Cargill Highlight Barley Beta-Glucan Benefits

13/06/06 Results of a Cargill-sponsored clinical study to determine the effects of extracted Barliv barley beta-glucan on biomarkers of metabolic syndrome will be presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 66th Scientific Sessions, June 9-13, 2006 in Washington, D.C. The study also will be published in the Scientific Sessions Abstract Book, the June supplement to The Journal of Diabetes. Cargill’s barley beta-glucan concentrate was used in this study.

The presentation, Barley Beta-Glucan Concentrate Improves Metabolic Control, Blood Lipids, and Other CVD Biomarkers in a Metabolic Syndrome Population, will be presented by Joel J. Pins, director of the Hypertension and Cholesterol Research Clinic at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors, including:

• Abdominal obesity – a waist circumference over 102 centimeters (40 inches) in men and over 88 centimeters (35 inches) in women)

• Elevated serum triglycerides – 150 mg/dL (milligrams of cholesterol per decileter of blood) or above

• Low HDL (good) cholesterol – 40mg/dL or lower in men and 50mg/dL or lower in women)

• Blood pressure of 130/85 or higher

• Elevated fasting blood glucose – 110 mg/dL or above (some groups say 100mg/dL).

Presence of at least three of these conditions in an individual is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. The American Heart Association estimates that more than 50 million Americans have metabolic syndrome.

In the double blind study, which was conducted at the University of Minnesota, 155 generally healthy adults with LDL cholesterol levels between 130 and 190 mg/dL, and half of whom met the criteria for metabolic syndrome, followed a low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet for four weeks. Then they consumed ready-to-eat cereal and a juice drink containing barley beta-glucan twice daily for six weeks, while they continued on the diet. The test subjects’ daily intake of barley beta-glucan was either 3 grams or 5 grams. Blood tests confirmed that subjects’ blood levels of glucose and free fatty acids improved after meals among individuals with the metabolic syndrome. The findings indicate that adding barley beta-glucan to the diet can significantly improve multiple CVD risk markers, and after-meal metabolism among individuals with the metabolic syndrome.

Cargill’s Barliv barley beta-glucan (barley betafiber) is a concentrated soluble fiber derived from barley and has been the subject of several studies. The clinical data show that it has cholesterol-lowering properties similar to oats.