Curious about beta-glucan? You’re not alone! Read on and learn about beta-glucan benefits plus so much more.

Name that supplement! It supports immunity, there are multiple types, and it can even improve digestion. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that much of a mystery. Today, we’re giving you all the details on beta-glucan. Specifically, we want to talk about beta-glucan benefits. 

While its most potent benefits are related to immune health, that effectively allows it to influence your health and wellness in ALL kinds of ways. We’re talking about blood pressure, cholesterol, and even clearer skin. 

Read on and learn what beta-glucan is PLUS eight of its most powerful benefits. 

What is Beta-Glucan? 

The simplest explanation? Beta-glucan is a soluble fiber found in the cell walls of certain foods. As a soluble fiber, it adds bulk to your stool. That might not sound exciting, but it actually helps prevent constipation and improves bowel function. You’re probably already familiar with this concept if you’ve ever eaten foods dense in this fiber (wheat bran, nuts, beans, etc.) and afterward found yourself feeling…ahem, regular.

Good food sources of beta-glucan include oats, barley, mushrooms, and even seaweed. When you eat a lot of these foods, beta-glucan forms a viscous gel in your digestive tract that absorbs cholesterol, regulates blood sugar levels, slows digestion, and more. Pretty great, right?!

Well, prepare yourself, because it gets even better. Beta-Glucan 1,3/1,6-D is the most potent type of beta-glucan and it can do some seriously amazing things.

What is Beta-Glucan 1,3/1,6-D?

First, beta-Glucan 1,3/1,6-D keeps you from having to eat your weight in oatmeal to feel the benefits of beta-glucan. That’s because it’s comprised of the optimal molecular chain of beta-glucan. So, beta-glucan 1,3/1,6-D is more potent in smaller amounts, but it must be extracted from baker’s yeast. 

Admittedly, this kind of beta-glucan has to be expertly extracted to ensure its potency is uncompromised. The foods we mentioned earlier DO contain beta-glucan, but those forms aren’t nearly as potent. And trust us, with benefits like these, you want MAXIMUM potency.

Speaking of benefits, let’s talk about how beta-glucan can benefit YOU!

Beta-Glucan Supports Immunity

You might not always notice when your immune system is strong, but you’ll definitely know when your immune system is weak. Maybe you’re fatigued, you catch colds regularly, or your complexion isn’t as vibrant as usual. Well, one of the most potent benefits of a high-quality Beta-Glucan supplement is that it supports immune health.

Yes, things like staying hydrated, getting plenty of sleep, and eating a nutritious diet will naturally support your immune system. However, sometimes it helps to get a bit of a jump start. Plus, having that extra support during cold and flu season can give you peace of mind.

Beta-Glucan provides immune support in several ways:

• Beta-Glucan is an immunomodulator – a substance that boosts immune function by improving the immune system’s response to a threat.
• Beta-glucan can strengthen immune cell activity by acting on immune receptors, stimulating neutrophils, T-cells, monocytes, natural killer cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells.
• Beta-glucan helps promote the release of antibodies by stimulating various lymphocytes (white blood cells).

Beta Glucan for Digestive Health

Surprisingly, a large part of your immune health depends on your digestive health. It’s not all that shocking once you remember that your brain and gut regularly talk to each other through something known as the gut-brain axis. 

This bi-directional pathway means your brain can influence your gut, but your gut can also affect your brain. It involves your central nervous system (CNS), enteric nervous system (ENS), and autonomic nervous system (ANS). With all of that going on, it makes sense that your immune system would be involved as well!

First, your microbiome (the various microbes in your body) influences brain development and function. Several reviews even say the microbiome helps regulate the immune system, and changes in your microbiome can lead to altered immune responses.

Second, beta-glucan fiber impacts digestive health in several ways as well:

• As a soluble fiber, it’s an essential part of a healthy diet. It keeps your digestion running smoothly and helps prevent diseases. 
• It also helps slow digestion and causes food to move more slowly through the intestines. This means you’ll stay fuller for longer, and your blood sugar levels will remain more stable.

On top of that, the way beta-glucan influences your intestines also helps improve cholesterol levels!

Beta Glucan for Cholesterol

Yes, you read that right. Taking beta-glucan can help naturally lower cholesterol when used alongside a healthy diet.

Too much cholesterol harms your digestive system and can lead to the formation of hard stones in the gallbladder. Not to mention, high cholesterol leads to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Luckily, while beta-glucan is hanging out in your digestive tract, it’s also absorbing cholesterol particles and moving them through your system before they can get absorbed into the bloodstream.

This is another instance where using Beta-Glucan 1,3/1,6-D comes in handy. To experience the cholesterol-lowering benefits of beta-glucan from food, you’ll have to eat a heart-healthy diet for roughly eight weeks. However, a high-quality beta-glucan supplement with the optimal molecular chain can significantly reduce that time. 

Beta Glucan for Blood Sugar

We swear there are benefits outside of your gut, but what can we say? Beta-glucan does a LOT of heavy lifting while it’s moving through your digestive system. On top of all the other benefits, it also helps regulate blood sugar levels. We’ve mentioned this once already, but it’s worth repeating. Plus, for anyone with diabetes, this is significant information.

In addition to helping control insulin responses and regulating blood glucose levels, there’s also some speculation that it could help prevent or help manage diabetes in some individuals. 

The US National Library of Medicine said in a 2008 study that “…beta-glucans are potentially beneficial in the treatment of diabetes and associated cardiovascular risks. Studies have shown that beta-glucans could reduce hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Thus, beta-glucan could produce new approaches for the treatment of diabetes.”

 

Beta Glucan for Blood Pressure

With all these gut-related benefits, you might be asking whether beta-glucan does anything outside of that. For example, does beta-glucan lower blood pressure? Yes! But let’s look to the science for more specific information:

• A study published by the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the effects of foods with beta-glucan when individuals with high blood pressure consumed them. Over twelve weeks, ninety-seven participants were either assigned foods rich in beta-glucan or control foods. Those given the beta-glucan-rich foods (who qualified as obese) experienced lowered blood pressure.
• Another study published by Vascular Health and Risk Management examined the effects of beta-glucan in patients with diabetes and hypertension. Generally, diabetes management requires “control of blood glucose levels and lipids; and reduction of hypertension. Dietary intake of beta-glucans has been shown to reduce all these risk factors to benefit the treatment of diabetes and associated complications.”

Perhaps you’re not concerned with your blood pressure right this moment, but keeping your blood pressure within healthy ranges can help you avoid stroke, kidney disease, degenerative artery disease, heart attack, and even eye damage. So, the sooner you get started, the better when it comes to beta-glucan and blood pressure.

Beta Glucan for Respiratory Health

If you’re concerned about cold and flu season, beta-glucan is about to be your new best friend. Beta-Glucan benefits respiratory health primarily by stimulating the immune system, but it has several beneficial effects as a result:

• Reduces the duration of cold symptoms
• Reduces the severity of respiratory tract infections
• Reduces severity and long-term impact of upper respiratory tract infections associated with exercise stress.

Beta Glucan for Allergies

Allergy season got you down? And by down we mean sniffly, sneezing, and wheezing? If so, you should seriously consider beta-glucan for allergies.

Allergies happen when your immune system becomes a bit too vigilant. Some common allergens don’t bother people at all, but some people experience itching, sneezing, watery eyes, etc. Luckily, beta-glucan can help!

• One double-blind study published by Food Science and Nutrition compared allergic responses to ragweed. After four weeks, participants who supplemented with beta-glucan showed “improved allergy symptoms, overall physical health, and emotional well-being.”
• Another study published by European Cytokine Network examined treatments for allergic rhinitis. Subjects treated with beta-glucan showed fewer of the cytokines involved in this type of allergic inflammation.

For ragweed allergies, in particular, taking a high-quality Beta-Glucan 1,3/1,6-D supplement can help reduce the severity of symptoms. While additional research is underway, the theory is that beta-glucan helps treat and/or prevent allergies by reducing the antibodies that keep your immune system on such high alert.

Beta Glucan for Skin Health

One of the simplest indicators of internal health is actually skin health. If your skin is clear and your complexion is vibrant and even, it’s a good indicator that you’re healthy and that your immune system is functioning correctly. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. If you’ve ever noticed breakouts and dull skin after feeling sick, you know what we mean.

Well, it turns out that beta-glucan’s influence on immunity also affects skin health! Topical skincare products with beta-glucan can calm and soothe irritated skin and plump up fine lines and wrinkles. This gives your skin a more youthful, radiant appearance. On top of that:

• It can reduce skin inflammation which means a lower risk of skin infections and fewer instances of skin damage over time (Pssst! That means beta-glucan can help fight acne!)
• It can reduce irritation and redness in sensitive skin.
• Beta-Glucan acts as an antioxidant which means it helps protect against oxidative stress. That means fewer signs of premature aging (even from sun exposure and pollution). 

Experience Beta-Glucan Benefits with Glucan85Plus

If you’re wondering what to look for in your beta-glucan supplement, we’ve got you covered. The most critical aspects are type, purity, and ingredients.

Others on the market often stop at 70% purity, use unnecessary fillers, and low-quality ingredients. That’s why we guarantee at least 85% purity in our Glucan85Plus. We also use the optimal molecular chain of beta-glucan, we source our baker’s yeast from the Netherlands, don’t add unnecessary fillers, and we add other immune-supportive ingredients like Vitamin C, Zinc, organic Elderberry, and more!

You deserve to feel your best, and we want our supplement to help you on your wellness journey. Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. 

Every body may be different, but everybody deserves health and wellness.