Effects of barley on post-prandial glycemic response

Barley contains very high levels of dietary fibre and β-glucan relative to other cereal grains, offering potential as a postprandial glycemic response lowering agent for the growing number of individuals looking to manage blood glucose levels. Although research is generally supportive of the PPGR lowering effect of β-glucan, there are still gaps in our understanding of 1) the precise mechanism by which β-glucan lowers blood glucose, and 2) how the PPGR after barley consumption may be influenced by factors that may alter β-glucan molecular weight and/or viscosity