­Could Barley Lower Cholesterol, Reduce CVD Risk?

Consuming 6 to 7 g of barley per day can lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) levles, in turn reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, according to new research.

Because it contains a high volume of β-glucan, barley has recently been recognized as a potential cholesterol-lowering therapeutic food
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For their study, the researchers conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials, including 615 participants, that examined the effect of barley β-glucan on LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and apolipoprotein B (apoB) on CVD risk reduction.

The trials included in the study compared diets rich in barley β-glucan with controlled diets.

The researchers found that a median dose of 6.5 g and 6.9 g of barley β-glucan per day for a median 4 weeks reduced LDL-C by 0.25 mmol/L and non-HDL-C by 0.31 mmol/L compared with controlled diets. There was no significant effect on apoB levels.

“Pooled analyses show that barley β-glucan has a lowering effect on LDL-C and non-HDL-C,” the researchers concluded. “Inclusion of barley-containing foods may be a strategy for achieving targets in CVD risk reduction.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Ho HVT, Sievenpiper JL, Zurbau A, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the effect of barley β-glucan on LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and apoB for cardiovascular disease risk reduction [published online June 8, 2016]. Eur J Clin Nutr. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2016.89.