Home Ingredients BarliV™ (Barley Beta-Glucan — Cargill)
CardiovascularMetabolic Health

BarliV™ (Barley Beta-Glucan — Cargill)

Hordeum vulgare
Evidence Level
Strong
2 Clinical Trials
6 Documented Benefits
4/5 Evidence Score

BarliV™ is a barley beta-glucan ingredient from Cargill. It is a water-soluble barley beta-glucan. The FDA-authorized cholesterol health claim (21 CFR 101.81) applies to soluble fiber from barley as a class at 3 g/day beta-glucan, not to BarliV specifically. Soluble fiber from barley with documented cholesterol-lowering effects. Cargill's complement to CoroWise plant sterols in cardiovascular ingredient portfolio. Used for: cholesterol management, glycemic control, soluble fiber fortification, cardiovascular health.

Studied Dose 3 g/day barley beta-glucan (FDA health claim threshold)
Active Compound Barley beta-glucan (soluble fiber)

Benefits

FDA-Approved Cholesterol Health Claim

Barley beta-glucan carries FDA-approved health claim for cholesterol management — at 3 g/day intake, may reduce risk of coronary heart disease.

Supported by Trial 1

Cholesterol Reduction via Bile Acid Binding

Soluble beta-glucan binds bile acids; liver uses cholesterol to make new bile acids; net cholesterol reduction.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

Glycemic Control

Beta-glucan slows carbohydrate digestion and absorption — supports postprandial glucose modulation.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 1

Satiety Support

Viscous soluble fiber can increase the feeling of fullness. This is a proposed physical mechanism; no satiety or weight-loss outcome for barley beta-glucan is cited on this page.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 1

Gut Microbiome Fermentation

Colonic bacteria ferment beta-glucan into short-chain fatty acids. This is a fermentation mechanism; no human gut, microbiome, or immune outcome for barley beta-glucan is cited on this page.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 1

Water-Soluble Form

BarliV's water-soluble beta-glucan enables beverage and food applications without significant texture impact at appropriate doses.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

Mechanism of action

1

Bile Acid Binding (Primary)

Soluble beta-glucan forms viscous gel that binds bile acids in intestine; bile acids excreted instead of recycled; liver synthesizes new bile from cholesterol; net cholesterol reduction.

2

Slowed Gastric Emptying

Viscous fiber slows gastric emptying — modulates postprandial glucose and supports satiety.

3

Beta-Glucan Structure

1,3/1,4 beta-glucan from barley distinct from yeast 1,3/1,6 beta-glucan (which has different immune-focused mechanism).

4

Colonic Fermentation

Soluble fiber fermentation produces SCFAs (butyrate, acetate, propionate) supporting gut and metabolic health.

Clinical trials

1
Barley Beta-Glucan for Cholesterol: Meta-Analysis of 11 Randomized Trials (AbuMweis 2010)
PubMed

Meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials of barley beta-glucan (AbuMweis 2010, PMID 20924392); corroborated by a 14-RCT meta-analysis (Ho 2016, PMID 27273067).

Adults pooled across 11 randomized trials, including hypercholesterolemic participants.

Consistent LDL cholesterol reductions with 3+ g/day barley beta-glucan; supports FDA health claim.

2
Barley Beta-Glucan and Postprandial Glucose: Acute Crossover Trial (Thondre 2013)
PubMed

Acute single-blind crossover trial of barley beta-glucan on the after-meal glucose rise (Thondre 2013, PMID 23742725).

15 healthy adult volunteers.

High-molecular-weight barley beta-glucan lowered the after-meal (postprandial) glucose rise and slowed gastric emptying. This is an acute surrogate measured over a single meal, not a chronic HbA1c or long-term glycemic outcome.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Generally well-tolerated.
Mild GI distress at higher doses (gas, bloating during fiber adjustment).
Allergic reactions to barley/cereals possible.
Gluten — barley contains gluten; avoid with celiac/gluten sensitivity.
Sodium content negligible.

Important Drug interactions

Diabetes medications — modest hypoglycemic effects from glycemic modulation; monitor.
All oral medications — fiber may modestly reduce absorption; separate by 1-2 hours from medications.
Statins — complementary cholesterol-lowering effects.
Pregnancy — generally safe at dietary levels.
Lactation — generally safe.
Celiac disease / gluten sensitivity — barley contains gluten; avoid.

Featured in these supplement guides

Blood Sugar Control→

More Cardiovascular Ingredients

Cardiovascular
Potassium
Potassium is the most abundant intracellular cation in the human body and an essential min…
Cardiovascular
CoroWise® (Plant Sterols for Cholesterol — Cargill)
CoroWise is Cargill's brand of plant sterols (phytosterols), which carry an FDA-authorized…
Cardiovascular
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, primarily eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an…
Cardiovascular
CoEnzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a lipid-soluble compound essential to mitochondrial ATP production…

Explore Other Ingredients

Muscle & Recovery
L-Glutamine
L-glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body and the primary metabolic fuel for…
Antioxidant
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a versatile antioxidant made naturally in the body that is unus…
Metabolic Health
Chlorella
Chlorella is a single-celled freshwater green algae rich in chlorophyll, complete protein…

Frequently asked questions about BarliV™ (Barley Beta-Glucan — Cargill)

What is BarliV?

BarliV™ is a barley beta-glucan ingredient from Cargill. It is a water-soluble barley beta-glucan. The FDA-authorized cholesterol health claim (21 CFR 101.81) applies to soluble fiber from barley as a class at 3 g/day beta-glucan, not to BarliV specifically.

What is BarliV used for?

BarliV is researched primarily for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health. Barley beta-glucan carries FDA-approved health claim for cholesterol management — at 3 g/day intake, may reduce risk of coronary heart disease.

What is the recommended dosage of BarliV?

The clinically studied dose is 3 g/day barley beta-glucan (FDA health claim threshold) Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is BarliV safe, and does it have side effects?

For most healthy adults, BarliV is well tolerated at studied doses. Reported effects can include: Generally well-tolerated. Mild GI distress at higher doses (gas, bloating during fiber adjustment). It may also interact with some medications. BarliV is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does BarliV interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Diabetes medications — modest hypoglycemic effects from glycemic modulation; monitor. All oral medications — fiber may modestly reduce absorption; separate by 1-2 hours from medications. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for BarliV?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for BarliV as Strong (4 out of 5). It is backed by 2 clinical trials and 4 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(4 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. AbuMweis SS, Jew S, Ames NP. beta-glucan from barley and its lipid-lowering capacity: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010;64(12):1472-80. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.178.PubMedUsed to support: Meta-analysis of 11 RCTs finding barley and barley-isolated beta-glucan lowered LDL cholesterol by ~0.27 mmol/L and total cholesterol by ~0.30 mmol/L versus control, backing the cholesterol-lowering claim; the authors note the effect was not clearly dose-dependent in their data.
  2. Ho HV, Sievenpiper JL, Zurbau A, Blanco Mejia S, Jovanovski E, Au-Yeung F, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the effect of barley beta-glucan on LDL-C, non-HDL-C and apoB for cardiovascular disease risk reduction. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2016;70(11):1239-1245. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2016.89.PubMedUsed to support: Meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials (N=615, median dose about 6.5 g/day for a median of 4 weeks) finding barley beta-glucan significantly lowered LDL-C by 0.25 mmol/L and non-HDL-C by 0.31 mmol/L versus control diets, with no significant change in apolipoprotein B.
  3. Behall KM, Scholfield DJ, Hallfrisch J. Diets containing barley significantly reduce lipids in mildly hypercholesterolemic men and women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;80(5):1185-93. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/80.5.1185.PubMedUsed to support: Small controlled-diet crossover trial (25 mildly hypercholesterolemic adults) showing 0, 3, and 6 g/day barley beta-glucan reduced total and LDL cholesterol, directly supporting the ~3 g/day cholesterol-lowering threshold; small sample is a limitation.
  4. Thondre PS, Shafat A, Clegg ME. Molecular weight of barley beta-glucan influences energy expenditure, gastric emptying and glycaemic response in human subjects. Br J Nutr. 2013;110(12):2173-9. doi: 10.1017/S0007114513001682.PubMedUsed to support: Small human crossover study showing high-molecular-weight barley beta-glucan slowed gastric emptying and lowered postprandial glycaemic response more than low-MW beta-glucan, supporting that the glucose effect is molecular-weight-dependent; small acute trial, not a chronic outcome.