【Introduction】
The previous research reports that 30% barley rice (70% white rice and 30% barley) reduces visceral fat. However, that study used white rice as the control diet, so it was unknown which barley component caused the effect*1.
Therefore, to verify whether the visceral fat-reducing effect of barley consumption is due to β-glucan, this comparative study using high-β-glucan barley KirariMochi and β-glucan free barley Shikoku-Hadaka 84 (bgl).
【Materials and Methods】
The subjects were 100 men and women aged 30 to 70 years with an abdominal circumference of 85 cm or more for men, 90 cm or more for women, and a BMI of 24 or more. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups, and each group was given the following test diets twice a day for 12 weeks.
Control diet group (bgl group): 1 package of 10% Shikoku-Hadaka 84 bgl barley rice, 200 g (free β-glucan)
Test diet group (KirariMochi group): 1 package of 50% Kirarimochi barley rice, 200g (containing 2.2 g of β-glucan)
The ingredients were processed to be visually indistinguishable.
【Results】
Forty-eight subjects in the control group and 50 subjects in the test group were analyzed. The visceral fat area was significantly reduced between before and after the test periods by 6.8㎠ in the control group and 10.7㎠ in the test group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups. When limited to subjects with a visceral fat area of 100㎠ or more, 7.0㎠ and 16.8㎠ reductions showed significant differences between the groups (P<0.05).
【Discussion and Conclusion】
The significant reduction in visceral fat area in both groups was probably because the total energy intake and carbohydrate intake from other foods were reduced by eating barley rice twice a day. There was a significant difference between the groups in subjects with a visceral fat area of 100㎠ or more, suggesting that the intake of 4.4 g of β-glucan per day reduces excess visceral fat. This study is probably the first double-blind evidence of visceral fat reduction by barley intake.
【Research institution】
Otsuma Women's University
National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO)
Western Region Agricultural Research Center
*1 Luminacoids Research 18, 1, 25-33, 2014
Effects of high beta-glucan barley on visceral fat obesity in Japanese subjects: a randomized double blind study
Nutrition 42, 1-6, 2017
