Frequently Asked Questions

Heat during processing of the fresh juices (barley grass juice in this case) can cause the most damage, especially when moisture content is high. As the juice turns into powder, however, it is less susceptible to damage and deactivation of the enzymes by heat. After the powder is fully dried, it can withstand heat much more effectively.

The powder is somewhat like a dormant seed. While the seed is kept dry, it is very stable at elevated temperatures. Place it in a moist and warm environment and it will sprout with new life. The powder of properly dehydrated juice powder is very stable at warm temperatures but, when reconstituted in water, it is enzymatically alive and will not tolerate excessive heat without degradation.

The 110 – 120°F temperatures in the back of the UPS or USPS truck are not too extreme for the fully dried powder. Damage is minimal as long as the jars remain sealed, preventing moisture from compounding the high heat conditions.

Our testing of old expired BarleyMax powder showed that it was still more enzymatically active than many other similar, non-expired powders on the market, showing the stability of the BarleyMax powder. (Either high heat for a short time or lower heat for a long time would have similar effects on the powder, so that is a pretty good test.) The powders tested in our lab are shipped to the lab by standard shipping.

Heat sensitive vitamins like vitamin C and beta-carotene are damaged. There is a loss of nearly all volatile essential oils. There are likely other factors and qualities of raw foods that are also damaged that are not considered to be “nutrients” like bio-photons, energetics, and enzyme activities, but we don’t know how to measure some of them or exactly what is their significance.

Fiber is important for optimal colon health and bowel movements, but you can get plenty of fiber from your raw food diet. You don’t want fiber in your juice powder because fiber can diminish digestion of beneficial nutrients. With whole leaf / vegetable powders, the nutrients are locked inside the plant cells and inaccessible to our digestive system.

Many enzymatically deactivated powder products are whole-leaf powders, made by drying wheat or barley leaves. It requires more heat or time to dry intact cells than it does to dry a juice already extracted from plant cells. When enzymes are exposed to elevated heat for too long, they are deactivated in these products, so you’re paying for fiber that does no good.

Long term storage in the freezer is a very good idea. While it is quite stable at room temperature, the shelf life can be extended in the freezer. Short-term storage is better at room temperature. A lot of water vapor is attracted to the cold powder when opened straight from the refrigerator. The resulting condensation can degrade the product.

We believe that it is still a raw powder, but have not confirmed that.

They can be mixed with any cold beverage such as purified water, organic apple juice, pineapple juice, etc.

Most true juice powders, including BarleyMax, may be consumed at any time. Since the juicing has released the nutrients from the fiber, consuming the reconstituted juice prior to a meal will not prevent the absorption and utilization of the nutrients.

There are factors and qualities of raw foods like BarleyMax that aren’t considered “nutrients” that get put on the label. The Grass Juice Factor is one of these factors.

Yes, there are other products that come from the same producer, or from producers with very similar technologies that preserve the heat-sensitive elements in their juice powders.

Not generally on a commercial basis. In a research laboratory, freeze-drying can be done without raising temperatures. But, to be cost-effective on a commercial scale, heat is applied towards the end of the drying process to finish the drying. This heat compromises the quality of the product, with a great loss of enzyme activity.

That is a great idea! However, we are testing products by categories, not just single products. We would love to know what products you are interested in having tested. We will certainly keep your interests in mind when choosing products to be tested next.

No, there is not a single temperature, like 107°F, or 120°F. Enzymes will become deactivated slowly even at room temperature. Deactivation is a function of time and temperature, as well as factors within the foods, such as how ruptured the plant cells are, the pH of the fluid the plant food is in, the salt concentration in the food, or the presence of natural protease enzymes which digest other proteins and so on. Only testing of enzyme activity will give you a “global” view of the overall effect of processing on the raw qualities of a food.