Barley : A Nutritionally Rich Cereal with Health Benefits

Abstract

Barley has been much neglected in the later half of the 20th century, due to much attention being paid to wheat as food grain and as a result use of coarse cereals as food had decreased. Now, the time has come that we should pay more attention to barley and its health benefits and instead of a coarse cereal, it may be termed as a quality cereal for human food, medicinal and industrial uses. The changing lifestyles and dietary habits are leading to more and more patients with heart diseases and diabetes. In fact, India is fast becoming the diabetic capital of the world. Therefore, there is a need to include more healthier foods in the diet. Barley is one such cereal which can be integrated in traditional Indian diet to have additional health benefits.