Barley Lowers LDL Cholesterol

Increasing the amount of barley in a diet may benefit heart health by lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers from Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, The Hashemite University in Zarqa, Jordan, found barley and beta-glucan isolated from barley lowered total and LDL cholesterol concentrations by 0.30 mmol/l (P<0.00001) and 0.27 mmol/l (P<0.00001), respectively, compared with control. The type of food matrix used did not affect the cholesterol-lowering abilities, according to the researchers. In the analysis, 11 eligible randomized clinical trials published from 1989 to 2008 were identified from nine databases.

The propionic acid produced from barley's insoluble fiber may be partly responsible for the cholesterol-lowering properties of fiber. In animal studies, propionic acid has been shown to inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme involved in the production of cholesterol by the liver. By lowering the activity of this enzyme, propionic acid helps lower blood cholesterol levels.

Beta-glucans, polysaccharides abundant in barley has been shown to help lower cholesterol by binding to bile acids and removing them from the body via the feces. Bile acids are compounds used to digest fat that are manufactured by the liver from cholesterol. When they are excreted along with barley's fiber, the liver must manufacture new bile acids and uses up more cholesterol, thus lowering the amount of cholesterol in circulation.