How natural barley beta glucan can actively help to maintain normal blood cholesterol concentrations.
Your questions about help: cholesterol answered...
Beta-glucans are soluble fibres found in cereal such as
barley and oats. Due to their structure they have been found to have a number
of health benefits and is one of the reasons why products containing barley
or oats are considered healthy.
When cereal beta-glucans are taken in by the body they
essentially form a barrier in the stomach which slows down the absorption
of fat and sugars produced by the action of bile and enzymes on our ingested
food.
As the contents of the stomach are removed in line with
the standard digestive cycle, the body’s loss of bile (which is largely
made up of cholesterol) during this process means that more must be produced.
As a result the body’s homeostatic mechanisms produce
more bile which results in cholesterol from the blood being taken and therefore
causes a reduction in blood cholesterol.
In human clinical trials barley beta-glucan gives on average
10-14% reductions in total and LDL - cholesterol over a dose range of 3-8g
per day. Higher intakes of beta-glucan (6-8g/day) lead to greater improvements
in total cholesterol levels, with over 20% reductions in LDL-cholesterol.
At high doses, beta-glucan can be as effective as some cholesterol-lowering
medications. In a 1 year clinical trial, adults consuming 16g of beta-glucan
per day, as part of a diet containing a range of cholesterol-lowering foods,
had cholesterol level reductions that were as good as those achieved by
statin drug treatment.
The recommended daily intake for plant sterols is 3 grams
per day. For beta-glucan the recommended intake is 0.75 grams per serving.
At recommended intakes, the cholesterol-lowering effects by plant sterols
and beta-glucans are comparable, with barley beta-glucan trials showing
LDL- cholesterol reductions of approximately 6% (10 mg/dl).
However, whilst in controlled studies 2-3 grams plant sterols
give 10-15% reductions in total and LDL- cholesterol, in ‘ad libitum’
trials (ie. When plant sterols are added to the participants’ normal
diet) reductions of about half these levels are achieved.
Interestingly, some studies have examined the effect of
a combination of cholesterol-lowering food components and revealed that
hypercholesterolaemic adults on a diet high in beta-glucan, soy protein
and plant sterols were able to achieve LDL-cholesterol reductions greater
than 20%.
So it’s definitely worth adding help: cholesterol
to soy yogurt for superior cholesterol lowering benefits.
3g of cereal beta-glucans per day is sufficient to show
positive effects in those suffering from mild hypercholesterolaemia. Each
14g sachet contains 2g of Glucagel which contains 1.5g of Barley beta-glucan,
contributing one half of the required daily dose. So you need to take 2
sachets per day.
Erythritol which is a sugar substitute naturally occurring
in fruits. It has a calorie level of zero.
No. help: cholesterol is completely
preservative free.
Only 62 calories per 14g sachet – and 0 calories
from sugar.
It is always advised to consult your healthcare professional
before using any form of dietary supplement if you are pregnant or nursing.
However, help: cholesterol contains no flavourings or sweeteners so is completely
safe to consume if you are diabetic.
help: cholesterol is of particular benefit to Type 1 diabetes sufferes because Barley Beta Glucan slows down the absorption of sugar into the blood stream, reducing the GI and helping to avoid sugar peaks.
Sufferers of Type 1 diabetes cannot produce insulin because of problems with the pancreas and usually use pig insulin to help control sugar levels.
Hence lower sugar peaks means less insulin.
Taking 2 sachets of help: cholesterol everyday, you should
begin to see an improvement within 4 – 6 weeks.
help: cholesterol's main ingredient Barley Beta Glucan is a fibre and as such in some people it can cause an increase in flatulence, particularly if you already consume a high-fibre diet.
Yes. All of our products are safe to take long term.
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