Type of Serving – Porridge
Type of Meal – Breakfast & Dinner
Place of Origin – Arabic Dish
Ingredients – Fibre Rich Barley, Milk & Sweeteners (Honey, Sugar etc)
Overview
Talbina is a traditional food made with barley flour, cooked with milk and sweetened with honey or sugar. It is called talbina, which comes from the Arabic word laban meaning milk.
Talbina In Sunnah
Aisha(R) said, I heard the Messenger(SAW) saying : “The talbina gives rest to the heart of the patient and makes it active and relieves some of his sorrow and grief.”
[Saheeh al-Bukhari]
Benefits
- Lowering cholesterol, helps to reduce heart disease
- Dietary fibre – protects from stomach cancer
- Dietary fibre – Improves digestion
- Dietary fibre – Prevent gallstones
- Dietary fibre – Lowers cholesterol
- Beta-glucan – Increase Immunity
- Serotonin – Decreases depression
Nutrients
Talbina is a good source of insoluble and soluble dietary fibre. The soluble fibre portion contains the richest source of beta-glucans compared to any other grain; these can aid immune function. It also contains B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and copper, and is one of the richest sources of chromium, which is important in maintaining blood glucose levels. It is also rich in antioxidants and contains a high concentration of Tocols and Tocotrienols, oils that help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Barley has been cited as a possible food to increase Tryptophan, and thus Serotonin in the body.
How to Prepare?
Water – 1 cup
Milk – 1 cup
Talbina – 2 tablespoon
Sugar/ Honey – 3 teaspoon/according to taste
Step 1: Add water, milk, Talbina & Sugar/Honey
Step 2: Mix & Boil
Step 3: Stir on low heat till a thick-liquid-consistency
Research
“The results of the intervention showed significant effects of Talbinah on reducing depression and enhancing mood.”
[Clinical Interventions in Aging 2013; 8: 279–285.]
“This study found a positive effect of Talbinah on mood.”
[Clinical Interventions in Aging 2013; 8: 279–285.]
The Talbinah intervention increased the calories, magnesium, and zinc intakes of the subjects.
[Clinical Interventions in Aging 2013; 8: 279–285.]
From the present results, it is clear that the chronic administration of talbina caused a significant increase in neurotransmitter contents in most of the tested brain areas at different time intervals; cerebellum which is responsible for the voluntary movement; pons + medulla
oblongata which is responsible of essential reflexive acts striatum which is a brain region responsible for motor activity; cerebral cortex which is responsible for motor
hypothalamus which is responsible for appetite, body temperature, water balance, sleep and blood pressure; midbrain which is responsible for the regulation of sleep, wakefulness and level of arousal as well as for the coordination of eye movements; and hippocampus which is responsible for memory.
[American-Eurasian Journal of Scientific Research 5 (2): 134-142, 2010]
Talbina increased the plasma levels of testosterone, increased active spermatogenesis with a significant rise in the number of mature sperms. Results confirmed that talbina had beneficial effects on male reproductive activity.
[American-Eurasian Journal of Scientific Research 5 (2): 134-142, 2010]