Cholesterol: Fiber

Fiber is known for its ability to lower cholesterol and benefit heart health, in addition to gut health and weight management. Barley and oat bran are both high in fiber; in fact, replacing 20 percent of carbohydrate calories with barley effectively lowered total and LDL cholesterol in 18 men with moderately elevated cholesterol.⁸ One Japanese study found consuming pearl barley with a high beta-glucan content reduced LDL cholesterol and visceral fat area in hypercholesterolemic men.⁹

The randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled intervention study randomly assigned to groups 44 Japanese hypercholesterolemic men with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 22 kg/m2 consuming either rice (placebo group) or a mixture of rice and pearl barley with a high beta-glucan content (test group, 7.0 g beta-glucan per day) for 12 weeks. The pearl barley intake significantly reduced serum concentrations of LDL and total cholesterol during the trial. Significant differences between the test and placebo groups were found for the visceral fat, BMI and waist circumference at the end point.

LDL and total cholesterol also drop significantly with the addition of 3 g/d or 5 g/d of barley beta-glucan (as Barliv™ barley beta-glucan, from Cargill), according to a randomized, controlled study out the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.¹⁰ After six weeks, subjects receiving 5 g/d of high- and low-molecular weight treatments experienced 15-percent and 13-percent reductions in LDL cholesterol, respectively, and subjects in the 3 g/d groups exhibited reductions of 13 percent and 9 percent.

Similarly, researchers at the University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela, found 6 g of beta-glucan from oats (as Nutrim-oat bran, from VDF Futureceuticals Inc.) added to the American Heart Association (AHA) Step II diet and moderate physical activity improved lipid profile and caused a decrease in weight, reducing the risk of cardiovascular events in overweight men with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia.¹¹

However, the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, investigated the physiological effects of two concentrated barley beta-glucans on CVD endpoints and body weight in 90 hypercholesterolemic men and women.¹² They were randomly assigned to one of two treatments: low molecular weight (low-MW) or high molecular weight (high-MW) concentrated barley beta-glucan consumed as a daily supplement containing 6 g beta-glucan/d for six weeks. The only difference between treatments in lipid outcomes at week six was a reduction of the cholesterol/HDL ratio in the low-MW group and a small increase in the high-MW group. No changes were found in blood pressure, glucose, insulin and gastrointestinal symptoms. Body weight decreased from baseline to six weeks in the high-MW group while body weight increased in the low-MW group. Levels of hunger decreased slightly in the low-MW group and decreased significantly in the high-MW group (P=0.02).

Another type of fiber that may lend itself well to cholesterol management is cactus fiber. A 2006 French study of 68 overweight women showed 1.6 g of dehydrated Opuntia ficus indica cactus leaves (as NeoPuntia®, from Bio Serae) with each meal increased HDL cholesterol and reduced triglycerides.¹³ At the end of the six-week study, 39 percent of the treatment group, compared to 8 percent of the control group, were no longer considered to have metabolic syndrome, a significant risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.

References