Moringa vs Barley Grass (Benefits, Side Effects + More!)

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So you’ve decided to bite the bullet and boost your health with supplements.

Congrats – you’re making a wise decision!

But there’s just one problem…

With so many different supplements to pick from, it can be hard to find out which one is most suitable for you.

And that’s precisely why I started this Supplement Comparison Guide.

In this series, I take 2 types of supplements and compare them on their benefits, side effects, price and more to help you decide.

In this post, we’ll take a look at Moringa vs Barley Grass.

Let’s get to it!

What is Moringa?

Moringa (Moringa Oleifera) is an ancient tree native to Nepal, India and Pakistan that also grows in the tropics.

Now the interesting thing about Moringa is that pretty much the whole plant is used for health boosting properties.

In other words, the seeds, roots, leaves, bark, etc. are all used to improve people’s health.

This is quite unusual, as usually only one or two parts of a plant are used for health purposes.

(The root of Maca as an example.)

Thanks to its amazing medicinal properties, Moringa is sometimes referred to as the “miracle tree”.

What is Barley Grass?

Barley grass is the leaf of the Barley plant.

It’s also commonly referred to as “Barley green” or “Barley leaf”.

Rich in GABA, vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll, Barley Grass is a real nutritional powerhouse and is used by many people for its health-boosting properties.

Benefits

Benefits of Moringa

Moringa may help lower inflammation

Living an unhealthy lifestyle can cause chronic inflammation over time.

(I.e. someone who smokes, never exercises, eats junk food and gets poor sleep will likely be inflamed.)

Chronic inflammation can be a real killer, as it’s been linked to many diseases including stroke, cancer and Alzheimer’s.

So to reduce your risk of these horrible diseases, you really ought to lower your inflammation levels.

A good place to start would be to fix your diet, get good quality sleep and exercise more.

Once you’ve followed those steps, then you may want to use supplements to help reduce inflammation even more.

Moringa is rich in compounds called isothiocyanates which are believed to be anti-inflammatory, so supplementing with Moringa is a sensible choice if you want to lower inflammation.

Moringa may help lower Cholesterol

It’s widely believed that high cholesterol levels increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).

So reducing your cholesterol levels may help reduce the risk of CVD.

Research suggests that Moringa is effective at lowering cholesterol.

Moringa may lower blood sugar levels

High blood sugar levels are often the result of gorging on junk food.

But high blood sugar levels are toxic to your body.

So to retaliate, your body pumps out loads of insulin which can lead to a crash in blood sugar levels.

This can make you feel tired, irritable and low on energy.

So, the best way to avoid this scenario is to keep your blood sugar levels stable to begin with.

Interestingly, research suggests that Moringa may help lower blood sugar levels.

For example, this study showed that supplementing with 7g of daily Moringa lowered fasting blood sugar levels by around 13.5%.

(This was after using Moringa for 3 months to be clear.)

Moringa is Antioxidant-rich

Antioxidants are powerful molecules which can help neutralise free radicals.

These are “naughty” electrons which can lead to oxidative stress, which is thought to contribute to aging.

So theoretically, the more antioxidants you consume, the less oxidative stress you’ll have.

Moringa is loaded with the following antioxidants:

• Vitamin C
• Quercetin
• Beta-Carotene
• Chlorogenic Acid

Research shows that consuming Moringa boosts these levels in your blood too.

Benefits of Barley Grass

Barley Grass may help lower cholesterol

Barley Grass may help lower cholesterol levels thanks to its beta-sitosterol components.

These are believed to inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines.

A study of 40 subjects with high cholesterol levels had some of them take 15g of Barley Grass daily for 4 weeks.

The results showed that Barley Grass reduced both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.

(LDL cholesterol is often referred to as “bad” cholesterol.)

Barley Grass is full of nutrients

Let’s take a quick look at the list of nutrients present in Barley Grass:

• Iron
• Fiber
• Protein
• Calcium
• Enzymes
• Folic acid
• Potassium
• Vitamin B1
• Vitamin B2
• Vitamin B6
• Phosphorus
• Magnesium
• Chlorophyll
• Amino acids
• Vitamin B12
• Beta carotene
• Pantothenic acid

For this reason, Barley Grass is known as a “superfood”.

(I don’t know about you, but that word makes me cringe.)

And so supplementing with Barley Grass is an easy peasy way to boost your nutrient intake.

Barley Grass is full of antioxidants

Like Moringa, Barley Grass has powerful antioxidant properties which can help reduce free radicals and oxidative stress.

One study looked at the effects of 15g of daily Barley Grass in Type 2 Diabetic patients.

By the end of the study, the subjects had less oxidized LDL which can lead to plaques in the arteries.

Cost

Moringa Cost

Moringa is typically sold in capsules or as a powder.

Here are some expected prices for these:

• Powder: $20 for 1lb
• Capsules: $10 for 100

Barley Grass Cost

Barley Grass is mainly sold in powdered form. For a mid-range supplement, you can expect to pay around $30 for 1lb

Side Effects

Moringa Side Effects

Moringa is safe for most people with a minimal risk of side effects.

But those taking blood sugar lowering medication, i.e. Diabetics, should consult a doctor before using Moringa.

Barley Grass Side Effects

Since Barley Grass is high in certain vitamins and minerals like Vitamin K and potassium, it may not be appropriate for people with certain conditions (such as those on dialysis) or are taking certain medications (like warfarin).

Also, those with a gluten sensitivity should avoid any Barley Grass supplement that isn’t labelled Gluten Free.

Recommendations

My Moringa Recommendation: Organic Spice Resource Moringa Leaf Powder

Overview

An excellent powdered Moringa supplement.

A great choice if you like the freedom to choose how much Moringa you want to take.

What I like about it

I love that this Moringa powder is organic.

In other words, it was made how nature intended without any unnatural chemical pesticides or additives.

Another great feature is that the supplement is 100% Moringa powder.

That’s right.

No dodgy cheap additives like fillers or preservatives you need to be wary of.

Just pure Moringa goodness.

And the fact that it’s a powder means you can mix up the dosage to meet your specific needs.

This is helpful as some of you will benefit from taking a higher dosage, whereas others will be better suited to a lower dosage.

Potential Drawbacks

Powders can be a double-edged sword.

While it’s great that you can mix up the dosage, it means you have to actually taste the supplement.

Some people may be put off by the taste, but you can always mix it with your favorite juice.

No biggie, right?

Check price and read more reviews of Organic Spice Resource Moringa Leaf Powder on Amazon.

My Barley Grass Recommendation: Teaveli Organic Barley Grass Juice Powder

Overview

Teaveli Organic Barley Grass Juice Powder is the Rolls-Royce of Barley Grass supplements.

It’s organic, Gluten Free, Non-GMO and made in a super unique way.

(More on that in a second…)

What I like about it

The fact this Barley Grass supplement is organic means it’s been grown naturally without the use of chemical fertilizers/pesticides.

This is always a good thing, so we’re off to a great start.

Another fantastic feature is how this Barley Grass powder is made.

It’s a process called Bioactive Dehydration, which basically means the Barley Grass Juice is dried at a low temperature.

The outcome of this?

A Barley Grass powder that has more flavor, color, aroma, nutrients and more.

So when you add water to this Barley Grass powder, it’s essentially identical to fresh Barley Grass juice.

And as nice bonus, this supplement is Gluten Free making it suitable for those with a gluten intolerance.

Potential Drawbacks

Teaveli Organic Barley Grass Juice Powder is (rightly) priced a bit higher than other Barley Grass powders out there.

But it’s a price worth paying in my opinion.

Check price and read more reviews of Teaveli Organic Barley Grass Powder on Amazon.

Moringa vs Barley Grass: The Verdict

Congratulations, you’ve made it to the very end of this Moringa vs Barley Grass showdown.

As you now know, both these supplements have a lot in common.

So if you’re still undecided on which one to take, then here’s what I’d recommend:

You might prefer Moringa if:

• You want the cheaper option
• You want to lower inflammation

You might prefer Barley Grass if:

• You want to increase your nutrient intake

Hope this helped!