Oats barley

Oats and barley are rich in beta-glucan, which is a particularly effective cholesterol-lowering fibre. Like beans, oats and barley are very affordable cholesterol-busting foods.

How beta-glucan lowers cholesterol

The fibre beta-glucan forms a gel-like substance in your gut that can bind to cholesterol-rich bile acids, reducing how much cholesterol is absorbed into your blood. This prompts your liver to remove more cholesterol from your blood to produce new bile, helping to bring your blood cholesterol down.

Other nutritional benefits

As well as providing cholesterol-busting beta-glucan, these grains offer more nutritional benefits:

Oat and wholegrain barley's fibre content is also helps to support healthy gut bacteria, promote gut health, and provide a steady source of energy.
Barley provides minerals iron, magnesium, potassium, and the heart-protective vitamins B6 and folate.
Oats provide the minerals magnesium, copper, zinc, and thiamine (vitamin B1), which supports heart function.

How much should you eat?

To get the cholesterol-lowering benefits, aim for at least 3g of beta-glucan daily.

How to get your 3g of beta-glucan

Include 2 - 4 servings of any of the following foods every day.

Oat or barley food	What counts as one serving	Serving suggestions
Porridge	30g of dry oats or a sachet of instant porridge	Serve with a piece of fruit. Add chia or flaxseeds to boost omega-3. Sprinkle with a small handful of nuts. Go for unsweetened varieties especially for instant porridge which may have added sugars.
Oat flake breakfast cereals	30–35g or a small bowl
A few oat alternatives to milk*	250ml (you can spread this throughout the day)	* check the label for beta-glucan claims or the ingredients list. Many oat drinks do not have enough beta-glucan. Use in place of ordinary milk in your tea and coffee, over cereal and in cooking.
Oat breakfast cereal ‘biscuit’	1 biscuit	Use for breakfast or crumble and add to soups, casserols or stews.
Oatbran	1-2 (13g) tablespoons	Sprinkle on cereals or add to casseroles, soups, or smoothies. Add to your home baking and a little in porridge to boost the beta-glucan levels.
Oatcakes*	3 oatcakes	*Check the label for salt content and choose varieties with 0.3g of salt or less per 100g. Serve with our beany dip, or topped with low-fat cottage or quark cheese and some sliced salad vegebles or salmon for an omega-3 boost or some peanut butter.
Pearl barley	75g cooked or 35g dried.	Great for thickening up soups, stews, and casseroles. Add cooked barley to salads in place of couscous or other grains. Part replace rice with cooked barley when serving your chilli or curry. Try making barley risotto or porridge.