Β-glucan from barley and its lipid-lowering capacity: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials

Background/Objectives: To more precisely quantify the effect of barley Β-glucan on blood lipid concentrations in humans and to examine the factors that could affect its efficacy.Subjects/Methods: Eleven eligible randomized clinical trials published from 1989 to 2008 were identified from nine databases. Weighted mean effect sizes were calculated for net differences in lipid profile using a random effect model (RevMan 4.2). Results: Overall, barley and Β-glucan isolated from barley lowered total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations by 0.30 mmol/l (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.39 to 0.21, P<0.00001) and 0.27 mmol/l (95% CI: 0.34 to 0.20, P<0.00001), respectively, compared with control. The pattern of cholesterol-lowering action of barley in this analysis could not be viewed as a dose-dependent response. There were no significant subgroup differences by type of intervention and food matrix.Conclusions:Increased consumption of barely products should be considered as a dietary approach to reduce LDL cholesterol concentrations. © 2010 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved.