About Beta glucans

Beta-Glucans have been scientifically shown to provide a remarkable range of health benefits, including promoting heart health (30,31,38), healthy blood glucose levels (5,10,32,33), weight loss (17,23,24,37) and enhancing immune system function (6,8,41,42).

Beta-Glucans ((1 → 3),(1 → 4) beta-D-glucan) are the soluble fibres found in cereal grains and are large linear polysaccharides of glucose units, connected by (1 → 3) or (1 → 4)-beta linkages. Of all cereal grains, barley is the richest source of beta-glucan soluble fibre.

How does beta-glucan work?

Beta-Glucan exerts its multiple beneficial effects via different modes of action in different parts of the body.

In the small intestine, beta-glucan forms a highly viscous solution that slows down the absorption of cholesterol, fatty acids, bile acids and glucose, resulting in lower levels in the blood. In response to lower blood glucose levels, insulin levels are also reduced. In this way, viscosity in the small intestine mediates the cholesterol-lowering and glucose-lowering properties of beta-glucan.

In the large intestine, beta-glucan is a prebiotic, which stimulates the growth of desirable bacteria and limits the growth of potentially harmful organisms. Beneficial bacteria ferment beta-glucan to produce volatile fatty acids, which are used by the cells lining the intestine to protect against bowel disease.

Beta-Glucan is also a potent stimulator of the immune system, via its ability to bind and activate specialised cells involved in immune response. These cells(macrophages and natural killer cells) operate over the entire body, as part of the humoral immune system. By activation of the immune response, beta-glucan boosts the body’s ability to fight infections.