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How do beta-glucans
lower cholesterol levels?
Beta-glucans bind with bile acids
in your intestine and excrete
these in your stools. Bile acids
contain LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol,
so by binding to, and excreting,
bile acids, beta-glucans reduce
the amount of cholesterol that
is reabsorbed by your body.
Your liver also has to take more
cholesterol from the blood to
replace cholesterol in your bile
acids. Together, these actions
can reduce the amount of
cholesterol in your blood.How much do I need
to eat?
Research shows that 3-4g of
beta-glucans per day are needed
to produce a significant blood
glucose and cholesterol lowering
effect. This amount is found in
about 1.5-2 cups of cooked oats
or 1.25-1.5 cups of cooked barley.
While including these in a
single meal can help to improve
your post-meal blood glucose
level at that meal, to see a longer-
term effect on blood glucose and
cholesterol levels, you will need to
include these foods in your dietFIBRE EXPLAINED
Fibre is the part of food that is not digested in the stomach or small
intestine. Found only in plant foods including wholegrains, fruit,
vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, fibre plays an important role in
keeping us regular and preventing constipation, feeds our good gut
bacteria, and helps us to reduce the risk of bowel cancer. It can also
help with satiety (making us feel fuller) and weight management.
Some types of fibre (known as soluble fibre) can help to lower
blood glucose and cholesterol levels.
There are two main types of fibre in foods – soluble and insoluble.- Soluble Fibre is found in foods such as legumes, oats, oat bran,
barley, psyllium, flaxseed and some fruits and vegetables. Beta-glucans
are one type of soluble fibre. - Insoluble Fibre is found in foods such as wholegrains, the skins
of fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and wheat bran.
most days. See our tips below
for ways to do this.Ways to include more
beta-glucans in your diet
The easiest way to increase
your intake of beta-glucan is to
include oats and barley in your
diet regularly. Here are a few
suggestions for incorporating
these into your day:- Start the day with a bowl of
porridge or natural muesli (made
from rolled oats or a combination
of rolled oats and rolled barley). - Choose breads and wraps
containing oats and barley. - Use pearl barley in soups,
casseroles and salads. It also
makes a great high-fibre lower
Glycemic Index (GI) risotto. - Use rolled oats, rolled barley
and oat or barley flours in baking
bread, cakes and muffins. - For a healthy dessert make
your own apple or pear crumble
topped with oats mixed with
chopped nuts and seeds.
If you don’t like oats and
barley, or don’t think you
can include enough
of these foods
each day, there
are also some food supplements
providing a concentrated source
of beta-glucans that you could
consider. Available in a powder
form, which can be added to
smoothies, or a cereal you can
eat alone or combined with other
cereals, they can be a convenient
way to get your daily dose of
beta-glucans. These products
also contain a form of beta-
glucan that creates a thick gel
better than regular oats and
barley, which can make them
more effective at lowering blood
glucose and cholesterol levels. ■diabetic living JULY/AUGUST 2019 115need to know