One of the most widely consumed cereal crops, barley is a rich, nutty, chewy grain with a pasta-like texture, according to Barley World. Types of barley include pearled, hulled and hulless. Even hulled -- with the tough outer grain removed -- is a minimally processed whole grain. You can find barley in several forms, as kernels, flakes, flour and grits. Sprouted barley, high in the sugar maltose, is used in the fermentation process of alcoholic beverages, such as beer. An excellent source of dietary fiber, barley is also a mineral-rich food.
Basic Nutrient Values
One cup of cooked barley or 200 g provides 270 calories, 7.4 g protein, 59.4 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g fat, 13.6 g dietary fiber, less than 2 mg sodium and 0 mg cholesterol, according to the World's Healthiest Foods website. Barley is an excellent source of carbohydrates, which are the body's primary fuel source, and a good source of protein, needed to build and maintain the structure of cells and tissues. Like other chewy grains, such as oats, barley is rich in soluble or viscous fiber. Of the dietary fiber, 10.8 g is insoluble, or roughage, while the rest is soluble.
Vitamins
Barley is a good food source of two of the B vitamins: vitamin B1, or thiamin, and vitamin B3, or niacin. One cup of barley, cooked, provides 0.16 mg of thiamin, meeting 10.6 percent of the recommended daily value, or DV, and 2.84 mg of niacin, or 14.2 percent of the DV. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, all of the B vitamins are needed to facilitate energy metabolism or the conversion of food, especially carbohydrates, into fuel, which is used for energy. They also aid in the metabolism of fats and proteins. Thiamin and niacin are important for maintaining a healthy nervous system and proper liver function, as well as healthy skin, hair and eyes.
Minerals
Like most whole grains, barley is rich in many minerals. One cup, cooked, provides 230 mg of phosphorus, a major mineral, meeting 23 percent of the DV. Phosphorus plays an important role in building and maintaining strong bones. It is also a component of the genetic material of all cells, RNA and DNA.
Barley is particularly rich in trace minerals. A cup of cooked barley provides 36.4 mcg, or micrograms, of selenium, or 52 percent of the DV; and 0.64 mg of copper, or 32 percent of the DV. The University of Delaware reports that selenium, in conjunction with vitamin E, helps protect cell membranes from deterioration and promotes normal thyroid function. Copper helps the body use iron effectively; plays a prominent role in bone and cartilage development; and, like the B vitamins, is needed for energy metabolism.
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