High Fiber Barley Helps in Diabetes Prevention

In the United States over 24 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes. One of the key ingredients in helping manage diabetes is eating a high fiber diet. Diabetes is one of the greatest growing risks to people today.

Clinical trials have shown that people who have eaten food containing barley had lower levels of glucose and better insulin response than those that ate similar products containing whole wheat or corn. A different study published in the Diabetes High Fiber Barley Helps in Diabetes Prevention Research and Clinical Practice Journal showed a 30 percent decrease in HbA1c, a blood glucose level test that gives an average for the past 3 months, in people with Type 2 diabetes. On average they ate 18 grams of soluble fiber daily made up of pearl barley.

These new findings has spurred companies to breed new types of the grain that shows the great health benefits of barley beta-glucan. Foods are currently available that contain the new varieties immediately to consumers. Products such as Heart Balance cereal is a 100 percent whole grain barley blend made from a proprietary high beta-glucan barley. Such cereals contain 50 percent more total dietary fiber and half the fat of oatmeal.

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