccharides that appear as soluble fiber in certain foods like Activated Barley. Beta-Glucans are now being recognized as the most important of all soluble fibers and Beta-Glucan 1-3 is the superstar of all Beta-Glucans. Hundreds of scientific studies over the last few decades prove that this uniquely structured polysaccharide provides major benefits to the body particularly in modern times when diabetes, overweight and low energy pervade society. Now with the US FDA's new guidelines, much lower levels of cholesterol are being identified with heart disease and over 63 million Americans have been classified as needing cholesterol-lowering medications, the incredible cholesterol control provided by Activated Barley Beta-Glucans is more important than ever.
Immune Boosting
According to scientists Beta-Glucan 1-3 D activates the white blood cells, the defender cells. This increased macrophage (scavenging) activity of neutrophils assists the body as it defends itself from viruses, bacteria, germs and pathogens. Research shows that Activated Barley also contains active SOD enzyme markers, the free radical scavenging enzyme that is known as the master enzyme.
Cholesterol Control
In the 1999 issue of Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition it stated several reasons why Beta-Glucan (like that found in Activated Barley) might be an effective tool in cholesterol control. Scientists suspect that Beta-Glucans binds to bile acids (the result of old oxidizing cholesterol molecules), which are then expelled from the body through the bowel. This is the safest possible manner to reduce cholesterol because cholesterol is produced by the body to protect cells during replication. Once it has been used itbecomes sticky and it collects in our arteries. Statin Drugs such as Lipitor reduce all cholesterol new and old and may in fact contribute to premature aging and disease. Beta-Glucans by contrast will help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and it works fast. In one study conducted by Chicago Center for Clinical Research after only six weeks, Beta- Glucan fed groups showed significant reductions in cholesterol while the control group showed none.
Energy/ Glucose Control
Insulin controls the amount of glucose brought into the tissue for energy. Insulin resistance results in the body rejecting this glucose. Scientists at the Diet and Human Performance Labs believe foods like barley Beta-Glucans can help since Beta-Glucans are a highly purified polysaccharide molecule completely made with glucose. This glucose is easily transformed by the body into adenosine triphospate (ATP); which is an energy source that can be stored by muscles, the liver, and other tissues. This is vitally important to diabetics since insulin resistance results in the pancreas excreting too much insulin(thus exhausting insulin reserves). In addition to stabilizing blood and tissueglucose levels, Beta- Glucans like those found in Activated Barley may also trigger hormonal changes that result in reduced insulin resistance.
Ulcerative Colitis
Recent studies indicate that oral administration of germinated barley provide major relief for persons with mild to moderately active Ulcerative Colitis conditions and that the action was noted to take effect in a relatively short time. It was shown in subsequent studies that germinated barley prolonged remission in ulcerative colitis patients. The study conducted at the Hamamatsu University and School of Medicine also noted that barley contained a prebiotic, which increases luminal butyrate production by controlling microfloral distribution, which reduces mucosal damage typically of this condition. In the first study Twenty-one patients with mildly to moderately active Ulcerative Colitis (UC) received 20-30 g of Germinated barley foodstuff (GBF) for 24 weeks in an open-label protocol while baseline treatments (5- amino-salicyrate compounds and/or steroids) were continued. The response to the GBF treatment was evaluated using a clinical scoring and after 24 weeks of observation, the GBF group showed a significant decrease in clinical activity index (especially, the degree of visible blood in stools and the presence of nocturnal diarrhea)compared with the control group (p<0.05). No side effects related to GBF were observed. They concluded "nutraceutical germinated barley foodstuff therapy may have a place in long-term management of Ulcerative Colitis, but controlled studies are needed to demonstrate its efficacy in the treatment of this disorder."
References:
- http://www.pbs.org/wnet/warriorchallenge/index.html
- Barley Beta-Glucans Offer Major Potential Benefits for Women and Those with High Cholesterol, www.nutraingredients.com
- Treatment of Ulcerative ColitisPatients by Long-Term Administration of Germinated Barley Foodstuff: Multi-Center Open Trial. Int J Mol Med. 2003 Nov;12(5):701-4.Kanauchi O, Mitsuyama K, Homma T, Takahama K,Fujiyama Y, Andoh A Araki Y, Suga T, Hibi T, Naganuma M, Asakura H, Nakano H, Shimoyama T, Hida N, Haruma K, Koga H,Sata M, Tomiyasu N, Toyonaga A, Fukuda M, Kojima A, Bamba T. Nutrient Food & Feed Division, Kirin Brewery Co. Ltd.,Tokyo 104-8288, Japan. kanauchio@kirin.co.jp
- Germinated Barley Foodstuff Prolongs Remission in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis Int J Mol Med. 2004 May;13(5):643-7. Hanai H, Kanauchi O, Mitsuyama K, AndohA, Takeuchi K, Takayuki I, Araki Y, Fujiyama Y, Toyonaga A, Sata M, Kojima A, Fukuda M, Bamba T. Department of Endoscopic and Photodynamic Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan.
