Author(s)

Gongshe Hu^*, Sherry Ellberg, Kathy Satterfield, Chris Evans

USDA, ARS, Pacific West Area 1691 S. 2700 W, Aberdeen, Idaho, USA.

Lack of dietary fiber contributes to many health issues, particularly chronic vascular diseases. Mixed linkage β-1.3 - 1.4 beta-glucan (beta-glucan, in this paper) is a confirmed beneficial ingredient for the human diet through reduction of cholesterol and the glycemic index. Barley contains the highest beta-glucan content of all the grains, and in this study, a percentage of flour from two high beta glucan lines was, each, added to an array of wheat-based food products to measure how it impacted total dietary fiber. Results showed that beta-glucan content was higher in all the products containing the added high beta-glucan flour, along with increased total dietary fiber content. Protein content in the food products is also increased with the higher protein in the barley flours added. Beta-glucan content in the barley-added products increased to 1.2% - 4.0% versus 0.2% - 0.5% in the pure wheat products, while the dietary fibers increased to 3.5% - 24.4% versus 2.1% - 9.1% in pure wheat product controls. This research provided experimental evidence that using a high beta-glucan barley ingredient in food can increase dietary fiber to benefit health.

Food, High Fiber, Barley Ingredient, Beta-Glucan, Human Health

Hu, G. , Ellberg, S. , Satterfield, K. and Evans, C. (2024) Giving Food a Fiber Boost: Adding High Beta-Glucan Ingredient from Barley to Everyday Foods. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 15, 277-289. doi: 10.4236/fns.2024.154018.