Customers comparing different types of fiber supplements often discover our incredibly popular Nutrim Oat Bran Powder. Many have never heard of beta glucan before, even if they've spent years trying various fiber supplements with differing levels of success.

Beta glucan might be a well-kept secret, but it’s a widely available fiber extracted from everyday plants like oats and barley. You'll also find beta glucan in rye, mushrooms, seaweed, some types of rice, maize, and the ingredients used to make nutritional yeast.

One of the many challenges for those looking to boost their heart health, ensure they’re consuming the recommended daily amount of fiber, or find convenient ways to promote healthy digestion is that eating sufficient whole foods can be challenging. Today, we'll share some insights into beta glucan, where it comes from, and how we've incorporated this multi-performing ingredient into our Nutrim Oat Beta Glucan to make this plant-derived source of fiber simple and easy to use.

What Is Beta Glucan, and Where Does It Come From?

Beta glucan is a soluble fiber with numerous health benefits. It supports natural functions like immunity and cholesterol management. 

As a soluble, rather than an insoluble fiber, beta glucan absorbs liquid as it is digested, slowing the speed at which you digest foods. One immediate side effect is that slow, better-managed digestion means you'll feel fuller for longer.

Another health-related outcome is that sugar reaches your bloodstream more slowly when you digest it at a reduced pace. This is why beta glucan is thought to be a great way to stabilize or regulate your blood sugar levels. Fiber also slows down or reduces the amount of cholesterol you absorb during digestion, with a link to healthy cholesterol levels, which we all recognize are associated with heart health.

As we've mentioned, you'll find beta glucan in several food sources. Still, the best options are barley and oats because they're widely available plants with a higher concentration of beta glucan. They’re also less expensive than trying to get similar amounts of fiber from an alternative like seaweed or mushrooms.

What Are the Benefits of a Beta Glucan Fiber Supplement? 

Beta glucan provides many benefits, like many of nature's most powerful compounds. It supports the body's natural functions while delivering antioxidants in every serving.

As a snapshot of the health-positive impacts of beta glucan, it is thought to assist with:

• Heart health, as a fiber supplement that can improve the way your body eliminates ‘bad’ cholesterol

• Blood sugar regulation, particularly when taken long-term as part of your lifestyle

• Weight management, owing to the properties of fiber supplements that ensure each meal keeps you feeling satisfied for longer 

• Immune system functions–a happier digestive system and healthier gut microbiome contribute to higher concentrations of ‘good’ bacteria, which play an important role in immunity and inflammation control.

Many people who use fiber supplements regularly do so primarily to help support a healthy digestive system but swiftly recognize that the benefits extend beyond gut health.

Could Eating More Barley and Wheat Improve My Beta Glucan Intake?

Theoretically, you could eat a larger amount of beta glucan-rich foods to enhance the amount of fiber you eat. The difficulty with this approach is that:

• Focusing on one food group and excluding others is rarely optimal. To feel your best, you need a balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and sources of vitamins and minerals.

• It’s a good idea to eat three servings, or forty-eight grams, of whole grains per day. Eating too much wheat can result in consuming far more calories than you intend to or inadvertently prompt digestive issues.

• Most processed barley and wheat products contain countless additional ingredients, including sodium, artificial sweeteners, and some additives, which can reduce the impact of beta glucan you absorb, or mean the over-consumption of other ingredients compromises the positive outcomes.

Supplements are often considered an ideal way to enhance a balanced diet without adding significant calories or less desirable sugars and additives to your nutrition. They ensure that you can continue enjoying the foods you love without eliminating or overconsuming anything unnecessarily.

We’ve created our innovative Nutrim Oat Beta Glucan to provide all the compelling benefits of beta glucan without the drawbacks, using an all-natural processing methodology to deliver beta glucan in small servings you can add to your smoothies, juices, baking, or water whenever you wish!