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Flax vs Barley - In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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The main differences between Flax and Barley

  • Flax has more Vitamin B1, Copper, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Fiber, Iron, Manganese, Calcium, and Folate, however Barley has more Selenium.
  • Daily need coverage for Vitamin B1 from Flax is 83% higher.
  • Barley has 8 times less Calcium than Flax. Flax has 255mg of Calcium, while Barley has 33mg.

Food types used in this article are Seeds, flaxseed and Barley, hulled.

Infographic

Flax vs Barley infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" chart below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food
Flax
Flax
7
:
1
Barley
Barley
Contains more Calcium +672.7%
Contains more Iron +59.2%
Contains more Magnesium +194.7%
Contains more Phosphorus +143.2%
Contains more Potassium +79.9%
Contains more Zinc +56.7%
Contains more Copper +145%
Contains less Sodium -60%
Flax
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper 77% 215% 280% 276% 72% 4% 119% 407%
Barley
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper 10% 135% 95% 114% 40% 2% 76% 166%
Contains more Calcium +672.7%
Contains more Iron +59.2%
Contains more Magnesium +194.7%
Contains more Phosphorus +143.2%
Contains more Potassium +79.9%
Contains more Zinc +56.7%
Contains more Copper +145%
Contains less Sodium -60%

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" chart below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food
Flax
Flax
6
:
4
Barley
Barley
Contains more Vitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +154.5%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +249.3%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +48.7%
Contains more Folate +357.9%
Contains more Vitamin K +95.5%
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin E +83.9%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +77%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +49.5%
Flax
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 0% 7% 0% 2% 411% 38% 58% 60% 110% 66% 0% 11%
Barley
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 2% 12% 0% 0% 162% 66% 87% 17% 74% 15% 0% 6%
Contains more Vitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +154.5%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +249.3%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +48.7%
Contains more Folate +357.9%
Contains more Vitamin K +95.5%
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin E +83.9%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +77%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +49.5%

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Flax
Flax
3
:
2
Barley
Barley
Contains more Protein +46.6%
Contains more Fats +1733%
Contains more Other +61.3%
Contains more Carbs +154.4%
Contains more Water +35.6%
Flax
18% 42% 29% 7% 4%
Protein: 18.29 g
Fats: 42.16 g
Carbs: 28.88 g
Water: 6.96 g
Other: 3.71 g
Barley
12% 2% 73% 9% 2%
Protein: 12.48 g
Fats: 2.3 g
Carbs: 73.48 g
Water: 9.44 g
Other: 2.3 g
Contains more Protein +46.6%
Contains more Fats +1733%
Contains more Other +61.3%
Contains more Carbs +154.4%
Contains more Water +35.6%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Flax
Flax
2
:
1
Barley
Barley
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +2451.5%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +2493%
Contains less Saturated Fat -86.8%
Flax
9% 19% 72%
Saturated Fat: 3.663 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 7.527 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 28.73 g
Barley
26% 16% 59%
Saturated Fat: 0.482 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.295 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.108 g
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +2451.5%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +2493%
Contains less Saturated Fat -86.8%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the most right column. It shows the amounts side by side, making it easier to realize the amount of difference.
Flax Barley
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in glycemic index ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Flax Barley Opinion
Net carbs 1.58g 56.18g Barley
Protein 18.29g 12.48g Flax
Fats 42.16g 2.3g Flax
Carbs 28.88g 73.48g Barley
Calories 534kcal 354kcal Flax
Sugar 1.55g 0.8g Barley
Fiber 27.3g 17.3g Flax
Calcium 255mg 33mg Flax
Iron 5.73mg 3.6mg Flax
Magnesium 392mg 133mg Flax
Phosphorus 642mg 264mg Flax
Potassium 813mg 452mg Flax
Sodium 30mg 12mg Barley
Zinc 4.34mg 2.77mg Flax
Copper 1.22mg 0.498mg Flax
Vitamin A 0IU 22IU Barley
Vitamin A RAE 0µg 1µg Barley
Vitamin E 0.31mg 0.57mg Barley
Vitamin C 0.6mg 0mg Flax
Vitamin B1 1.644mg 0.646mg Flax
Vitamin B2 0.161mg 0.285mg Barley
Vitamin B3 3.08mg 4.604mg Barley
Vitamin B5 0.985mg 0.282mg Flax
Vitamin B6 0.473mg 0.318mg Flax
Folate 87µg 19µg Flax
Vitamin K 4.3µg 2.2µg Flax
Tryptophan 0.297mg 0.208mg Flax
Threonine 0.766mg 0.424mg Flax
Isoleucine 0.896mg 0.456mg Flax
Leucine 1.235mg 0.848mg Flax
Lysine 0.862mg 0.465mg Flax
Methionine 0.37mg 0.24mg Flax
Phenylalanine 0.957mg 0.7mg Flax
Valine 1.072mg 0.612mg Flax
Histidine 0.472mg 0.281mg Flax
Saturated Fat 3.663g 0.482g Barley
Monounsaturated Fat 7.527g 0.295g Flax
Polyunsaturated fat 28.73g 1.108g Flax
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.007g Flax

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Flax Barley
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low glycemic index diet ok

Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores show how much of your all daily needs across all vitamins or minerals this food would cover if you took three 100 grams servings of it (approximation of 3 serving sizes)
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
63%
Flax
36%
Barley
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
181%
Flax
80%
Barley

Comparison summary

Which food is richer in minerals?
Flax
Flax is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Barley
Barley is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.75g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Barley
Barley contains less Sodium (difference - 18mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Barley
Barley is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 3.181g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Barley
Barley is lower in glycemic index (difference - 28)
Which food is cheaper?
Barley
Barley is cheaper (difference - $1.5)
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

The source of all the nutrient values on the page (excluding the main article the sources for which are presented separately if present) is the USDA's FoodCentral. The exact links to the foods presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Flax - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169414/nutrients
  2. Barley - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170283/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000 calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.