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PRIME ETHIOPIAN BARLEY
Prime E-Barley is a very unique
and remarkable ancient Ethiopian hull-less variety.
Origin
Ethiopian barley has been grown
for thousands of years in isolation from the other barleys of the world,
developed its own genetic personality and been given its own botanical
name: Hordeum irregular (FOOD
RESOURCE – OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY). Research indicates that Ethiopian
barley is genetically closer to wild barley than the other barleys of the
world.(IDRC)*
Nutrition
Barley grain is an excellent
source of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber and other bioactive
constituents, such as vitamin E, B-complex vitamins , minerals, and
phenolic compounds. *
Ethiopian barley has been
developed for human food, whereas the other barleys of the world have
primarily been developed for livestock food and malting. Recent
findings on the nutritional qualities of barley make it a desirable food
item and traditional ancient varieties tend to be, more nutritionally
balanced than modern varieties. Researchers
acknowledge the attractive traits of Ethiopian landraces, (particularly
the hull-less type), for favorable nutritional qualities such as
protein/lysine content, fats, minerals dietary fiber, energy content and
cholesterol-reducing agents. *
In - A REVIEW OF THE EFFECTS OF
BARLEY BETA-GLUCAN ON CARDIOVASCULAR AND DIABETIC RISK,
(University of Minnesota Medical School) the authors conclude:
“Barley B-glucan fiber has
been shown to reduce total and LDL cholesterol and improve glucose
metabolism in different populations in various studies.”
With over 7%
beta-glucan and 16% protein, our 100% hull-less Prime E-Barley has a
lot to offer nutritionally. Only
¼ cup provides 3 grams of beta-glucan which research shows is enough per
day to reduce cholesterol, coronary heat disease and diabetes.
(Cereal Research Centre
at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2010)
Uses
Prime E-Barley can be soaked and
cooked for whole grain eating (and is delicious), or cracked for quicker
cooking.
Whole E-Barley flour can be added
to bread, pancakes, pasta, etc to supplement both flavor and nutrition.
Because barley is recognized as such a healthy food, innovators all
over the world are finding new ways to use it in the human diet.
Variety
Preservation
In recent years, modern barley and
other grains are replacing the original hull-less barley varieties that
are no longer found growing in Ethiopia.
While gene banks retain the old varieties collected years ago,
scientists recognize the importance of both “in situ” and “ex situ”
continuous production to continue a dynamic conservation of the species.*
Prime Grains is doing just this with over 20 years of continuous
organic growing of Prime E-Barley under North American conditions.
*
(IDRC) International
Development Research Centre - The Barleys of Ethiopia http://www.idrc.ca/fr/ev-98727-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
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