Barley Compounds Promote Healthy Cholesterol Profile

Fiber has been suggested by previous studies to be of value in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol and improving glucose tolerance.  Barley is a food rich in beta glucans, a type of soluble fiber.   Nancy Ames, from the Cereal Research Centre at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and colleagues completed a meta-analysis of eleven studies, finding that barley and beta-glucan isolated from barley significantly lowered both total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations. Observing that beta-glucan has unique characteristics relating to solubility and molecular weight, which may help it to confer its cholesterol-lowering properties, the team concludes that: “Increased consumption of barely products should be considered as a dietary approach to reduce LDL cholesterol concentrations.”