Is this food/ingredient a useful addition to a diabetes diet?
People living with diabetes are more aware than most, of the effects that foods, particularly carbohydrates, and other factors have on their blood glucose levels. It is widely acknowledged that eating foods high in fibre or adding fibre to foods can benefit your health.
Why do I need fibre in my diet?
Barley fibre has wonderful health benefits
- it helps you feel fuller for longer – helps Weight-Loss
- it is a food for your Gut Bacteria
- it helps to maintains a healthy bowel
- it helps to lower cholesterol
- it helps to stabilise metabolism
Heart Up+ claims to help lower total and LDL cholesterol, support the gut bacteria and stabilise metabolism. It is unique barley milled into a fine grain, sold in an air-tight, resealable pouch.
Remember when you increase the fibre in your diet, stay adequately hydrated with water.
How do I use it?
Heart Up+ is a wholegrain food that can be added to foods such as smoothies, yogurts and salads and cooked in recipes and dishes such as porridge, soups, stews, sauces, casseroles and even scrambled eggs. Consumers report that it tastes best when cooked and also that it does not alter the flavour of the dish. It thickens a dish rather like lentils and has a grainy texture in yogurts.
Where do I find fibre in food?
Wholegrains, Pulses (beans, lentils), Nuts/Seeds, Vegetables & Fruit are the main food sources of dietary fibre. Heart Up+ Barley has been shown to be particularly good as it contains a soluble fibre called beta-glucan, which has been scientifically proven through authorised health claims of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to provide health benefits when eaten at specific doses:
- Barley beta-glucan has been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3g beta-glucan (3 scoops of Heart Up+)
- Barley beta-glucan contributes to the reduction of blood sugar rise after a meal. The beneficial effect is obtained by consuming 4g beta-glucan (4 scoops of Heart Up+) for each 30g of available carbohydrates as part of that meal.
- Barley grain fibre contributes to an increase in faecal bulk. The claimed effect refers to the improvement of bowel function by increasing faecal bulk.
- Note: the scoop is provided in the packet
Carbohydrates & Diabetes
Carbohydrates have the greatest effect on blood glucose levels therefore meals that contain Starchy Vegetables (barley, potato, parsnip, carrot, peas), Grains (pasta, couscous, rice, bread, crackers) and Sugary Foods (desserts, biscuits, confectionery, sweet drinks) need to be portion-controlled. Heart Up+ can be added or cooked into healthy oats for your morning porridge breakfast or added with potatoes to stews or starchy vegetables to soups to increase fibre content. Try it and see if you enjoy any benefit.
Will I benefit from eating Heart Up+?
Heart Up+ Barley is a wholegrain food that delivers high levels of fibre and contains beta-glucan. Beta-glucan is scientifically proven through authorised health claims of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to lower bad cholesterol, reduce blood sugar rise after a meal and improve gut health.
Heart Up+ is available in Lloyds Pharmacies, McCabes Pharmacies, Sam McCauley Chemists, and Independent Pharmacies, The Health Store and Independent Health Stores, Dunnes Stores, Supervalu and Independent Stores throughout Ireland.
It is sold in 250g air-sealed packs with a scoop that allows you to measure out the exact amount of product proven in the trials to provide the health benefit/s. If the correct dosage is not taken, the health benefits may not arise, therefore if you really want to see the benefits, take the recommended dose for a period of time and decide for yourself.
But Aren’t Oats just as healthy?
Oats are healthy and are a great source of soluble fibre and beta-glucans. Heart Up+ Barley has 2 to 3 times the amount of beta-glucans as oats and they are ideal partners to augment the overall healthy fibres in your breakfast.
One pack (250g) provides over 8 meals at 4g Beta-glucan per meal.
For the month of December, BR Foods, who manufacture and distribute Heart Up+ in Ireland will donate €1 of each pack sold to Diabetes Ireland
References
- Jenkins AL, Jenkins DJ, Zdravkovic U, et al. Depression of the glycemic index by high levels of beta-glucan fiber in two functional foods tested in type 2 diabetes.Eur J Clin Nutr. 2002;56:622–8.
- Tappy L, Gugolz E, Wursch P. Effects of breakfast cereals containing various amounts of beta-glucan fibers on plasma glucose and insulin responses in NIDDM subjects.Diabetes Care. 1996;19:831–4.
- Kim YW, Kim KH, Choi HJ, et al. Anti-diabetic activity of beta-glucans and their enzymatically hydrolyzed oligosaccharides from Agaricus blazei.Biotechnol Lett. 2005;27:483–7
- Goff DC, Jr, Gerstein HC, Ginsberg HN, et al. Prevention of cardiovascular disease in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus: current knowledge and rationale for the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial.Am J Cardiol. 2007;99:4i–20i