✓ No active regulatory warningsFDA MedWatch, EMA EudraVigilance, WHO VigiBase, WADA Prohibited List · 2026-05-29
📰Read the full Barley Grass evidence review on GMJ News →Complete clinical article, references and updates on news.gmj.ge. This page is the structured safety summary.⚠ Celiac patient concerned about barley grass gluten — grass is gluten-free; grain is not [1]
⚠ Patient on warfarin — vitamin K content; consistent intake [1]
⚠ Patient paying premium for barley grass over spinach — nutritionally comparable [1]
ℹ️ Not obtained from food. Not applicable — this is not obtained from food in meaningful amounts; supplementation is the practical route.
🔬 Lab interpreter
ℹ️ No validated blood test. There is no established laboratory test to assess status or guide dosing for this ingredient. Clinical response and symptoms are the practical guide.
⚕ For professionals — confirm ranges against your local laboratory.
Clinical verdict
Barley grass is nutritionally interchangeable with wheatgrass — both are young cereal grasses comparable to spinach/kale. The unique saponarin content gives barley grass marginally higher antioxidant scores in vitro, but no clinical trials differentiate them. Both are gluten-free when properly harvested. Even less evidence than wheatgrass [1].
1 How much do I need?
👤 Adults: Specific dosage data under clinical review
👴 Elderly: Specific dosage data under clinical review
🤰 Pregnancy: See guidance
Likely safe as food [1].
👦 Pediatric: See guidance
Safe as food [1].
🏃 Athletes: Standard dose
⚖️ Obesity: Standard dose
Fat-soluble compounds may require dose adjustment in obesity.
🩺 Renal: Consult specialist
Dose adjustment may be needed in renal impairment.
🌱 Vegan: Standard dose
How to take
🍽 Timing: Morning or with meals [1].
💊 With food: In smoothies or water [1].
🚫 Avoid: Expecting 'superfood' benefits beyond standard greens [1].
2 Which form?
| Form | Bioavailability | Vegan | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ['Barley grass powder', 'common', '3–5 g/day in water or smoothie. Often combined with wheatgrass powder [1].'] | Standard | Check label | |
| ['Barley grass juice powder', 'concentrated', 'Juice extracted then dried. More concentrated than whole grass powder [1].'] | Standard | Check label | |
| ['Barley grass tablets', 'convenient', '500 mg × 6–10/day [1].'] | Standard | Check label | |
| ['Green superfood blends', 'most common', 'Barley grass + wheatgrass + spirulina + chlorella in proprietary blend [1].'] | Standard | Check label |
3 Common questions
Is barley grass the same as wheatgrass? ▼
Nearly identical nutritionally. Both are young cereal grasses. The main difference: barley grass contains saponarin (a unique flavonoid), while wheatgrass does not. Both are gluten-free when properly harvested. In practice, they are interchangeable in green superfood blends [1].
Is barley grass gluten-free? ▼
Yes — same as wheatgrass. Gluten proteins are in the barley GRAIN, not the grass. Properly harvested young barley grass (before jointing) contains no detectable gluten. Cross-contamination risk exists if harvested late [1].
Does barley grass have more antioxidants than wheatgrass? ▼
Some in vitro studies suggest barley grass has higher total antioxidant activity than wheatgrass, attributed to saponarin. However, no human clinical comparison exists, and the practical difference is likely negligible [1].
4 Clinical evidence
Strong
No RCTs for barley grass alone [1]. HIGH
Moderate
Lipid reduction: 1 small RCT of barley grass in T2DM patients showed modest TC and LDL reduction [1]. Antioxidant: saponarin and SOD content demonstrated in vitro antioxidant activity exceeding wheatgrass [1]. MODERATE
Insufficient
5 Safety, toxicity & adverse events
Absolute contraindications
✕ Celiac disease/wheat-barley allergy — gluten cross-contamination possible
Relative
⚠ Anticoagulants — high vitamin K may oppose warfarin
⚠ Generally regarded as a green-vegetable nutrient source
6 Interactions
Drug interactions
Warfarin Low
Mechanism: Vitamin K [1].
Effect: Inconsistent intake may affect INR [1].
Action: Consistent intake [1].
Supplement synergies
Wheatgrass + Spirulina · Standard blend ratios
Classic green superfood trio [1].
Classic green superfood trio [1].
7 Regulatory
United States (FDA): Food/dietary supplement. No FDA claims [1].
8 US supplement products
3
on-market products containing Barley Grass (NIH DSLD)
Brands carrying Barley Grass (1)
Click a brand to see its Barley Grass products.
9 Frequently paired with
10 Cite this page
Vancouver: Pkhakadze G. Barley Grass — safety profile [Internet]. Tbilisi: PHIG; 2026 [cited 2026 Sep 01]. Available from: https://supplement.ge/ingredients/barley-grass/
APA 7th: Pkhakadze, G. (2026). Barley Grass — Safety profile. Public Health Institute of Georgia. https://supplement.ge/ingredients/barley-grass/
📋 Editorial information
Author: Prof. G. Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Institution: Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG)
Affiliation: David Tvildiani Medical University (DTMU)
First published: January 2026
Last reviewed: 2026-05-29
Next review: March 2027
References: 3 cited sources
COI: SupplementIndex receives no funding from supplement manufacturers. All content independently authored by PHIG.
Process: Systematic literature review
📄 License & reuse
Published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). You may share and adapt for any purpose with attribution.
Pkhakadze G. "Barley Grass — Safety Profile." SupplementIndex, PHIG, 2026. https://supplement.ge/ingredients/barley-grass/ CC BY 4.0.
GP
Prof. G. Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Professor of Public Health · Head of Department, DTMU
Editor-in-Chief, Georgian Medical Journal (ISSN 3088-4322)
Chair, Public Health Institute of Georgia · UEMS Public Health Section
Educational and public health purposes. CC BY 4.0. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Corrections: info@accreditation.ge. Publisher: PHIG