How exactly do beta-glucans work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Beta-glucans are a type of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber slows down digestion because it binds to water in your digestive tract, forming a gel. (Soluble fiber is also called viscous fiber.) This increase in digestion time can help make you feel fuller and more satisfied after eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fiber like beta-glucan acts as a prebiotic, which means it helps feed the beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract. These healthy bacteria are often referred to as your microbiome and are essential for your digestive and immune health<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having an altered microbiome can result in adverse health effects, including digestive disturbances, sleep problems, fatigue, skin irritations, food intolerances, and even autoimmune diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucans have been used to treat high cholesterol since the 1960s (1<\/a>). High cholesterol is one of many risk factors for developing heart disease, the leading cause of death among men and women worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucans help lower LDL cholesterol, which is known as \u201cbad cholesterol\u201d because it can cause inflammation and promote plaque buildup in your arteries. Over time, plaque buildup can cause a blockage of blood flow, which can cause a heart attack<\/a> or stroke<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While they lower LDL cholesterol, beta-glucans don\u2019t lower HDL cholesterol, which is known as \u201cgood cholesterol.\u201d Unlike LDL cholesterol, high HDL levels are beneficial and can reduce your risk factors for heart disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Studies have shown doses of 3 grams of beta-glucan daily can reduce LDL cholesterol by 5-10% in people with normal and high cholesterol levels (2<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucan is well-known for its immune system enhancing benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your immune system impacts how often and how severely you get sick, plays a role in whether you have allergies or not, and can help fight against cancerous cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to a David Heber, a professor at UCLA Health, \u201cSeventy percent of the immune system is located in the gut.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucans feed the beneficial bacteria in your digestive system, which influences your immune system. These beneficial bacteria impact immune cells in your gut. If you don\u2019t have enough healthy bacteria in your gut, your immune cells may be lacking, predisposing you to illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucans protect you against infections from bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. They also prevent cancer promotion and prevention through their anti-tumor effects (3<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucans have been studied for their effectiveness as an adjuvant to the COVID vaccine<\/a> (4<\/a>). An adjuvant helps vaccines work better by boosting your immunity against the virus you\u2019re being vaccinated against. If your vaccine does a more efficient job protecting you against COVID, you might be less likely to develop long-lived symptoms known as \u201clong COVID.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucans slow the emptying of your stomach during digestion. When you digest food more slowly, your body can more efficiently control the rise in blood sugar levels by releasing enough insulin in response to the rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have diabetes and experience blood sugar spikes<\/a>, increasing your fiber intake might help reduce these spikes<\/a> by slowing glucose absorption. According to studies, beta-glucans help reduce postprandial blood sugar levels (blood sugar levels after eating) (5<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reducing postprandial blood sugar levels is an effective way to lower hemoglobin A1c levels, which indicates long-term blood sugar control. It\u2019s estimated that postprandial blood sugar levels contribute to 70% of the A1c level among patients with an A1c below 7.3% (6<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n That means that even if you have well-controlled fasting blood sugar, your A1c can still be high if your postprandial blood sugars aren\u2019t controlled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Serotonin is a hormone that helps promote healthy sleep cycles<\/a> by promoting REM sleep, or deep sleep<\/a>. Your gut produces about 95% of your body\u2019s supply of serotonin. Beta-glucans help feed the bacteria in your gut that manufacture serotonin, which means that they might help promote healthy sleep patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having low serotonin levels can also impact your overall mood and lead to depression and anxiety symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is an inverse relationship between fiber intake and body weight, suggesting that high-fiber foods (including beta-glucan) may promote weight loss<\/a> when combined with other lifestyle changes (7<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucans can help improve satiety by slowing the emptying of your stomach. The longer you feel satiated after eating, the less likely you\u2019ll be to experience hunger pangs and cravings that can derail you from your weight loss efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soluble fibers like beta-glucans are especially helpful at boosting satiety since they increase digestion time. Insoluble fiber can shorten digestion time, so this might not provide similar results in terms of appetite and satiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eating fiber-rich foods as a part of a healthy diet can benefit those with hypertension (high blood pressure). Fiber comes from plant foods which contain beneficial antioxidants<\/a> and nutrients that support healthy blood pressure levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to a study, beta-glucans helped reduce blood pressure levels among subjects considered obese (8<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Controlling your blood pressure can help reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke<\/a>, kidney disease, and other health conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inflammation is a key factor driving many of today\u2019s most prevalent chronic diseases. While inflammation can be beneficial in some cases (such as wound healing), chronic low-grade inflammation can be detrimental to your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inflammation plays a role in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucans can help reduce inflammation<\/a> by suppressing levels of pro-inflammatory substances that increase inflammation (9<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucan is a popular ingredient in dietary supplements. Some beta-glucan supplements<\/a> may be made from yeast, whereas others come from oats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s best to try to get beta-glucan from whole foods whenever you can. Here is a list of foods with the highest beta-glucan content:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you get beta-glucan from foods<\/a>, you also get other benefits such as protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you choose to take beta-glucan in a supplement form, you\u2019ll need to take an effective dose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to studies, effective dosages of beta-glucan range from 100 to 500 milligrams daily for immune system benefits (10<\/a>). If you\u2019re taking beta-glucan in order to reduce your cholesterol levels, the recommended dosage is 3 grams daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The FDA allows products containing at least 750 mg of beta-glucans to have a health claim that they might reduce heart disease risk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucan is typically sold in capsule form. Beta-glucan supplements<\/a> may be marketed as beta 1-3\/1-6, which classifies wherein the beta-glucan molecule the chains are connected. 1-3\/1-6 chains are known for their immune benefits, whereas a 1,4 linked glucan doesn\u2019t have the same benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucan is generally considered very safe with no known serious risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you take too much beta-glucan, though, you may have side effects like nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting. Taking large doses of fiber can also impact the way certain medications work, so you should ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you take prescription medications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re taking beta-glucan<\/a> for a specific goal, such as reducing cholesterol, it can take several weeks to see its potential effects. The studies that used beta-glucan in order to reduce cholesterol were done over several weeks, usually around 8-12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucans (\u03b2-glucans) are a type of soluble fiber found in plant foods but are also derived from baker\u2019s yeast.<\/strong> Oats, barley, sorghum, and whole-wheat bread are among the best sources of beta-glucans, as well as certain types of mushrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beta-glucans have several potential health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, promoting healthy blood pressure levels, supporting healthy sleep cycles, supporting your immune system, promoting healthy blood sugar levels, aiding in weight loss, and reducing inflammation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can take beta-glucan in supplement form, but getting it from whole foods is often ideal since you\u2019ll also be getting vitamins, minerals, and other aspects of whole foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"beta](\"https:\/\/blog.bensnaturalhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Beta-Glucan.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n7 health benefits of beta-glucan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Lowering cholesterol<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Benefits your immune system<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"beta](\"https:\/\/blog.bensnaturalhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Beta-glucan-covid-19-vaccines-1024x217.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Supports healthy blood sugar levels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. May promote better sleep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"sleep](\"https:\/\/blog.bensnaturalhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/How-Does-Sleep-Affect-Your-Immunity_-1024x256.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n5. Might aid in weight loss<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. Might promote healthy blood pressure levels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"high](\"https:\/\/blog.bensnaturalhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/large-High-blood-pressure-header.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n7. Reducing inflammation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How do you take beta-glucan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How long does it take for beta-glucan to work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Explore More<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"immune](\"https:\/\/blog.bensnaturalhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Beta-Glucan-Blog-New-1024x256.jpg\")
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