Barley (Hordeum vulgar) is one of the most ancient crops. Around 8,000 BCE it was domesticated in Mesopotamia, from its wild relative Hordeum spontaneum. The main difference between domesticated barley and its wild cousin is the spikes that hold the seeds, which in Hordeum vulgar are far less brittle and do not break as easily. This difference allows for the collection of grains in the domesticated version and is why barley has been so popular across the millennia. Today barley is the fourth most widely produced grain crop (behind corn, wheat, and rice) but it is largely used as a feed for animals. However, as new research shows, we might do well to be ingesting a bit more barley ourselves.
In the new study researchers had subjects eat bread made largely from barley kernels for three days at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At between 11 and 14 hours after their final meal of each day the subjects were tested for risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.
After eating the barley kernel bread there was an increase in gut hormones that regulate appetite, an increase in a hormone that reduces inflammation, and a decrease in blood sugar and insulin levels. These changes reduce risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
These effects occur in part because the fibre from barley leads to an increase in levels of a beneficial bacteria called Prevotella copri. These bacteria have been shown to have a direct effect on blood sugar levels and also lower numbers of bad bacteria in the gut.
It does seem from this that only people with low levels of Prevotella copri will experience massive benefits from barley in the diet but for those people it might well be worth competing with the livestock.
