What are the benefits of beta-glucan?

Beta-glucans are all-natural glucan components found in yeast cell walls and are found in many different food sources, including yeast, oats, barley fiber, medicinal mushrooms (such as maitake and reishi), algae, and seaweed .

ß-glucan (Glucan) is a naturally extracted polysaccharide with a molecular weight of about 6500 or more. Most of them are water-insoluble or colloidal particles. They are easily soluble in water with a solubility of more than 70%. The pH value of 10% aqueous solution is 2.5-7.0, no special smell. A considerable variety of ß-glucans can be found in the natural environment, usually in the cell walls of special species of bacteria, yeasts, fungi (Ganoderma lucidum), and also in the coat of seeds of higher plants. ß-glucan is different from common sugars (such as starch, glycogen, dextrin, etc.), the main difference is that the bond connection method is different. Generally, sugars are combined with α-1,4-glycosidic bonds to form linear molecules , while ß-glucan is mainly composed of β-1,3-glycosidic bonds, and contains some branched chains of β-1,6-glycosidic bonds. ß-glucan has a helical molecular structure due to its special bonding method and the existence of hydrogen bonds in the molecule. This unique configuration is easily accepted by the immune system.

1. Beneficial in inhibiting upper respiratory tract infection

Upper respiratory tract infection is the most common disease, including rhinitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis and the common cold, mainly caused by influenza virus, adenovirus, rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus and other viruses.

Symptoms include stuffy nose, runny nose, cough, sore throat, headache, body aches, chills, fever, etc. In some countries, upper respiratory tract infection is one of the most common reasons for the misuse of antibiotics. Therefore, it is important to prevent its occurrence

A systematic literature review and meta-analysis (meta-analysis, including 13 relevant randomized controlled trials) pointed out that compared with the placebo group, yeast β-glucan can significantly reduce the incidence of upper respiratory tract infection, the average episode frequency, shortened duration, and improved symptom severity.

In addition, yeast beta-glucan was well tolerated and generally safe.

2. Good for diabetic blood sugar control
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder caused by insufficient insulin secretion or insufficient insulin action, leading to chronic hyperglycemia and its complications, such as vascular changes, myocardial infarction, nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy.
It is estimated that 5% of deaths worldwide are caused by complications of diabetes, and by 2030, there will be more than 366 million diabetics worldwide.
A systematic literature review and meta-analysis (meta-analysis, including 4 randomized controlled trials, a total of 350 patients with type 2 diabetes) pointed out that the intake of oat β-glucan (daily dose 2.5g to 3.5g), sustained 3 to 8 weeks can significantly improve blood sugar control, such as reducing fasting plasma glucose (FastingPlasmaGlucose) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) concentration.
Conclusion: Medium-term oat β-glucan intake (between 3 and 8 weeks) may be beneficial to the blood sugar control of patients with type 2 diabetes, but limited by the small sample size, more research is still needed for further verification.

3. Beneficial for blood lipid regulation
Cholesterol levels above normal reference values are a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. A 1mmol/L reduction in total cholesterol in adults aged 40 to 49 years can reduce the risk ratio of ischemic heart disease by 56%.
Treatment for dyslipidemia includes dietary and lifestyle interventions, surgery, and lipid-lowering drugs. These drugs include statins, fibric acid derivatives, bile acid binding resins, niacin, omega-3 fatty acids, etc.
A systematic literature review and meta-analysis (including 21 randomized controlled trials, with a total of 1120 participants with mild hypercholesterolemia) showed that, compared with the control group, the intake of β-glucan (daily Dose ≥ 3g, at least 3 weeks) can reduce total cholesterol (-0.27mmol/L) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.26mmol/L).
In addition, subgroupanalysis further showed that food matrices combining "solid products" and "liquid products" were considered to be the best way to exert their beneficial properties
Conclusion: For mild hypercholesterolemia, the intake of β-glucan may bring positive help, but limited by the heterogeneity of the included studies, more high-quality studies are still needed for further verification.
4. Can aid weight loss
Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat (usually more than 20% of the normal ideal weight), to the extent that it may have adverse health effects, affecting about 11% of men and 15% of women worldwide, and pose serious challenges to the healthcare system.
Adipose tissue has a unique structure that accumulates activated macrophages that are critical for inflammation, in part through the release of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6, and when excess adipose tissue often Leads to increased inflammation and is often associated with the development of chronic diseases, including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
A systematic literature review and meta-analysis (meta-analysis, including 12 randomized controlled trials) pointed out that compared with the control group, the intake of products containing β-glucan in the intervention group can reduce body weight and body mass Index (BMI).
In addition, subgroup analysis (subgroupanalysis) showed that when the daily dose exceeded 4 grams, total energy intake (totalenergyintake) increased.
Conclusion: The intake of β-glucan may have a positive effect on assisting weight loss, but limited by the small sample size, more long-term trials are still needed for further verification.
5. Adjuvant cancer therapy
Clinically, chemotherapy for cancer patients is usually based on drug indications, recommended dosage, treatment time, and adverse reactions (such as nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity). Adverse reactions of chemotherapy drugs during treatment are sometimes difficult to prevent.
The purpose of adding natural compounds in cancer chemotherapy is to increase the therapeutic window of chemotherapy drugs and reduce the occurrence of chemotherapy resistance. The synergistic effect refers to the increase in the efficacy of the combined components compared with the single components.
A systematic literature review (systematic review, including 16 clinical trials, a total of 1650 cancer patients) pointed out that the administration of β-glucan at the same time as chemotherapy or radiotherapy can reduce the immunosuppression caused by treatment, or accelerate the recovery of white blood cell counts (white blood cells counts) .
However, some studies did not observe a statistical difference between the β-glucan-treated group and the control group.
Conclusion: Due to the low quality of existing evidence, there is no clear conclusion on the application of β-glucan in adjuvant cancer therapy.

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