Preface
Recently, I started my internship at a hospital and found that more and more pharmacists around me have the habit of bringing their own lunchboxes. Nowadays, it is not easy for working people to have a balanced diet because of their busy lives, but because of the health trend, they have started to pay attention to a balanced diet. Then the green juice just came on the scene!
Nutritional Value of Green Juice
I don’t know if you have heard of “green juice”, which was a very popular health supplement a while ago, and many celebrities are scrambling to buy it. So, what does this green juice contain? Most of the commercially available green juice uses barley leaves as the main ingredient. Barley leaves are the young leaves of young barley seedlings that have just overwintered and grown to 25-40cm, and are prepared by freeze-drying and crushing technology. Barley leaves are rich in vitamins A, B, C, protein, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, chlorophyll, dietary fiber, etc.
Among them, the water insoluble fiber in dietary fiber, can promote gastrointestinal motility, while having a sense of satiety, but also to reduce blood sugar after meals. Some manufacturers even add fructooligosaccharides to promote the elimination of feces.
Secondly, the SOD enzyme (Superoxide dismutase) contained in barley leaves has antioxidant effect and protects human cells from free radical damage.
Potassium can help the body excrete excess salt and inhibit the rise of blood pressure, thus preventing high blood pressure. The above-mentioned green juice has become a good helper for modern working people who eat less fruits and vegetables.
Things to note about drinking green juice
However, it also has side effects. If the green leaves are directly squeezed into juice, there may be a risk of bacterial infection, plus the use of pesticides when planting, there is also a risk of residue. Furthermore, green juice has the effect of regulating blood sugar, so if you have low blood sugar, taking green juice may lead to even lower blood sugar. Each person’s body type is different, and it may cause itchy skin and even diarrhea with abdominal pain after drinking. Therefore, it is recommended that one cup a day, at most two cups is enough, too much is not good!
How to drink it? It is recommended to add milk, soy milk, honey, or directly to cold water. If added to yogurt, with oatmeal, fruit, etc., both rich and nutritious!
Green Juice VS Fruits and Vegetables
It is good, but which is better than eating fruits and vegetables directly? Each 3g of barley leaf powder contains 1.24g of dietary fiber, if you usually do not eat coarse grains, vegetables and fruits, far from the daily recommended intake of dietary fiber 25 ~ 30g. And from the nutritional composition, satiety, taste, price analysis, fruits and vegetables are perfect! Therefore, green juice is recommended as a supplement, please do not take it as the only source of nutrition. Only a balanced diet and reasonable exercise is the right way to health!
Green Juice Knowledge
P.S. Some manufacturers add “Akebia” to their green juice. Akebia is rich in vitamin B2, beta-carotene, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, germanium, amino acids, dietary fiber, etc. It also contains chalcone. The special thing is that chalcone can inhibit the formation of body fat and reduce cholesterol in the blood. Germanium can eliminate cholesterol and strengthen the elasticity of blood vessel walls. In short, the purpose of adding Akebia is to strengthen and complement the insufficient ingredients and effects of barley leaves.
References:
Takano, A., T. Kamiya, H. Tomozawa, S. Ueno, M. Tsubata, M. Ikeguchi, K. Takagaki, A. Okushima, Y. Miyata, S. Tamaru, K. Tanaka and T. Takahashi (2013). “Insoluble fiber in young barley leaf suppresses the increment of postprandial blood glucose level by increasing the digesta viscosity.” Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2013: 137871. 🔗
Ikeguchi, M., M. Tsubata, A. Takano, T. Kamiya, K. Takagaki, H. Ito, Y. Sugawa-Katayama and H. Tsuji (2014). “Effects of young barley leaf powder on gastrointestinal functions in rats and its efficacy-related physicochemical properties.” Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2014: 974840. 🔗
Images are from pixabay.com 🔗
