What is oat beta glucan used for?

What Is Oat Glucan?

Oat glucan is also called oat-β glucan. Oat beta glucan is a water-soluble dietary fiber derived from oats. It is a natural source and safe to eat.

Oats are mainly composed of husk and endosperm, which is surrounded by pericarp, seed coat, aleurone layer and subaleurone layer. Oat beta glucan is mainly located in the endosperm cell wall of its seeds, and also accumulates in the subaleurone layer. It is extracted through a special production process. Compared with other oat foods, it has a higher purity and usually does not contain protein or fat.

What Are The Functions Of Oat Glucan?

Oat beta-glucan has four main effects on the human body：

Lowering cholesterol

Oat beta-glucan is well-known for its cholesterol-lowering effect. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have shown that 3g of oat or barley beta-glucan per day is beneficial for lowering blood cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of coronary heart disease.

Control blood sugar

In 1977, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement that if oat food is consumed for a certain period of time and reaches the threshold of oat beta-glucan, it will have a hypoglycemic effect. Oat beta-glucan can reduce postprandial blood sugar concentration and regulate the activity of intestinal glucose transporters. Daily intake of no more than 5g of oat beta-glucan can improve the insulin level of diabetic patients and maintain the stability of glucose levels.

Promote intestinal health

Oat beta-glucan can be used as a prebiotic to promote human health. Oat beta-glucan can form a gel-like network in the human body, change the viscosity of gastric and intestinal fluids, increase the viscosity of chyme, and slow down the circulation of chyme in the digestive tract. Oat beta-glucan cannot be digested and decomposed by digestive enzymes, and can effectively inhibit the growth of mucosal phagocytic bacteria in the intestines and stomach. Oat beta-glucan can also improve the intestinal tract by improving the reproduction conditions of beneficial bacteria (such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria), increasing the number of microorganisms; in the large intestine, oat beta-glucan is fermented by microorganisms, especially by lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria in the cecum, thereby producing bifidobacteria that are beneficial to human health.

Increase satiety

Oat beta-glucan can increase satiety after a meal, which may be due to the indigestible nature of beta-glucan in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, studies have also shown that oat beta-glucan plays an important role in reducing abdominal fat and obesity, mainly in terms of reducing body weight, body mass index, body fat and waist-to-hip ratio.

What Is The Application Of Oat Glucan?

Food and Beverage Industry

As a food additive, oat glucan has potential in the field of functional food and beverage. It can increase the viscosity, taste and moisturizing properties of food, and also has the function of regulating blood sugar and cholesterol.

Medical and Biomedical Fields   

Oat beta-glucan also has potential in the medical and biomedical fields. Studies have found that oat beta-glucan can promote wound healing, enhance immune function, regulate the balance of intestinal flora, etc., and may play an important role in trauma treatment, immune regulation and intestinal health.

Cosmetic and Personal Care Fields

The application of oat glucan in cosmetics and personal care products has been widely recognized. Its moisturizing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial functions make it an ideal ingredient for skin care products, facial masks, shampoos, shower gels and other products.

Research in the field of cosmetics and personal care

1.Moisturizing and whitening effect

Oat beta-glucan is widely used in moisturizing products. Studies have found that oat beta-glucan has good moisturizing ability, can increase the moisture content of the stratum corneum, improve the hydration state of the skin, and thus improve the moisture and softness of the skin.

2.Antioxidant properties

Oat beta-glucan has an antioxidant effect, can scavenge free radicals, reduce oxidative damage, and prevent skin aging. Oat beta-glucan can promote the activity of antioxidant enzymes in skin cells and improve the skin's tolerance to external oxidative stress.

3.Anti-inflammatory effect

Oat beta-glucan also has a certain anti-inflammatory effect, which can reduce the inflammatory response of the skin and relieve problems such as sensitivity and redness. Oat beta-glucan can regulate the production of inflammatory cytokines, inhibit the activation of inflammatory signaling pathways, and promote skin repair and healing.

4.Antibacterial effect

Oat beta-glucan has a certain antibacterial ability and can inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms. Oat β-glucan can block the formation of bacterial biofilm and destroy the metabolic function of bacteria, thus having an antibacterial effect.