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 New evidence suggests that beta-glucan from barley may promote the growth and activity of healthy bacteria in the gut called probiotics.
Probiotics help the body maintain a healthy intestinal tract and assist with digestion. They are thought to work by colonizing the small intestine and crowding out disease-causing organisms, thereby restoring proper balance to the intestinal flora.
The recent study included 52 healthy adults who were 39-70 years old. They were randomly assigned to eat cake containing 0.75 grams of barley beta-glucan or no beta-glucan daily for 30 days.
People in the beta-glucan group had slightly higher levels of Lactobacillus bacteria than the control group, but this trend was not statistically significant.
In a subset of participants who were older than 50 years of age, the beta-glucan significantly increased levels of bifidobacteria. According to the authors, this may indicate that beta-glucan has a prebiotic effect. Prebiotics are complex sugars (such as lactulose) that fuel the healthy bacteria in the gut (called probiotics), while suppressing harmful organisms.
The beta-glucan was well tolerated, and no gastrointestinal side effects were reported.
Although the results are promising, additional research is needed in this area before conclusions can be made.
For more information about beta-glucan and prebiotics, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database
- Mitsou EK, Panopoulou N, Turunen K, et al. Prebiotic potential of barley derived β-glucan at low intake levels: A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical study. Food Research International. 2010;43(4):1086-92.
- Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com
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