Certified organic. Grown in New Zealand.

The barley grain is covered by a tough, protective hull or husk and has an outer seed coating that covers the bran layer, a large starchy endosperm, and an oil-containing germ.

The hull and bran are removed by a process called pearling.

Barley is one of the oldest domesticated crops grown since prehistoric times. It is still the fourth-ranking cereal food crop in the world and is grown for human food, as fodder for animals, and as a source of enzymes and carbohydrate for brewing.

Health and Barley

Barley has been shown to lower cholesterol. It contains three compounds which may be responsible:

Barley is a rich source of beta-glucans which are associated with decreased cholesterol levels. Beta-glucans may achieve this by increasing thickness (viscosity) of intestinal contents.

The bran also contains tocotrienol, a form a vitamin E and is also rich in insoluble fibre, which may bind the cholesterol in the intestine and prevents its reabsorption.