Is Barley Gluten Free?

Is barley gluten free? Barley is not gluten free, and gluten is found in barley, wheat, rye, etc. The reason why people avoid gluten is because of having the condition of celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that triggers an immune response to gluten. If you have celiac disease and eat gluten it can cause symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, stomach pain, etc.

There are gluten free grains that you can eat that shouldn’t give you problems if in fact you have celiac disease.

Is barley gluten free? Photo credit: iStock-ligora

Quinoa is a popular gluten free grain, and it has a good source of fiber and is a plant-based protein. One cup of cooked quinoa contains 8 grams of grain and 5 grams of fiber. It also contains a high number of antioxidants which can help to reduce the risk of a good number of chronic diseases. It is one of the fewest plant foods that contains all the essential amino acids.

Oats are another gluten grain food, and one cup of dry oats is 8 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein. It also contains a good amount of minerals such as magnesium, zinc, selenium, thiamine, Vitamin B1, etc.

There are some oats that can potentially be contaminated with gluten because of where it is harvested, processed, and manufactured. Beta glucan is found in oats and research studies have shown that it has improved blood cholesterol levels. Other studies have shown it can lower blood sugar and insulin levels.

If you have celiac disease and you buy any type of oats the best way to protect yourself from any potential gluten is just to buy oats that say certified gluten free.

Corn is a gluten free grain that is high in fiber, and it has a good source of lutein, carotenoids and zeaxanthin which can act as an antioxidant. Research studies show that lutein and zeaxanthin can improve eye health by decreasing the risk of cataracts. One cup of corn contains 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. It is high in pantothenic acid and has minerals and vitamins such as vitamin B6, thiamine, manganese, etc.

Brown rice is one of the healthiest and cleanest gluten free grains foods. One cup of cooked brown rice has 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. And it also contains selenium and magnesium.

Buckwheat is another gluten free grain food. It contains a good number of antioxidants and those two types of antioxidants that are in buckwheat are rutin and quercetin.  

There are animal studies that have shown that rutin can improve the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. And those same animal studies have shown that quercetin can lower inflammation and oxidative stress. One cup of buckwheat contains 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.  And it contains a good source of magnesium, copper, and manganese.

The Bottom Line is barley is not gluten free but there are alternative gluten free foods such as buckwheat, brown rice, corn, oats, quinoa, etc. These gluten free grain foods shouldn’t cause you any weird bloating symptoms if you have celiac disease.

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References

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