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Herb library · Herb · Hordeum vulgare

Barley grass

The young green leaves of the barley plant, dried and ground into a powder for drinks. Lab studies are plentiful, but trials in people are few, small and short: a 2026 review calls the clinical evidence preliminary. In one small crossover trial, a barley-leaf drink with a snack lowered the blood sugar rise at the next meal.

Traditional use

Young barley is harvested before the grain forms and sold as a dried grass powder or a juice-derived powder, mixed into water or smoothies as a green drink. A 2026 review describes it as a functional food rich in flavonoids (saponarin and lutonarin), chlorophyll, vitamins and minerals.

What studies show

  • Limited

    Blood sugar after meals: in a randomized crossover trial of 18 young adults, a biscuit eaten with a drink of powdered barley leaves in the afternoon lowered the rise in blood sugar after it and after the evening meal, compared with the biscuit alone, mainly in people whose blood sugar rose most. It is one small trial.

  • Limited· a lab measure, not a health outcome

    Cholesterol and other markers: a 2026 review found that the available clinical trials suggest modest improvements in some lipid, blood sugar and oxidative stress markers, but most are small and brief, and it calls the clinical data preliminary.

Be careful of

Cautions

  • NoteProducts vary: the 2026 review notes that how young barley is grown (fertilizer and soil) changes its makeup and is an underappreciated safety concern, and that preparations are not standardized.
  • InteractionIf you take medicine for blood sugar, watch for low readings after adding it and tell your clinician.
  • Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.

Sources

  1. Young Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Preparations: From Phytochemical Complexity to Clinical Relevance (Molecules, 2026) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  2. Consumption of Biscuits with a Beverage of Mulberry or Barley Leaves in the Afternoon Prevents Dinner-Induced High, but Not Low, Increases in Blood Glucose among Young Adults (Nutrients, 2020) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026

Reviewed September 25, 2026.