The effect of cereal Β-glucan on body weight and adiposity: A review of efficacy and mechanism of action

Abstract

The current review examines the totality of the evidence to determine if there exists a relationship between β-glucan and body weight and adiposity and whether such a relationship is a consistent, causal and plausible one. Observational studies suggest an association between oat (i.e., β-glucan) intake and reduced body weight, waist circumference and adiposity. High and moderate quality randomized controlled trials that were specifically designed to evaluate the efficacy of β-glucan on anthropometric outcomes were given the highest weight. Several of these studies indicated a causal relationship between β-glucan consumption and reduction in body weight, BMI, and at least one measure of body fat within diets that were not calorie-restricted. A review of additional animal and human evidence suggests multiple plausible mechanisms by which β-glucan may impact satiety perception, gastric emptying, gut hormones, gut microbiota and short chain fatty acids in the complex interplay of appetite and energy regulation.Supplemental data for this article is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2021.1994523.

Keywords: Oat; adiposity; barley; body weight; gastric emptying; gut hormones; gut microbiota; satiety; short chain fatty acids; β‐glucan.