Are high MW beta-glucans better?
High MW beta-glucans are not “better” than moderate MW beta-glucans. Clinical trials have shown that beta-glucans with high or moderate MW are equally effective in reducing blood cholesterol (22) and blood glucose and insulin levels (5). Although higher MW beta-glucans are more viscous outside the body, viscosities in the intestine, where they work, are similar for beta-glucans of differing MW (15,16). This is consistent with the evidence that beta-glucans are partially broken down in the intestine to produce molecules of reduced MW. These moderate MW beta-glucans appear to be responsible for increased intestinal viscosities.
