Dose response to soluble fiber in barley in lowering blood lipids in hamster

Diets containing 0, 25, 50, or 75% finely ground barley (high in soluble fiber and soluble beta-glucans) were fed to groups of hamsters. After four weeks, serum total cholesterol (CH) levels in these animals were most elevated in the group fed the barley-free (0% barley) diet. Compared to animals eating this diet, the 25% barley diet lowered CH by 16.4%. However, the 50% barley diet lowered CH further by only 4.1% while the 75% barley diet caused virtually no further lowering of CH. Thus, the CH-lowering response to barley cannot be viewed as a dose dependent response. The lowering pattern for serum triglycerides, however, suggested a dose dependent response. Serum total-CH: high-density-lipoprotein (HDL)-CH or low-density-lipoprotein (LDL)-CH:HDL-CH ratios were not significantly affected by barley level in the diets.