What is β-glucan?

β-glucan, which is a polysaccharide composed of multiple D-glucose, belonging to a type of soluble dietary fiber. It is found in many different foods, including oat, barley, mushroom, yeast, algae, etc. In contrast to α-glucan, which is mostly in the form of a nutrient source, β-glucan cannot be hydrolyzed by digestive enzymes in the human body. β-glucan are divided into three major categories, namely oat β-glucan, yeast β-glucan and mushroom β-glucan. Researches have shown that these three β-glucans have the effects of reducing blood cholesterol, maintaining digestive tract function and controlling blood sugar. In addition, different from oat β-glucan whose structure is linear chain, yeast β-glucan and mushroom β-glucan have side branches in structure. This special structure enables these two β-glucans to bind to the surface proteins of human leukocytes, resulting in strengthening immunity and fighting cancer cells. On the top of that, several clinical studies have also demonstrated that β-glucan does not have any toxicity, and there are no obvious side effects in use. Such evidence indicates that β-glucan is a safe and natural active substance.