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Yava

Hordeum vulgare

Yava (Hordeum vulgare) is a plant drug, also called Yavah, Dhanyarajah and Jau.

Key facts
Botanical nameHordeum vulgare
FamilyPoaceae · other entries in this family
OrderPoales
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2706056 · Wikidata Q11577 · NCBI Taxonomy 4513
Names in other languages
Sanskritयवः (yavaḥ), धान्यराजः (dhānyarājaḥ), MAHAMEDA (Rhizome and
Hindiजौ (jau), जव (java), Smilax china Linn
EnglishMADHUSNUHI (Tuberous
Tamilவாற்கோதுமை, MESAS RNGI (Root)
MalayalamMEDASAKAH (Wood)
TeluguGymnema sylvestre R.Br
KannadaMEDASAKAH (Stem Bark)
MarathiListea chinensis Lam
BengaliPolygonatum cirrhifolium Royle
GujaratiRoot)
UrduNANDI (Root)
PunjabiGymnema sylvestre R.Br
OriyaMESASRNGI (Leaf)
AssameseRoot)
KashmiriListea chinensis Lam

Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; University of Madras Tamil Lexicon (via agarathi.com): "Barley cereal, Hordeum vulgare; கோதுமைவகை" (a kind of wheat-grain).; ayushvedah.com Yava (Hordeum vulgare) drug monograph, vernacular names table: Hindi "जव (jav), जौ (jau)", Sanskrit "aksata, akshata, dhanyaraja, divya", family Poaceae.; ayushvedah.com Yava (Hordeum vulgare) monograph, Sanskrit vernacular names: "aksata, akshata, dhanyaraja, divya".; ayushvedah.com Yava (Hordeum vulgare) monograph, vernacular names table, Hindi: "जव (jav), जौ (jau)".; wisdomlib Yava entry: Madhavacikitsa (7th c.) identifies Yava as "Hordeum vulgare L. Syn. Hordeum hexastichon L.", with further references in Ashtangasangraha (which distinguishes the anuyava and venuyava varieties) and Yogasarasangraha; ayushvedah.com carries the monograph under the drug name Yava for Hordeum vulgare.. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2003 to 2024, 10 with a DOI.

  • 6Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 6Laboratory and animal studies

A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Everything listed here is laboratory or animal work, which does not show an effect in people. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishYava

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Lekhana (scraping/fat reduction): Beta-glucan forms viscous gel in the gut that traps bile acids, forcing hepatic cholesterol conversion
  • Glycemic control: Resistant starch and beta-glucan slow carbohydrate digestion and glucose absorption, reducing postprandial glycemic spikes
  • Antioxidant: Tocols and phenolic acids neutralize free radicals, protect LDL from oxidation, and reduce inflammatory markers
  • Prebiotic: Beta-glucan and arabinoxylan fermented by colonic bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (butyrate, propionate) that nourish colonocytes and modulate lipid metabolism

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.

  • Prameha (diabetes/metabolic disorders): classically regarded as the best grain for prameha. Studies on barley beta-glucan have reported effects on blood glucose and insulin sensitivity.
  • Sthaulya and Medoroga (obesity and lipid disorders): traditionally used for its lekhana (scraping) action. Studies on beta-glucan have reported bile acid binding, cholesterol-lowering activity and effects on fat metabolism.
  • Mutra Roga (urinary disorders): barley water is traditionally used as a kidney tonic. Studies have reported diuretic properties and anti-urolithiatic activity for alkaline compounds in barley.

What do recent studies show?

No study for this section could be traced to a published paper. An absence here means we could not identify the source, not that no work exists.

Recent safety updates

  • Contains gluten (hordein); strictly contraindicated in celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity
  • High fiber content may cause bloating and flatulence during initial dietary introduction; gradual increase recommended
  • Phytic acid content may reduce mineral absorption (iron, zinc, calcium); traditional soaking and fermentation reduce phytic acid
  • Barley sprout beverages may contain harmful levels of barley alkaloids; source quality and processing method matter

What is it made of?

Key Active Markers

  • Flavonoids
  • Catechins
  • Proanthocyanidins
  • Quercetin
  • Tocopherols
  • Phytosterols
  • Sitosterol
  • Campesterol

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Whole barley, Barley flour (Saktu), Yava Kshara (barley alkali), Yavagu (barley gruel)

Standard Dosage: As dietary: 30–50 g; Yava Kshara: 0.5–2 g; Yavagu: 100–200 mL

Optimal Timing: Morning; Yavagu during Panchakarma

Storage: Cool, dry place

Marker Compounds: Beta-glucan (4–7%), Hordenine, Dietary fiber, Minerals

Vehicle (Anupana): Water or buttermilk

Published research

Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.

Other clinical studies and reviews6

  1. Hansson M, Youssef HM, Zakhrabekova S and others. 2024. A guide to barley mutantsHereditas. PMID 38454479 · doi:10.1186/s41065-023-00304-w
  2. Sato K. 2020. History and future perspectives of barley genomicsDNA research : an international journal for rapid publication of reports on genes and genomes. PMID 32979265 · doi:10.1093/dnares/dsaa023
  3. Ardestani MM. 2020. Comparison Among Test Substrates in Metal Uptake and Toxicity to Folsomia candida and Hordeum vulgareBulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology. PMID 32077985 · doi:10.1007/s00128-020-02807-y
  4. Park RF, Golegaonkar PG, Derevnina L and others. 2015. Leaf rust of cultivated barley: pathology and controlAnnual review of phytopathology. PMID 26047566 · doi:10.1146/annurev-phyto-080614-120324
  5. 2006. Barley PMID 30000887
  6. Chełkowski J, Tyrka M, Sobkiewicz A. 2003. Resistance genes in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and their identification with molecular markersJournal of applied genetics. PMID 12923305

Laboratory and animal studies6

  1. Pedersen O, de la Cruz Jiménez J. 2024. Function and induction of the root barrier to radial O2 loss. A commentary on 'Exogenous abscisic acid induces the formation of a suberized barrier to radial oxygen loss in adventitious roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare)'Annals of botany. PMID 38547328 · doi:10.1093/aob/mcae036
  2. Lee SB, Gupta H, Min BH and others. 2024. A consortium of Hordeum vulgare and gut microbiota against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease via data-driven analysisArtificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology. PMID 38687561 · doi:10.1080/21691401.2024.2347380
  3. Rajhelová H, Peikertová P, Kuzníková Ľ and others. 2023. Alteration of Hordeum vulgare and Sinapis alba germination and early growth in response to airborne low-metallic automotive brake wear debrisChemosphere. PMID 37890799 · doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140540
  4. Ferioun M, Srhiouar N, Bouhraoua S and others. 2023. Physiological and biochemical changes in Moroccan barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars submitted to drought stressHeliyon. PMID 36873157 · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13643
  5. Park SJ, Lee M, Oh DH and others. 2021. Emblica officinalis and Hordeum vulgare L. Mixture Regulates Lipolytic Activity in Differentiated 3T3-L1 CellsJournal of medicinal food. PMID 33617364 · doi:10.1089/jmf.2020.4810
  6. Hisano H, Tsujimura M, Yoshida H and others. 2016. Mitochondrial genome sequences from wild and cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare)BMC genomics. PMID 27776481 · doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3159-3

Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.

Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.

Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.