ABSTRACT
Although barley is a major source of β-glucans, it is rarely used in food industries. Numerous epidemiological studies have indicated that the consumption of barley β-glucans is associated with several health benefits like maintaining blood sugar, controlling blood pressure, lowering blood cholesterol, preventing cancer, activating the immune response, and managing body weight. The mechanisms of associated health benefits include fermentation of β-glucans by intestinal microflora to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), i.e. butyric acid, propionic acids, etc. This SCFA production can be an effective strategy to improve overall health management. Keeping the health benefits of dietary fibre in mind, there is an interesting opportunity to incorporate barley β-glucans in functional food formulations.. This chapter provides an overview of the mechanisms of barley β-glucan that have health benefits.
