May Help Lower Cholesterol

Barley may also help to decrease your cholesterol. Barley beta-glucans have been demonstrated to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol through binding to bile acids. Your body excretes these bile acids, which are produced by your liver from cholesterol. Your liver must then use up more cholesterol in order to produce new bile acids, decreasing the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Men with elevated cholesterol were put on a diet high in whole wheat, brown rice, or barley in one short research. After five weeks, those who consumed barley reduced their cholesterol levels by 7% more than those who consumed the other two diets.

Furthermore, the barley group had the highest increase in "good" HDL cholesterol and lowest triglyceride levels. A recent study of 14 randomized control studies — the gold standard in scientific research — discovered similar findings. According to the lab, animal, and human research, the SCFAs created when healthy gut bacteria feed on soluble fiber may also help inhibit cholesterol synthesis, lowering cholesterol levels even further.