title: Lipids Significantly Reduced by Diets Containing Barley in Moderately Hypercholesterolemic Men Beta-glucan- or rice bran-enriched foods: a comparative crossover clinical trial on lipidic pattern in mildly hypercholesterolemic men Effect of high beta-glucan barley on serum cholesterol concentrations and visceral fat area in Japanese men--a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids: results of the OmniHeart randomized trial. Barley and wheat foods: influence on plasma cholesterol concentrations in hypercholesterolemic men. Randomized controlled crossover study of the effect of a highly beta-glucan-enriched barley on cardiovascular disease risk factors in mildly hypercholesterolemic men. Diets containing barley significantly reduce lipids in mildly hypercholesterolemic men and women. The effects of concentrated barley beta-glucan on blood lipids in a population of hypercholesterolaemic men and women. Cholesterol-lowering effect of barley bran flour and oil. Viscosity rather than quantity of dietary fibre predicts cholesterol-lowering effect in healthy individuals.
abstract: Objective : To determine whether barley , as the soluble fiber source , would beneficially change  cardiovascular risk factors .  Soluble fiber from oats has been recognized as beneficial in decreasing blood cholesterol levels . Although barley contains high amounts of soluble fiber , it is not consumed as extensively as oats . Methods : Eighteen moderately hypercholesterolemic men ( 28–62 y ) consumed a controlled equilibration diet ( Step 1 , 30 % fat , 55 % carbohydrate , 15 % protein , < 300 mg cholesterol ) for 2 weeks followed by the diet with about 20 % of energy replaced with brown rice/whole wheat , ½ barley & ½ brown rice/whole wheat or barley ( < 0.4 g , 3 g and 6 g added soluble fiber/2800 kcal , respectively ) for 5 weeks in a Latin square design . Fasting blood was drawn twice weekly . Total cholesterol , HDL cholesterol , and triacylglycerols were measured enzymatically and lipid fractions were measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . Results : Compared with pre study concentrations , total cholesterol ( 14 % , 17 % , and 20 % , respectively ) and LDL cholesterol ( 17 % , 17 % , and 24 % , respectively ) were significantly lower ( p < 0.0001 ) after the low , medium , and high-soluble fiber diets . Triacylglycerol was 6 % , 10 % , and 16 % lower ( p = 0.09 ) whereas HDL cholesterol ( 9 % , 7 % , and 18 % ) was higher ( p < 0.001 ) after the experimental diets . Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol after the high-soluble fiber diet were significantly lower than concentrations after the low- or medium-soluble fiber  diets . Mean LDL particle number significantly decreased ( p < 0.007 ) and the large LDL cholesterol fraction showed a trend toward lower concentrations ( p = 0.06 ) . Conclusion : Increasing soluble fiber through consumption of barley in a healthy diet can reduce cardiovascular risk factors Background / Objectives : There has been growing interest in using dietary intervention to improve the lipid profile . This work aims at analyzing the effects and the comparison of the enrichment of a diet with beta-glucans or rice bran in mildly hypercholesterolemic men . Subjects/ Methods : The subjects initially consumed a 3-week Step 1 American Heart Association diet with rice bran-enriched foods . After this adaptation period , volunteers were r and omly assigned to follow a crossover , controlled trial that consisted of two treatment with beta-glucan- or rice bran-enriched foods , each of 4 weeks , with a 3-week wash-out , like the adaptation period , between periods . Fasted blood sample s were collected on days 0 , 21 , 49 , 70 and 98 in both study arms for measuring low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol ( primary outcome ) , total cholesterol , high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol , triglycerides , apolipoprotein ( apo ) A-I , apo B and glucose levels . Results : Twenty-four men ( mean age : 50.3±5.3 , mean body mass index : 24.9±1.9 ) completed the 14-week trial . Subjects in the 3-week adaptation period experienced significant reductions in the mean level of LDL cholesterol , total cholesterol , total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol , LDL cholesterol/HDL cholesterol , apo A-I , apo A-I/apo B and glucose . During the intervention diet periods , a difference was found between treatment groups for the mean change in LDL ( 0.21 ( 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) : 0.02–0.40 ) , P=0.033 ) and total cholesterol ( 0.34 ( 95 % CI : 0.20–0.47 ) , P<0.001 ) . Other parameters evaluated were not significantly affected by the diet consumed . Conclusions : The results of the present crossover clinical trial showed that beta-glucan-enriched foods are more effective in lowering serum LDL levels , compared with rice bran-enriched foods This study investigated whether the consumption of a diet in which high-beta-glucan barley replaced rice would reduce the visceral fat area as well as the serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C ) and total cholesterol ( TC ) in hypercholesterolemic Japanese men . A r and omized , double-blinded , placebo-controlled intervention study was conducted in 44 hypercholesterolemic Japanese men with a body mass index ( BMI ) > 22 kg/m2 . The subjects were r and omly assigned to groups 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 . Blood sample s were taken , and CT scan obtained before the trial and every four weeks during the trial . The pearl barley intake significantly reduced serum concentrations of LDL-C ( P = 0.041 ) and TC ( P = 0.037 ) during the trial . Significant differences between the test and placebo groups were found for the visceral fat ( P = 0.039 ) , BMI ( P = 0.015 ) , and waist circumference ( P = 0.011 ) at the end point . The consumption of pearl barley with a high beta-glucan content reduces not only LDL-C but also visceral fat area CONTEXT Reduced intake of saturated fat is widely recommended for prevention of cardiovascular disease . The type of macronutrient that should replace saturated fat remains uncertain . OBJECTIVE To compare the effects of 3 healthful diets , each with reduced saturated fat intake , on blood pressure and serum lipids . DESIGN , SETTING , AND PARTICIPANTS R and omized , 3-period , crossover feeding study ( April 2003 to June 2005 ) conducted in Baltimore , Md , and Boston , Mass. Participants were 164 adults with prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension . Each feeding period lasted 6 weeks and body weight was kept constant . INTERVENTIONS A diet rich in carbohydrates ; a diet rich in protein , about half from plant sources ; and a diet rich in unsaturated fat , predominantly monounsaturated fat . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol . RESULTS Blood pressure , low-density lipoprotein cholesterol , and estimated coronary heart disease risk were lower on each diet compared with baseline . Compared with the carbohydrate diet , the protein diet further decreased mean systolic blood pressure by 1.4 mm Hg ( P = .002 ) and by 3.5 mm Hg ( P = .006 ) among those with hypertension and decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 3.3 mg/dL ( 0.09 mmol/L ; P = .01 ) , high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 1.3 mg/dL ( 0.03 mmol/L ; P = .02 ) , and triglycerides by 15.7 mg/dL ( 0.18 mmol/L ; P<.001 ) . Compared with the carbohydrate diet , the unsaturated fat diet decreased systolic blood pressure by 1.3 mm Hg ( P = .005 ) and by 2.9 mm Hg among those with hypertension ( P = .02 ) , had no significant effect on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol , increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 1.1 mg/dL ( 0.03 mmol/L ; P = .03 ) , and lowered triglycerides by 9.6 mg/dL ( 0.11 mmol/L ; P = .02 ) . Compared with the carbohydrate diet , estimated 10-year coronary heart disease risk was lower and similar on the protein and unsaturated fat diets . CONCLUSION In the setting of a healthful diet , partial substitution of carbohydrate with either protein or monounsaturated fat can further lower blood pressure , improve lipid levels , and reduce estimated cardiovascular risk . Clinical Trials Registration Clinical Trials.gov Identifier : NCT00051350 Twenty-one mildly hypercholesterolemic men aged 30 - 59 y were provided with comparable barley and wheat foods for each of 4 wk in a crossover- design ed experiment . The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of two sources of dietary fiber ( nonstarch polysaccharides , NSP ) on blood lipids and glucose concentrations .  Barley contains beta-glucan as a source of soluble dietary fiber ( DF ) whereas wheat contains the largely insoluble cellulose and hemicellulose fiber . Total dietary fiber increased from a previous intake of 21 - 38 g/d during the period of study for the two groups . Consumption of barley relative to wheat foods was associated with a significant fall in both plasma total cholesterol ( 6 % , P less than 0.05 ) and in low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol ( 7 % , P less than 0.02 ) whereas triglyceride and glucose concentrations did not change significantly . It is concluded that barley dietary fiber is more effective than wheat dietary fiber at lowering blood cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic men BACKGROUND Soluble-fiber beta-glucan derived from oats can reduce cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk through reductions in total and LDL cholesterol .  Barley-derived beta-glucan may also improve serum cholesterol , but large quantities are required for clinical significance . OBJECTIVE This trial investigated whether a beta-glucan-enriched form of barley can favorably modify cholesterol and other markers of CVD and diabetes risk . DESIGN Eighteen mildly hyperlipidemic ( + /- SD : 4.0 + /- 0.6 mmol LDL cholesterol/L ) men with a mean ( + /- SD ) body mass index ( in kg/m(2 ) ) of 27.4 + /- 4.6 were r and omly assigned in this single-blind , 2 x 4-wk trial to either the treatment arm [ 8.1 - 11.9 g beta-glucan/d ( scaled to body weight ) ] or the control arm ( isoenergetic dose of 6.5 - 9.2 g glucose/d ) . After a washout period of 4 wk , dietary regimens were crossed over . The trial took place in a long-stay metabolic facility , and all foods were provided ( 38 % of energy from fat ) . Fasted blood sample s were collected on days 0 , 1 , 7 , 14 , 21 , 28 , and 29 in both study arms . An oral-glucose-tolerance test was carried out on days 0 and 29 . RESULTS There was no significant change ( Delta ) in total ( Delta = -0.08 mmol/L , -1.3 % ) , LDL ( Delta = -0.15 mmol/L , -3.8 % ) , or HDL ( Delta = 0 mmol/L ) cholesterol or in triacylglycerol ( Delta = 0.18 mmol/L ) , fasting glucose ( Delta = -0.05 mmol/L ) , or postpr and ial glucose when analyzed between treatments ( P > 0.05 ; ANOVA ) . CONCLUSION The effect of beta-glucan-enriched barley on lipid profile was highly variable between subjects , and there was no evidence of a clinical ly significant improvement in CVD risk across this group of mildly hyperlipidemic men BACKGROUND Barley has high amounts of soluble fiber but is not extensively consumed in the US diet . OBJECTIVE This study investigated whether consumption of barley would reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors comparably with that of other sources of soluble fiber . DESIGN Mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects ( 9 postmenopausal women , 9 premenopausal women , and 7 men ) consumed controlled American Heart Association Step 1 diets for 17 wk . After a 2-wk adaptation period , whole-grain foods containing 0 , 3 , or 6 g beta-glucan/d from barley were included in the Step 1 diet menus . Diets were consumed for 5 wk each and were fed in a Latin-square design . Fasting blood sample s were collected twice weekly . RESULTS Total cholesterol was significantly lower when the diet contained 3 or 6 g beta-glucan/d from barley than when it contained no beta-glucan ; the greatest change occurred in the men and postmenopausal women .  HDL and triacylglycerol concentrations did not differ with the 3 amounts of dietary beta-glucan . Large LDL and small VLDL fractions and mean LDL particle size significantly decreased when whole grains were incorporated into the 3 diets . Large LDL and large and intermediate HDL fractions were significantly higher , mean LDL particle size was significantly greater , and intermediate VLDL fractions were significantly lower in the postmenopausal women than in the other 2 groups . A group-by-diet interaction effect was observed on LDL fractions and small LDL particle size . CONCLUSION The addition of barley to a healthy diet may be effective in lowering total and LDL cholesterol in both men and women Barley , like oats , is a rich source of the soluble fibre beta-glucan , which has been shown to significantly lower LDL-cholesterol ( LDL-C ) . However , barley foods have been less widely studied . Therefore , we evaluated the LDL-C-lowering effect of a concentrated barley beta-glucan ( BBG ) extract as a vehicle to deliver this potential health benefit of barley . In a 10-week blinded controlled study , subjects were r and omized to one of four treatment groups or control . Treatment groups included either high molecular weight ( HMW ) or low molecular weight ( LMW ) BBG at both 3 and 5 g doses . Treatment was delivered twice per day with meals in the form of two functional food products : a ready-to-eat cereal and a reduced-calorie fruit juice beverage . Levels of total cholesterol , LDL-C , HDL-cholesterol ( HDL-C ) , and TAG were determined at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment . The study group comprised 155 subjects . All treatments were well tolerated and after 6 weeks of treatment the mean LDL-C levels fell by 15 % in the 5 g HMW group , 13 % in the 5 g LMW group and 9 % in both the 3 g/d groups , versus baseline . Similar results were observed for total cholesterol . HDL-C levels were unchanged by treatment . Concentrated BBG significantly improves LDL-C and total cholesterol among moderately dyslipidaemic subjects . Food products containing concentrated BBG should be considered an effective option for improving blood lipids OBJECTIVE To compare the effects of adding barley bran flour and a barley oil extract to a fat-modified diet on serum lipids in persons with hypercholesterolemia . DESIGN The basic design of the study was a r and omized , 30-day intervention trial . It included a neutral-fiber control group and a 1-week preintervention period for the collection of baseline data . SUBJECTS The subjects were 79 men and women with hypercholesterolemia . Subjects had a mean age of 48.2 years , and all completed the study . INTERVENTION All participants were instructed to follow the National Cholesterol Education Program ( NCEP ) step 1 diet and were r and omly assigned to one of three treatment groups : 20 g added cellulose , 3 g added barley oil extract , or 30 g added barley bran flour . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Total serum cholesterol , high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-C ) , low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C ) , and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured , along with serum triglycerides , before the intervention , at week 1 , at week 3 , and at the end of the intervention . STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED Student 's paired t test was used to detect significant changes within each treatment group from baseline to the end of the 30-day intervention . In addition , Pearson 's correlation coefficients were used to detect significant correlations between the variables measured . RESULTS Addition of barley bran flour significantly ( P = .0001 ) decreased total serum cholesterol ( -0.60 mmol/L ) as did addition of barley oil ( -0.50 mmol/L ; P = .002 ) after 30 days of intervention . Similarly , LDL-C decreased 6.5 % with addition of barley bran flour ( P = .036 ) and 9.2 % with addition of barley oil ( P = .003 ) . Total serum cholesterol or LDL-C of the cellulose control group did not decrease significantly over the same period . HDL-C decreased significantly in the cellulose control group and the barley bran flour group ( -0.15 mmol/L , P = .012 , and -0.15 mmol/L , P = .006 , respectively ) , but not in the barley oil group . CONCLUSION We conclude that addition of barley bran flour or barley oil enhances the cholesterol-lowering effect of the NCEP step 1 diet in individuals with hypercholesterolemia The well-documented lipid-lowering effects of fibre may be related to its viscosity , a phenomenon that has been understudied , especially when fibre is given against the background of a typical North American ( NA ) diet . In this three-arm experiment , we compared the lipid-lowering effect of low-viscosity wheat bran ( WB ) , medium-viscosity psyllium ( PSY ) and a high-viscosity viscous fibre blend ( VFB ) , as part of a fibre intervention aim ed at increasing fibre intake to recommended levels within the context of a NA diet in apparently healthy individuals . Using a r and omised cross-over design , twenty-three participants ( twelve males and eleven females ; age 35 ( SD 12 ) years ; LDL-cholesterol ( C ) 2.9 ( SEM 0.6 ) mmol/l ) consuming a typical NA diet received a st and ard , fibre-enriched cereal , where approximately one-third of the fibre was either a low-viscosity ( 570 centipoise ( cP ) ) WB , medium-viscosity ( 14,300 cP ) PSY or a high-viscosity ( 136,300 cP ) novel VFB , for 3 weeks separated by washout periods of ≥ 2 weeks . There were no differences among the treatments in the amount of food consumed , total dietary fibre intake , reported physical activity and body weight . Final intake of the WB , PSY and VFB was 10.8 , 9.0 and 5.1 g , respectively . Reduction in LDL-C was greater with the VFB compared with the medium-viscosity PSY ( -12.6 ( SEM 3.5 ) % , P = 0.002 ) and low-viscosity WB ( -14.6 ( SEM 4.2 ) % , P = 0.003 ) . The magnitude of LDL-C reduction showed a positive association with fibre apparent viscosity ( r - 0.41 , P = 0.001 ) . Despite the smaller quantity consumed , the high-viscosity fibre lowered LDL-C to a greater extent than lower-viscosity fibres . These data support the inclusion of high-viscosity fibre in the diet to reduce plasma lipids among apparently healthy individuals consuming a typical NA diet
target: Conclusions : Pooled analyses show that barley β-glucan has a lowering effect on LDL-C and non-HDL-C. Inclusion of barley-containing foods may be a strategy for achieving targets in CVD risk reduction
background: Background / Objectives : There has been recent interest in barley as a therapeutic food owing to its high content of beta-glucan ( β-glucan ) , a viscous soluble fiber recognized for its cholesterol-lowering properties .
  The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta- analysis of r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) investigating the cholesterol-lowering potential of barley β-glucan on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C ) , non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( non-HDL-C ) and apolipoprotein B ( apoB ) for cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk reduction .