Oat Beta Glucan

Oat Betan Glucan is a fiber derived from the cells walls of algae, bacteria, fungi, yeast, and plants. It is commonly used to lower cholesterol. It is also used to treat diabetes and for weight loss.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and that is for men AND women. One way to reduce this risk is to lower the serum cholesterol (Lipids) in the blood by making dietary changes. In addition to reducing intake of total fat, saturated fat, and dietary cholesterol, serum cholesterol can be further reduced by adding fiber, especially from sources rich in beta-glucan. In 1997 the USFDA passed a ruling that allowed oat bran to be registered as the first cholesterol reducing food at the amount of 3 grams daily.

• Studies demonstrated that pretreatment of patients undergoing CABG with beta-glucan is safe and that it may protect against ischemic reperfusion injury following CABG.

• It has also been shown to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with chronic hypertension.

Consumption of foods containing moderates amounts of soluble beta-glucan may improve glucose metabolism in both normal and overweight people. These findings then lead to the investigation of patients with diabetes which demonstrated a reduction in postprandial glycemia when supplemented with beta-glucans.