Abstract:Highland barley is widely planted in Southwest and Northwest China.With the gradual discovery of potential nutritional value of highland barley，this ancient food crop is recognized as a research hotspot，and is developed from a regional ration crop to a national healthy food resource.It was discovered that highland barley owning the potential of lowering blood sugar，reducing blood lipid and improving metabolic syndrome due to the functional active substances such as β-glucan and polyphenols.It was discovered that different processing methods would have a significant impact on the content and structure of the components，thus changing the functional characteristics of highland barley，therefore，it should be fully investigated during the product development progress using highland barley as a raw material.The purpose of this paper was to summarize the function of highland barley，and to provide theoretical basis for the comprehensive utilization of highland barley.