Beta glucans are sugars that are found in the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae, lichens, and plants, such as oats and barley.
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Uses
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- High cholesterol. Taking beta-glucans made from yeast or barley seems to reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol in people with high cholesterol after several weeks of treatment. However, there is some research that suggests beta-glucans do not affect cholesterol levels. The conflicting evidence seems to result from how products containing beta-glucans are processed.
Benefits
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Oat beta glucans and weight management
The two main issues with weight management today are blood sugar control and hunger control leading to increase calorie intake and increased fat storage. Since oat beta glucans are a fiber they can help with the feeling of fullness or satiety. Oat beta glucans have also been shown to have positive effects on hormones that affect hunger.
Oat beta glucans are a special type of fiber because they can help slow the emptying of food from the stomach. This not only helps with the feeling of fullness but is believed to be one of the reasons why oat beta glucans have been found to be beneficial for blood sugar balance. Oat beta glucans can also bind to some of the calories you eat and carry them out of the body before they are even absorbed. Fiber is also helpful for cleansing the body which is important during any weight loss program.
Concentrated oat beta glucan products, like Nutrim can also help save you some calories if you are trying to lower your cholesterol and lose weight. Nutrim can help you get to your oat beta glucan daily goals with less calories than oatmeal. Especially if you consider all the calories that we tend to add to oatmeal, such as added sugar and fats.
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Oat beta glucans and blood sugar balance
Oat beta glucans are a soluble fiber that is beneficial for supporting healthy blood sugar balance. They are a low glycemic index food which means they don’t negatively affect blood sugar levels. Actually they can lower the glycemic load, or the affect a whole meal has on blood sugar, of any meal they are added to. Oat beta glucans have been shown to blunt the blood sugar response to a given meal.
Oat beta glucans are believed to benefit blood sugar response to a meal because they can help slow the release of sugar through the digestive tract.
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Oat beta glucans and Digestive Health
Fiber is important for the digestive system to work properly. We should be getting 25-35g of fiber for healthy digestion, but most Americans are getting 10-15g of fiber everyday. Oat beta glucans are a great fiber choice since they can have multiple beneficial functions in the digestive tract.
Oat beta glucans are known as what we now refer to as a prebiotic. This means they supply needed nutrients to good bacteria and help facilitate their health and growth. Good bacteria are very important for our overall health as they support the body by: breaking down and activating certain nutrients, creating necessary nutrients for the body, helping to improve immune function, fighting off harmful microbes such as candida and infectious bacteria, and supplying fuel to the cells that line the intestines.
Nutrim has been shown to stimulate the growth of good bacteria. Prebiotics are being researched as a possible adjunct to therapies for inflammatory bowel disorders and other digestive tract issues. Oats have been known traditionally for their ability to soothe inflammed tissue.
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Oat beta glucans and Immune Health
Many people don’t realize that much of our immune function comes from the gut. This is where our bodies interact with the outside world. New substances are introduced to the body through the gut. Oat beta glucans have been shown to have positive effects on immune function. One explanation for this can be shown through its benefits to good bacteria. Good bacteria, or probiotics, help to enhance our resistance to infection from bad bacteria, yeasts, and parasites.
Good bacteria also stimulate positive immune function while helping to keep invasive microbes at bay. Oat beta glucans are a prebiotic, which means they can help stimulate the growth of probiotics, or good bacteria. Nutrim specifically has been shown in research to increase the growth of good bacteria.
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Oat beta glucans and Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic Syndrome is an increasingly common issue in America, affecting over 70 million Americans. Metabolic syndrome is made up of a cluster of symptoms that increase the risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It is made up of a combination of high blood pressure, insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, and dyslipidemia (high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol).
The research on oat beta glucans and the multiple aspects of metabolic syndrome is compelling. research has shown oat beta glucans to have positive effects on many of the factors involved in metabolic syndrome. One animal study showed that Nutrim had a positive effect on slowing weight gain (19% reduction compared to control group), reducing blood sugar levels (32% reduction compared to control) and reducing triglycerides (39% reduction compared to control).
Cautions
- Please see: http://nutrawiki.org/beta-glucan/ and consult with your doctor.
Interactions
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- Please see: http://nutrawiki.org/beta-glucan/ and consult with your doctor.
Other names
1-3,1-6-beta-glucan, 1-3,1-6-bêta-glucane, B-Glucane d’Avoine, Barley Beta-Glucan, Barley B-Glucan, beta-1,3-D-glucan, Beta-1,3/1,6-D-Glucan, Bêta-1,3/1,6-D-Glucane, Beta 1,3/1,6 Glucan, Beta 1,3/1,6 Glucane, Bêta-1,3 / 1,6 Glucanes, Beta-1,3 / 1,6 Glucans, Beta -1,3-D Glucan, Bêta -1,3-D Glucane, Bêta-1,3-D-glucane, Beta-1,3-Glucan, Bêta-1,3-Glucane, Beta 1,3 Glucan, Bêta 1,3 Glucane, Beta 1,6 Glucan, Bêta 1,6 Glucane, beta-1-6,1,3-beta-glucan, Beta 1,3 Glucans, Bêta 1,3 Glucanes, Beta Glucan, Beta-Glucan, Bêta-Glucane, Bêta-Glucane d’Avoine, Bêta-Glucane d’Orge, Bêta-Glucane Dérivé de la Levure, Bêta-glucanes, Beta Glucanos, Beta-Glucans, Beta Glycans, Beta-Glycans, Grifolan (GRN), Lentinan, Oat Beta Glucan, Oat B-Glucan, PGG Glucan, PGG-Glucan, Poly-[1-6]-Beta-D-Glucopyranosyl-[1-3]-Beta-D-Glucopyranose, Schizophyllan (SPG), SSG, Yeast-Derived Beta Glucan
References
Source: Oat Health, http://www.oathealth.com/oat_beta_glucan_benefits