Ingredient guide
Beta-glucan
“Beta-glucan” on the front of a pack does not tell you enough. The source and the number of grams matter because EU-authorised claims for cholesterol and post-meal blood glucose apply specifically to beta-glucans from oats and barley under defined conditions.
Compare products ↓What is beta-glucan?
Beta-glucan is a type of soluble fibre made from chains of glucose. It occurs in oats and barley as well as sources such as yeast and mushrooms. These sources are not interchangeable, which is why the guide separates them below.
What does beta-glucan support?
Oat and barley beta-glucans contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels when consumed at 3 g daily. Oat and barley beta-glucans consumed as part of a meal can also help reduce the rise in blood glucose after that meal, under the relevant intake conditions.
Cholesterol: why the daily amount matters
The authorised claim states that beta-glucans contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. To use it, the food must provide at least 1 g of qualifying oat/barley beta-glucan per quantified portion, and the consumer must be informed that the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g.
Oat and barley beta-glucan support lower cholesterol
Oat beta-glucan: “Oat beta-glucan has been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease.”
Barley beta-glucan: the corresponding authorised wording applies to barley beta-glucan.
For both, consumers must be informed that the beneficial effect is obtained with 3 g per day, and the food must provide at least 1 g of the relevant oat or barley beta-glucan per quantified portion. These Article 14 disease-risk-reduction claims are separate from the authorised claim about maintaining normal blood cholesterol.
What about blood glucose after a meal?
There is a separate authorised EU claim: consumption of beta-glucans from oats or barley as part of a meal contributes to the reduction of the blood glucose rise after that meal. Its condition is much more specific: the food must contain at least 4 g beta-glucans from oats or barley for each 30 g of available carbohydrates in the quantified portion as part of the meal.
3 g/day and 4 g per 30 g carbohydrate answer different questions
The 3 g daily amount belongs to the cholesterol context. The post-meal glucose claim depends on both beta-glucan and available carbohydrate in the meal. IngredientScope therefore does not mark a product “blood-sugar claim eligible” from beta-glucan grams alone.
Beta-glucan is a family, not one ingredient
Beta-glucans are polysaccharides found in several biological sources. Oat and barley beta-glucans are cereal fibres. Yeast and mushroom beta-glucans have different structures and are often marketed for different purposes. IngredientScope therefore treats source as a core product fact rather than putting every product labelled “beta-glucan” into one interchangeable group.
What to identify first
Powder, drink mix, cereal or capsules?
Format matters because the authorised cereal beta-glucan amounts are measured in grams. Concentrated oat powders and drink mixes can supply several grams in one serving. Many capsule products supply hundreds of milligrams and may use yeast beta-glucan instead. A convenient capsule is therefore not automatically a substitute for a cereal beta-glucan product designed around the 3 g/day amount.
What should you compare?
Source
Oat, barley, yeast, mushroom or another source should be stated clearly.
Beta-glucan per serving
Do not compare only the total powder or extract weight.
Beta-glucan per recommended day
This is the easiest way to see whether an oat/barley product reaches 3 g/day.
Which beta-glucan and how much?
IngredientScope shows whether the labelled daily amount reaches the 3 g cholesterol-claim intake. This is not a product ranking.
Other ingredients & allergens
Oat drink mixes may contain milk or other ingredients; concentrated oat extracts can be simpler. Check gluten/allergen information on the local pack.
Product comparison
Compare beta-glucan products
Compare beta-glucan per day, source, serving, amount per unit, EU cholesterol-claim context, format, other ingredients and vegan suitability.
How products are ordered: by labelled daily beta-glucan amount, higher to lower; equal amounts alphabetically. The order is not a ranking.
| Product | Beta-glucan / day | Source | Recommended serving | Beta-glucan / unit | 3 g/day cholesterol claim context | Format | Other ingredients | Vegan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GymBeam Oat Beta-GlucansView product ↗ | 3 g | Oat | 2 capsules 3× daily | 500 mg | Yes — 3 g/day | Capsules | Concentrated oat beta-glucans | Yes |
| Herbalife Beta HeartView product ↗ | 3 g | Oat bran / OatWell™ | 2 scoops | 1.5 g | Yes — 3 g/day | Powdered drink mix | Oat bran powder; contains milk ingredient | No |
| Mybeta Daily CompleteView product ↗ | 3 g | Oat | 1 sachet | 3 g | Yes — 3 g/day | Drink powder | Protein, fibre, inulin; contains milk and oats | No |
| Sunday Natural Oat Beta-Glucans PowderView product ↗ | 3 g | Oat bran extract | 4.5 scoops for 3 g beta-glucan | 700 mg | Yes — 3 g/day | Powder | 70% beta-glucan oat extract; no additives stated | Yes |
| NOW Foods Beta-1,3/1,6-D-GlucanView product ↗ | 100–200 mg | Yeast | 1 capsule 1–2× daily | 100 mg beta-glucans | No — not oat/barley claim source | Vegetable capsule | Beta-1,3/1,6-D-glucan; ImmunEnhancer™ arabinogalactan | Yes |
EU health claim details
Authorised health claims
A quick consumer view — full regulatory list available below● Oat beta-glucan has been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease.Cholesterol & blood lipids · General population
Disease risk reduction (Article 14(1)(a))
Condition of use
Consumers must be informed that the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of oat beta-glucan. The claim may be used for foods which provide at least 1 g of oat beta-glucan per quantified portion.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA-Q-2008-681
EU legal source
Commission Regulation (EU) No 1160/2011
● Beta-glucans contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels.Cholesterol & blood lipids · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Food must contain at least 1 g of beta-glucans from oats, oat bran, barley, barley bran, or mixtures of these sources per quantified portion. Consumers must be informed that the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of beta-glucans from these sources.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1254; 2011;9(6):2207
EU legal source
SRC-432-2012
● Consumption of beta-glucans from oats or barley as part of a meal contributes to the reduction of the blood glucose rise after that meal.Blood glucose · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Food must contain at least 4 g of beta-glucans from oats or barley for each 30 g of available carbohydrates in a quantified portion as part of the meal. Consumers must be informed that the beneficial effect is obtained by consuming the beta-glucans from oats or barley as part of the meal.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2011;9(6):2207
EU legal source
SRC-432-2012
×Other assessed health claims (3)
Not authorised for use in the EUView claims ↓
Other assessed health claims (3)
Not authorised for use in the EU● For immunity. Strengthens immunity.Immune system · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Not authorised. The claimed effect was not sufficiently defined to be assessed and the claim could not therefore be substantiated.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2011;9(6):2228
EU legal source
EU Register entry 1792
● Beta glucan from yeast as immunomodulators / support of natural defences.Immune system · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Not authorised. The claimed effect was not sufficiently defined to be assessed and the claim could not therefore be substantiated.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2011;9(6):2228
EU legal source
EU Register entry 847
● Beta glucan from yeast as immunomodulators / support of natural defences — increasing non-specific serum IgA secretion.Immune system · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Not authorised. The assessed claimed effect was not considered a beneficial physiological effect as required by the Regulation.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2011;9(6):2228
EU legal source
EU Register entry 1944
Regulatory details
Check how the claims on this page are classified and where their regulatory information comes from.
View page-level details
- Ingredient
- Beta-glucan
- Category
- Other
- NRV
- — · no EU NRV established
- Authorised claims
- 4
- Other assessed claims
- 3
- Claim framework
- EU nutrition and health claims framework. Individual claim cards show the specific claim type, conditions of use, EFSA reference and legal source available in the version data.
Tip: expand any claim above for its claim-specific source details. The European Commission's EU Register is an information service; legal acts are the authoritative source for legal requirements, and some pending claims are not shown in the Register.
Claim use requirements
How much of this nutrient must a food contain for an EU health claim to be used?
Oat beta-glucan cholesterol reduction / disease-risk claim: at least 1 g oat beta-glucan per quantified portion; beneficial effect at 3 g/day.
Barley beta-glucan cholesterol reduction / disease-risk claim: at least 1 g barley beta-glucan per quantified portion; beneficial effect at 3 g/day.
Post-meal blood glucose: at least 4 g oat/barley beta-glucan per 30 g available carbohydrate in the quantified meal portion.
Sources
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 — authorised EU health claims ↗
- EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1254 — beta-glucans and maintenance of normal blood cholesterol ↗
- EFSA Journal 2011;9(6):2207 — beta-glucans and blood cholesterol ↗
- EFSA Journal 2011;9(6):2203 — beta-glucans and post-prandial glycaemic responses ↗