The Effect of Oat and Barley β-glucan on LDL-C and Emerging Clinical Lipid Targets for Cardiovascular Disease

Background: β-glucan is a viscous soluble fibre recognized for its cholesterol lowering benefits. Objective: To synthesize available data on the effects of β-glucan from oats and barley on LDL-C and emerging clinical lipid targets, non-HDL-C and apoB. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of randomized controlled trials investigating the intake of all doses of oat or barley β-glucan on LDL-C, non-HDL-C or apoB. Data were pooled using the generic inverse variance method with random effects model and expressed as mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Pooled analyses demonstrated a significant reduction of LDL-C and non-HDL-C when 3.8 or 7.0 g/day of β-glucan from oats or barley was consumed for 4 or 7 weeks, respectively. ApoB was reduced when 3.6 g/day of oat β-glucan was consumed for 6 weeks. Conclusion: Inclusion of oats or barley may improve blood cholesterol and apolipoprotein levels for the risk reduction of CVD.M.Sc