MEDICINAL PLANTS

Barley is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the grass family profitable. Usually up to 1 meter in height, has fistulous stems, linear leaves and a spike almost three espiguitas tetragona provided in each outgoing scaling. It is a plant known since ancient times it was one of the main food in ancient civilizations. Also, before the coming of Jesus Christ and was used to make a drink very similar to what we know as beer. Cebadal exist throughout the peninsula, but particularly in lowland limestone regions.

FLOWERING

There are many varieties of barley, so that you can not set a specific time for flowering, and this varies between spring, winter and summer, it greatly influenced the climate and the planting season. This is an early cereal harvest. And from a therapeutic point of view interested in seeds.

APPLICATIONS

Barley flour is used in some countries to make bread, but bread is difficult to digest and less nutritious than prepared with wheat or rye, which is why our country is not used. It is mainly used as feed for livestock. From a medical standpoint, using seed germination occur during an alkaloid known to hordenine. They are also rich in enzymes, starch, fatty acids and mineral salts in place of chromium, phosphorus, iron, calcium and magnesium. The drug has mild adrenergic properties: it is antidiarrheal, as it inhibits bowel movements. Enzymes serve a digestive function. It is also diuretic and wheat germ oil is good for lowering the level of blood fats, fatty acids through in place. Although not yet very well studied, barley is used experimentally to help normalize blood sugar levels in diabetics. With the grain of barley is preparing a product known to all: we refer to the malt. Although this can be obtained from other cereals, authentic malt is extracted from barley, once prepared, it has several uses: as a coffee substitute in cases where it should not take caffeine as a food or drug to people suffering several digestive problems, and as a basis for drawing up beer-drinking known and enjoyed by all, although some do so in amounts that can damage your health: for though is considered a low alcohol drinking, drug use also leads to exaggerated intoxication by alcohol, resulting in side effects that we know.

ADMINISTRATION

Decoction. Boil 20 gr. Barley in one liter of water for 5 minutes. You can take the amount you deem necessary.
Powder. Used malt, barley is germinated and then dried artificially. The amount to eat is 5 to 20 gr. Daily, either in capsule or added to soups, puree or mash.
Barley germ oil. Can be used as normal food use.
Flour. Barley flour diluted in hot water is applied as a poultice on abscesses and skin inflammations.

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Grasses
HABITAT: Calcareous soils
FLOWERING: Winter, spring or summer
PART USED: Seeds
CASTILIAN: Hordio, cebada cuadrada
CATALAN: Ordí
BASQUE: Zaldale
GALICIAN: Orxo, orgo

USES

Antidiarrheal Moderate, Diuretic Moderate, Hypolipidemic Leve.