Eating Barley for Fatty Liver? Why You Must Avoid the “Pearl” Trap

We spend billions developing complex pharmaceuticals to strip fat from liver cells (or, at least, the pharma industry does). Meanwhile, a cereal grain cultivated since the Stone Age has been performing similar metabolic feats without any marketing fanfare.

I am talking about barley, the topic of today’s article, and a cereal I have to admit I ignored for way too long – but this was before I learned about its benefits.

Barley is a rich source of key nutrients, especially beta-glucan fiber, but also including vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, folate, manganese, selenium, niacin, and potassium, among others.

Based on various clinical studies (more about them below), we can confidently state that dehulled whole grain barley is good for your liver because it reduces cholesterol levels and supports overall hepatic function.

Of course, it matters how you consume it too. Don’t think that if you drink barley-made beer, it is also safe for the liver. Alcohol is a big NO. So… let’s read on to find everything about this wonder grain, as well as the pearl variety you should avoid.

The Short Answer

Yes, whole grain hulled barley is considered beneficial for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD, formerly fatty liver disease).

It provides high levels of beta-glucan fiber, which help reduce hepatic lipid accumulation, as well as vitamins and minerals. But you must select hulled/dehulled barley and control your portion sizes to manage your total carb intake.

Eating Barley with Fatty Liver Disease

In moderation, consuming barley can be a good idea if you have been diagnosed with MASLD and are working to reverse your condition, and studies support this.

It is a whole grain that contains nutrients necessary for optimal organ function, including active compounds with health-promoting effects: phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans, tocols, phytosterols, and folate.

Barley also has an abundance of amino acids and fatty acids like cystine, alanine, and aspartic acid. It is also a rich source of essential minerals like copper, sodium, and zinc.

In plain English, it contains the specific raw materials our bodies need to heal and function properly. Experts agree that this nutrient profile makes it a great option to promote optimal health and an ideal food for someone managing a compromised liver.

Unlike the not-so-good instant noodles, which are filled with chemicals, preservatives and offer refined, quickly absorbed carbs, barley is a better choice.

The plant comes in a variety of forms, including hull, hulless, flour, flakes, grits, and raw sprouts. Many consider barley a superfood, while according to this study, the younger the barley sprout, the greater the nutritional benefits.

The Pearl vs. Hulled Difference

The most important part when choosing barley as part of your diet is choosing the right type.

Walking down the soup aisle, you will almost exclusively see “pearl” barley – and that is the wrong kind to use.

Just like with bread made from white flour which is a big NO (read about the best bread alternatives here, though), pearl barley has been polished to remove the outer bran layer. It becomes a refined grain that will spike your blood sugar and provide little to no metabolic benefit, as most of the nutrients mentioned above are in its outer bran layer.

For MASLD (aka NALFD/Fatty Liver), you must buy hulled barley because it retains the bran and germ, keeping the essential fiber intact.

Best Barley Brands to Try

(Please note: I get commissions if you make a purchases through the links below, at no extra cost for you.)

If you are ready to incorporate this into your routine, selecting the right product matters. Here are my recommendations:

Be Still Farms Organic Barley anks among the best food brands available today. It is a healthy option delivering the exact nutritional value we discussed earlier, alongside a great taste.

It’s USDA-certified organic hulled flour, meaning you receive a top-quality product free from harmful processed ingredients.

Grain Place Non-GMO Organic Hulled Barley is another fine barley brand option, made in the USA and grown by family farmers.

Plus, it’s part of the Mediterranean diet which is my recommended diet for fatty liver.

Why the Grain Works for MASLD

According to a study conducted by researchers from Korea University and published in the journal Nutrition Research, hexacosanol found in barley sprouts can stop the accumulation of cholesterol via a straightforward mechanism.

The researchers specifically believed that hexacosanol may decrease cellular and plasma cholesterol levels in the process.

Another study published in the journal Nutrients found that barley sprouts are good for alcohol-induced fatty liver because of their hypolipidemic property.

Specifically, the high saponarin content barley sprouts contain both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.

The raw barley sprouts work by significantly blocking the inflammatory response induced by alcohol which would otherwise help to contribute to the development or worsening of fatty liver.

Therefore, we can apply the same benefits to MASLD/NAFLD today.

A diet rich in barley (or any type of whole grain) is good for the liver liver because the barley fiber plays an active role in creating propionic acid that prevents enzymes from helping the liver to create cholesterol.

The fiber further provides beta-glucan (BG), which, as determined by another expert study, helps to reduce hepatic lipid accumulation in liver cells, fatty acid synthase, and increase the activity of cholesterol conversion to bile acid.

The result is lower levels of bad cholesterol in liver cells.

How Much Barley Should You Eat?

Even though it’s packed with beneficial nutrients and microelements, barley is still high in carbs, and carbohydrates are something we should keep an eye on.

In other words, as with anything related to a fatty liver, moderation is key.

Whole grains act as complex carbohydrates with rich dietary fiber content. Medical consensus suggests limiting total carbohydrate intake to 40 to 50 percent of your total daily calories (and this is for healthy individuals, so you can go a bit lower while you work to get your health back).

I recommend keeping your portions to about 30 grams of dry hulled barley, which cooks up to roughly half a cup per meal.

It might not look like a massive portion, but it provides an excellent way to diversify a liver-healing diet and provides the therapeutic beta-glucans without creating an excessive glycemic load.

It’s also recommended that pregnant women, children, the elderly, and persons with a weakened immune system avoid eating raw or lightly cooked barley sprouts, and persons allergic to gluten should avoid barley altogether.

Best Alternatives for Barley if You Have Fatty Liver

If you have fatty liver and barley is not an option for consumption – maybe you don’t like the taste or you have a gluten intolerance – the best alternatives that you can eat are other whole grains containing vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal liver function and health. These include:

• Bulgur
• Brown rice
• Oats
• Quinoa
• Spelt
• Rye
• Wild rice

These wholegrain alternatives are fiber-rich and help to manage lipid levels, while having slow-absorbing carbs which are better than the processed ones.

Conclusion

You can safely consume whole grain barley if you have fatty liver disease because of its nutritional content and the medicinal benefits it exerts, according to all the studies mentioned throughout this article.

It helps to prevent the liver from making bad cholesterol, increase cholesterol conversion to bile, and decrease cellular and plasma cholesterol levels. Just remember to secure the hulled variety and measure your portion sizes carefully.

If you have additional comments or questions, let me know in the section down below.