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Barley tea (mugicha): what it is good for, and is it good for you?

Hordeum vulgare, whole barley grains roasted until deep brown, then steeped or simmered; sold as loose roasted grain or large cold-brew bags

Barley tea is good for, above all, hydration without caffeine, sugar or calories, which is exactly why it is the default summer drink in Japanese (mugicha) and Korean (boricha) households. Beyond that, the human evidence is thin but interesting: a small Japanese study found a cup improved blood fluidity within an hour, roasted-barley compounds stop the main cavity-causing bacterium sticking to teeth in laboratory tests, and the Maillard compounds formed by roasting have measurable antioxidant activity. Traditionally it is drunk cold to cool the body in summer and warm to settle the stomach.

Is barley tea good for you? Yes, in the plain sense that a zero-calorie, caffeine-free drink you enjoy enough to replace soda or sweet tea is good for you, and the trials on swapping sugary drinks for calorie-free ones show real weight and blood-sugar benefits. Be clear-eyed about what it is not: the well-known cholesterol-lowering evidence for barley comes from beta-glucan fibre in the eaten grain, and almost none of that fibre ends up in the tea. Barley tea also contains gluten, so it is off the list for anyone with coeliac disease.

This page grades the claims by the evidence behind them, explains how to brew mugicha both hot and cold-brewed, how much makes sense, and the few situations (coeliac disease, grain allergy, fluid restriction) where it is the wrong choice.

What barley tea is good for

  • Hydration — caffeine-free, calorie-free and drunk by the litre in East Asian summers; tea hydrates as well as water in controlled studies
  • Sugar-free swap — replacing sugary drinks with calorie-free ones cut weight gain in a trial of 641 children and helped adults lose 2–2.5% of body weight
  • Blood flow — a 250 mL cup improved blood fluidity within an hour in a small Japanese study (alkylpyrazines from roasting)
  • Dental health — roasted barley extracts stopped Streptococcus mutans adhering to surfaces in laboratory tests
  • Antioxidants — roasting produces melanoidins and phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity in the lab
  • Not for coeliacs — barley contains gluten and the tea is not considered gluten-free

Barley tea benefits, graded by the evidence

Strong = multiple human trials or a meta-analysis. Moderate = a few small trials. Preliminary = early, traditional or animal data.

  1. Hydrates as well as water, with no caffeine or sugar

    Strong evidence

    The old idea that tea dehydrates you does not hold even for caffeinated tea: in a crossover trial of 21 healthy men, 4–6 mugs of black tea a day produced hydration markers (blood and urine measures) no different from the same volume of water. Barley tea has no caffeine at all, so there is not even a theoretical diuretic effect, and it is essentially calorie-free. That makes it one of the better candidates for the 1.5–2 litres of fluid most adults need, especially for people who find plain water boring or who should avoid caffeine.

    Key evidenceRuxton and Hart, British Journal of Nutrition 2011 (tea versus water for hydration)

  2. Helps weight and blood sugar when it replaces sugary drinks

    Strong evidence

    The benefit here is in what you stop drinking. In a randomised trial of 641 children, replacing one daily sugar-sweetened drink with a sugar-free one for 18 months cut weight gain by about 1 kg. In 318 adults, replacing caloric drinks with water or diet drinks for 6 months led to 2–2.5% body-weight loss. Unsweetened barley tea is a zero-calorie, zero-sugar drink with a satisfying toasted flavour, which is why it works as a soda replacement where plain water often fails. The tea itself does not lower blood sugar; the swap does.

    Key evidencede Ruyter et al., New England Journal of Medicine 2012; Tate et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2012

  3. May improve blood fluidity

    Preliminary evidence

    Roasting barley creates alkylpyrazines, aromatic compounds that give mugicha its toasty smell. A small Japanese study measured how easily blood passed through a microchannel array before and after healthy volunteers drank 250 mL of barley tea, and found blood fluidity improved within about an hour, an effect the authors attributed to the pyrazines. It is a single small study using a laboratory measure rather than a health outcome, and it has not been repeated, so treat it as a lead rather than a reason to drink barley tea for your circulation.

    Key evidenceSuganuma et al., Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology 2002

  4. Stops cavity bacteria sticking to teeth (in the lab)

    Preliminary evidence

    Streptococcus mutans causes cavities by sticking to tooth enamel and building biofilm. Italian researchers found that roasted barley extracts ('barley coffee', essentially mugicha) significantly inhibited S. mutans adhesion and biofilm formation in test-tube studies, with the activity tied to roasting-derived melanoidins and polyphenols. No trial has yet counted cavities or plaque in people who drink barley tea, so this is a plausible mechanism, and a reason to drink it unsweetened, not a dental treatment.

    Key evidenceStauder et al., Current Microbiology 2010

  5. Supplies roasting-derived antioxidants

    Preliminary evidence

    Raw barley is not rich in polyphenols, but roasting drives the Maillard reaction, producing brown melanoidins and compounds such as hydroxymethylfurfural derivatives that show antioxidant activity in laboratory assays. Japanese chemists isolated several antioxidative compounds from barley tea in 2004, and darker roasts generally test higher. As with every antioxidant claim, there is no human outcome evidence; think of it as a point in the drink's favour rather than a reason to choose it over, say, green tea, which has far stronger data.

    Key evidenceEtoh et al., Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry 2004

  6. Settles the stomach and cools you down (traditional use)

    Preliminary evidence

    In Japan, Korea and China, barley tea is drunk warm after meals for digestion and cold in summer to relieve heat, and it is one of the first drinks given to toddlers. There are no controlled trials of barley tea for digestion, bloating or fever. What can be said is that it is bland, non-acidic and caffeine-free, so it does not provoke reflux or stomach upset the way coffee or strong tea can, which is probably why it earned the reputation.

    Key evidenceTraditional use in East Asia; no clinical trials

Is barley tea good for you?

  • Yes, as a drink: barley tea is a zero-calorie, caffeine-free, non-acidic drink that most people can have in any quantity, and it earns its keep by replacing soda, juice and sweet tea.
  • No, as a remedy: the blood-flow, dental and antioxidant findings are small lab-based studies, and barley's famous cholesterol benefit (beta-glucan fibre) does not transfer to the brewed tea.
  • Not for coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity: barley contains gluten (hordein), the amount in the brewed tea is uncertain, and coeliac organisations class it as not gluten-free.
  • It is a good choice for children, pregnant women, people cutting caffeine and anyone with reflux, since it is caffeine-free and non-acidic.
  • People on fluid restriction (heart failure, advanced kidney disease, dialysis) should count it like any other fluid.

How to brew barley tea

Amount

Hot: 1 tablespoon (8–10 g) roasted barley per 16 oz, or 1 mugicha bag per 1 litre / quart. Cold brew: 1 bag or 2 tablespoons per 1 litre

Water

212°F / 100°C for hot brewing; cold tap water for cold brew

Steep

Hot: simmer 3–5 minutes, or steep 5–10 minutes off the heat. Cold brew: 2–3 hours in the fridge, or overnight for a stronger cup

  • Simmering gives a darker, more bitter-sweet cup; cold brewing gives a cleaner, sweeter one. Both are traditional.
  • Drink cold-brewed barley tea within 2–3 days; with no tannins or acidity to preserve it, it spoils faster than ordinary iced tea.
  • Make your own: toast pearl barley in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring, for 10–15 minutes until deep brown and fragrant, then cool and store airtight.

How much per day

There is no meaningful upper limit for healthy adults; several glasses a day as a substitute for other drinks is normal in Japan and Korea. Count it within your fluid allowance if you are on a restriction, and avoid it altogether with coeliac disease.

None. It is a grain infusion, not a tea leaf, and roasting does not create caffeine; it tastes toasty like coffee without any of the stimulant.

Side effects, interactions and who should limit it

Side effects

  • Gluten exposure: barley contains gluten, and the brewed tea is not considered safe for coeliac disease
  • Allergic reactions in people with barley, grass-pollen or wheat allergy (itching, hives, wheeze)
  • Bloating or loose stools in some people drinking very large volumes, as with any fluid
  • Trace acrylamide forms during roasting, as it does in coffee and toast; levels in the brewed drink are very low
  • Tooth staining with heavy long-term use of dark roasts, less than with coffee

Interactions

  • No documented drug interactions; barley tea contains no caffeine, no significant tannins and no known enzyme-inhibiting compounds
  • Coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis: avoid, because of gluten
  • Fluid-restricted conditions (heart failure, advanced kidney disease, dialysis): counts toward your daily fluid limit
  • Lithium: large, sudden changes in daily fluid intake can shift lithium levels, so keep your drinking habits steady

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Barley tea is a good pregnancy drink: caffeine-free, calorie-free and non-acidic, which suits both morning sickness and later-pregnancy heartburn. There is no evidence for or against the traditional belief that barley increases milk supply, so drink it for comfort rather than as a galactagogue. Avoid it only if you have coeliac disease or a grain allergy.

Frequently asked questions

Does barley tea have caffeine?

No. Barley tea is made from roasted grain, not tea leaves, and contains no caffeine at all, which is why it is given to children and drunk by the litre in summer. It tastes a little like weak coffee because roasting produces similar aromatic compounds, but there is no stimulant effect.

Is barley tea gluten-free?

No. Barley contains gluten proteins (hordeins), and while the amount that passes into brewed tea is uncertain and probably small, coeliac organisations and gluten-free certification bodies do not consider barley tea gluten-free. Anyone with coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis should avoid it; buckwheat tea (soba-cha) and corn tea are the usual gluten-free substitutes.

Is barley tea good for weight loss?

Only as a replacement for drinks that have calories. A glass of unsweetened barley tea has essentially zero calories, so swapping it in for soda, juice or sweet tea saves 100–150 calories per glass, and trials of that kind of swap show modest weight loss. There is no evidence that barley tea itself burns fat or suppresses appetite.

Does barley tea lower cholesterol like barley does?

Not meaningfully. Barley's cholesterol benefit, which carries an FDA-authorised health claim, comes from eating at least 3 g a day of beta-glucan soluble fibre from the whole grain. Beta-glucan is barely extracted by steeping roasted grain, so the tea contains only traces. For cholesterol, eat barley (or oats) rather than drinking it.

What is the difference between mugicha and boricha?

They are the same drink with different names: mugicha is Japanese, boricha is Korean, and damai cha is Chinese. Japanese mugicha is often lighter and sold in cold-brew bags; Korean boricha is frequently simmered and sometimes blended with roasted corn (oksusu-cha). All are roasted barley steeped in water.

Is it safe to drink barley tea every day?

Yes. Millions of people in East Asia drink it daily, often as their main fluid, and it has no caffeine, sugar, calories or known drug interactions. The only groups who should not are people with coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity, those with a barley or grass allergy, and anyone whose doctor has limited their fluid intake.

Is barley tea good for acid reflux?

It is one of the gentler drinks for reflux. It is non-acidic, caffeine-free and, unlike coffee and strong tea, does not relax the lower oesophageal valve. No trial has tested it for reflux specifically, but as a swap for coffee, cola or orange juice it removes three common triggers at once.

References

  1. Ruxton CH, Hart VA. Black tea is not significantly different from water in the maintenance of normal hydration in human subjects: results from a randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Nutrition (2011)
  2. de Ruyter JC, Olthof MR, Seidell JC, Katan MB. A trial of sugar-free or sugar-sweetened beverages and body weight in children. New England Journal of Medicine (2012)
  3. Tate DF, Turner-McGrievy G, Lyons E, et al.. Replacing caloric beverages with water or diet beverages for weight loss in adults: main results of the Choose Healthy Options Consciously Everyday (CHOICE) randomized clinical trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2012)
  4. Suganuma H, Inakuma T, Kikuchi Y. Amelioratory effect of barley tea drinking on blood fluidity. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology (2002)
  5. Stauder M, Papetti A, Mascherpa D, et al.. Inhibitory activity by barley coffee components towards Streptococcus mutans biofilm. Current Microbiology (2010)
  6. Etoh H, Murakami K, Yogo T, et al.. Antioxidative compounds in barley tea. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry (2004)
  7. Rubio-Tapia A, Hill ID, Semrad C, et al.. ACG Clinical Guidelines Update: Diagnosis and Management of Celiac Disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology (2023)
  8. US Food and Drug Administration. Food labeling: health claims; soluble dietary fiber from certain foods and coronary heart disease (barley beta-glucan). Federal Register (2006)
  9. Mottram DS, Wedzicha BL, Dodson AT. Acrylamide is formed in the Maillard reaction. Nature (2002)

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This page is educational and is not medical advice. Herbal teas can interact with prescription medicines. Talk with a clinician or pharmacist before relying on any of them, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a chronic condition, or take medication.