The effects of β-glucans on intestinal health

Peer-reviewed  Manuscript (overview) received: 07 May 2019  Revision accepted: 15 August 2019

Introduction

Interest in intestinal diseases and their prevention is continually growing due to their increasing prevalence and the resulting health problems they cause. In Europe, ulcerative colitis (UC) now affects 1 in 198 people and Crohn’s disease (CD) affects 1 in 311 people, so inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is no longer a rare occurrence [1]. At the same time, the number of people for whom the consumption of gluten triggers the multi-faceted clinical picture of celiac disease is also increasing globally, although morbidity across the entire population is currently around 1% [2]. Furthermore, it is estimated that 8.1% of the adult population in Western countries suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a chronic functional impairment of the gut that causes abdominal pain along with diarrhea and/or constipation [3]. The intestines are also particularly susceptible to cancer [4].

In addition, gut health and the development of intestinal diseases are strongly influenced by environmental factors such as nutrition, lifestyle or infections [1]. These diseases can affect the intestinal environment, the intestinal immune system and the integrity of the intestinal barrier. They have the potential to cause increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut), together with loss of intestinal homeostasis and increased displacement of unfavorable substances into the interior of the body [5, 6]. A dysfunctional, leaky intestinal barrier has also been reported in association with IBD, IBS, celiac disease and early-onset bowel cancer [6, 7]. Certain metabolic diseases (such as type 2 diabetes mellitus) and autoimmune diseases (such as type 1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis), as well as overweight, depression and food allergies also appear to be associated with altered intestinal permeability [5, 7].

Abstract

The rising incidence of intestinal diseases combined with the high level of suffering and loss of quality of life leads to a growing interest in prevention strategies that are easy to implement. Such strategies include the deliberate consumption of more fiber-rich foods, and especially those with a high β-glucan content. Whereas there has been much discussion about the potential of β-glucans to lower cholesterol and blood glucose levels to date, the present article focuses on summarizing papers investigating how β-glucans affect the intestinal environment, the intestinal barrier, the intestinal immune system, and intestinal inflammation.

Keywords: β-glucan, barley, oats, fiber, intestinal barrier, inflammatory bowel disease, short-chain fatty acids, microbiome, intestinal immune system

Full text PDF (free version)