Dietary fibre
 

Dietary fibre is composed of a group of complex carbohydrates that cannot be digested by humans; they are found in the walls of vegetable cells and can be divided into the following types:  
                                                     
INSOLUBLE FIBRE
Mainly found in cereal bran, it helps regulate gastrointestinal functions. It does not ferment in the colon, it helps prevent constipation and speeds up intestinal transit time, but it does not have a direct effect on cholesterol levels and the use of glucose.
 
SOLUBLE FIBRE
Can be found in some pulses, in vegetables and in cereals such as barley and oats.  Soluble fibre, such as barley beta-glucans, is metabolised by intestinal bacterial flora and is capable of absorbing water, forming a gelatinous compound that increases the volume and viscosity of the contents of the intestine, thus slowing down the rate at which it is emptied. This regulates the absorption of some nutrients such as fats and sugars, helping to control the level of glucose and reduce cholesterol.
 
How to increase the amount of dietary fibre in your diet
The recommended daily intake of dietary fibre is about 25 to 30g for the adult population; at least 10g of which should be soluble fibre.
In Italy, many people follow a diet that has become very different to the famous Mediterranean Diet followed previously, because it now contains a lot more products of animal origin and less of vegetable origin.
The intake of dietary fibre is therefore much lower than it should be. That is why the healthy eating guidelines insist on promoting the consumption of fruit, vegetables and whole wheat or high-fibre cereals.
It is still not easy to increase the intake of soluble fibre (pectin, beta-glucans, etc.) as it is not found in abundance in most foods of vegetable origin.
A good solution to this is to eat foods that have been enriched with soluble fibre, such as barley beta-glucans, foods like Granoro “CuoreMio Bio” pasta. 
 

Barley

Barley dates back to the Stone Age and was grown by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.
Wild barley was first grown in an area known as the Fertile Crescent, located in the Middle East, and from there it spread to Asia Minor and northern Africa before reaching Europe.
Numerous ancient texts state that of all the cereals grown for food, barley was the one in greatest abundance.  The Egyptians used barley to make focaccias and unleavened bread. Pliny the Elder wrote how Roman gladiators were known as “hordearii”, meaning “barley men”, because barley was their staple food: it was believed that this cereal was capable of giving them greater strength and resistance.
This cereal is now quickly gaining in popularity in Italy; it is mainly used to produce beer and whisky, but it can be eaten as pearl barley or transformed into flour it can be used to make pasta, bread and baked products.
 

How do beta-glucans work?
 

The barley beta-glucans contained in Granoro’s CuoreMio Bio pasta have various positive effects on our health.
They absorb water, forming a gelatinous substance in the gastrointestinal tract that increases the volume of food ingested. This dilutes the nutrients, increasing the time it takes for them to be absorbed.
 
Beta-glucans therefore:

• Increase the elimination of bile acids, thus reducing the absorption and endogenous production of cholesterol;
• Reduce the absorption of fats, lowering blood cholesterol levels, in particular the level of bad cholesterol (LDL);
• Reduce the absorption of sugars, reducing glycemic peaks after a meal;
• Slow down gastric emptying, creating a feeling of fullness;
• Help to control body weight.

• The beneficial effect can be obtained by consuming 3g of barley beta-glucans a day;
• A 100g portion of CuoreMio pasta provides 3g of beta-glucans, which is precisely the daily amount required to reduce blood cholesterol;
• A healthy lifestyle and regular physical exercise are the greatest allies for a healthy heart;
• Various risk factors must be taken into account in the control of cholesterol, so you should always consult your doctor for an assessment.

EATING FOR A HEALTHY HEART
 

To prevent cardiovascular diseases, your diet should meet the following essential characteristics:

• Total fats in the diet: less than 30% of total energy
• Saturated fats: less than 10% of total energy
• Cholesterol: less than 300mg per day
• Dietary fibre: at least 25-30g per day
• Salt: less than 5-6g per day

CHOLESTEROL
 

HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

An increase in the total blood cholesterol level is considered a risk, but an increase in LDL cholesterol (“bad cholesterol”) carries the highest risk. It has also been seen that cardiovascular diseases occur more frequently when the HDL (or “good cholesterol”) level is low.
Total cholesterolemia, in LDL and HDL, is easy to measure using a simple blood test that must be repeated over time.
The reference values summarised here below may help give a rough idea to start with. Please consult a doctor for a more in-depth assessment.
Strategies for managing cholesterol                                 
To control excess cholesterol and prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease, various risk factors must be considered.
A balanced diet and regular physical exercise is key to the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, as they will help protect the health of the heart and circulatory system. It is important to eat foods of vegetable origin that are high in fibre, above all soluble fibre, and reduce the consumption of saturated fats, found in butter, cheese, cured meats and meat-based products.
 
In some cases though, a good diet is not enough and medication will be required, which must be administered under the control of a doctor.
 
Risk factors
A risk factor increases the likelihood of suffering from a cardiovascular disease. The simultaneous presence of multiple factors considerably increases this possibility.
Some risk factors are unchangeable:

• Sedentary lifestyle: regular physical exercise helps control changeable risk factors such as excess weight, diabetes, changes in cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
• Smoking: the risk increases with only a few cigarettes a day. Even passive smoking, that is to say being in a closed environment where other people are smoking, is harmful.
• Blood pressure: this is often an invisible enemy as many people are not aware that they have high blood pressure.
• Total cholesterolemia: excess cholesterol accumulates in the artery walls and contributes to the development of atherosclerosis. LDL cholesterol is the most harmful.
• HDL cholesterolemia: HDL is removed by the body and eliminated in bile. Low HDL cholesterol levels are therefore not good for our health.
• Diabetes: the risk increases greatly if the blood sugar level is not kept under control.
• Obesity: being overweight and obesity have a negative effect on other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, HDL cholesterol and diabetes. Excess weight also increases the workload for the heart.

FROM FUNCTIONAL FOOD TO NUTRACEUTICAL FOOD
 

The project to determine the nutraceutical characteristics of beta-glucans got off the ground in 2012, thanks to an agreement established between Granoro and the Institute of Life Sciences of the Scuola Superiore di Sant’Anna in Pisa.
To date, the only claim used in relation to CuoreMio Bio pasta refers to the degree to which barley beta-glucans can help reduce blood cholesterol levels; however the latest research conducted by the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa seems to show that CuoreMio Bio pasta can offer further health benefits, as the benefits of the fibre may remain even after the digestive process.
Water-soluble barley beta-glucans are capable of stimulating the formation of new blood vessels in the presence of oxidative stress:  they could therefore help those who have suffered a heart attack to “repair” their heart.  The research, presented in Spain at the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology and published by the scientific publication, “Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine”, represents an important development, not just for the International Scientific Community, but also for the world of pasta and for Granoro, which funded the study.
The study showed that treatment of cardiac endothelial cells with barley beta-glucans increases the levels of an essential enzyme, manganese superoxide dismutases, already known for its ability to increase antioxidant defences and the revascularizing (that is to say repairing) properties of the endothelial progenitor cells.  The increase in this enzyme increases the endothelial production of nitric oxide, a known vasodilator, and increases the ability to regenerate blood vessels, thus helping to “repair” the heart of a person who has suffered a heart attack.
This is the latest development: beta-glucans are not only valuable because they help maintain normal blood cholesterol levels, they also stimulate the endothelium’s endogenous capacity to generate new vessels, above all in the presence of a similar ischemic oxidative stress.
Eating CuoreMio Bio pasta for a few weeks protects the heart from damage caused by ischemia and reperfusion (damage similar to that caused when cardiac blood perfusion is restored after coronary angioplasty). This considerably increases the survival rate of those who follow the “CuoreMio Bio” diet. 
How? The tests are revealing fine regulatory mechanisms activated by the diet. However, eating the pasta gradually leads to an effective increase in the number of collateral coronary capillaries that allow cardiac tissue to compensate for the brusque reduction in myocardial perfusion. Amazingly, a daily intake of 3% of beta-glucans induces the expression of Parkin, a protein that promotes the survival of cardiac cells during an ischemic stress.
This shows that the amount of beta-glucans contained in a portion of pasta can have a considerable cardioprotective effect when eaten on a daily basis.
 

EFSA’s opinion – Beta-glucans help reduce blood cholesterol:

EFSA  - European Food Safety Authority
US FDA FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION – US government body for the control of food and drugs.