World Heart Day - Discover A Healthier Way

Today is World Heart Day!

World Heart Day (29 September) is actually a biggest platform created by World Heart Federation, aims to increase the public awareness about cardiovascular disease (CVD). World Heart Day is a truly global even to unite people from all countries and backgrounds in the fight against the CVD burden, and inspires and drives international action to encourage heart-healthy living across the world.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), a non-communicable disease (NCD) is still the number one killer disease in global. More people die annually on CVD than other causes, including Malaysia. Numerous studies have been carried out in Malaysia and CVD has been recorded as one of the top five principal causes of death of Malaysians aged 15-64 years old (Department of Statistics, Malaysia).

Towards a healthier heart!

Beta-glucan lowers cholesterol, improves lipid

Beta-glucan (β-glucan) has now gained much popularity among consumers, due to the key benefits that it acquires as well as the increased awareness on human well-being. Beta-glucan is a soluble fibre readily available in oat, barley, mushrooms, cell wall of fungi, yeasts and bacteria.

What benefits you?

Avert metabolic syndromes by modulating harmful blood lipids level and promote heart health
Healthy blood sugar level control
Weight management
Act as immunomodulator agent to facilitate in regulating body immune system

How beta-glucan reduces cholesterol?

Beta-glucan fibres are thought to lower cholesterol by increasing the bulk, volume, and viscosity of the intestinal tract’s contents, thus altering cholesterol and lipoprotein metabolism in the liver.

Beta-glucan increases the excretion of bile acids released from the gall bladder. These bile acids are made up of oxidized cholesterol. The liver uses cholesterol to make more bile, which has the net effect of decreasing the amount of harmful LDL circulating in the blood.

Thus, beta-glucan not only lowers cholesterol, but also helps to maintain already-normal level of cholesterol.

Beta-glucan in modulates blood sugar response

Oat and barley, both rich in beta glucan and possess low glycemic values.

The ability to regulate blood glucose level stems from these plant characteristic to forming a viscous gel with water in the gastrointestinal tract. This thick, gelatinous mixture delays the release of the stomach’s contents into the small intestine for further digestion. This contributes to slower production and release of insulin by the pancreas, as well as a slower rate of glucose uptake from the small intestine.

Thus, the high viscosity of beta-glucans may play a critical role in reducing the more dangerous aspects of the glycemic response to a meal.

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