Beta-glucans are two interventions sharing a name. Cereal fibre from oats and barley thickens gut contents, lowering harmful blood cholesterol and flattening after-meal blood sugar; effects stop when the fibre stops. Yeast and mushroom forms engage first-line immune cells: fatigue and vigour improve, colds ease in severity more reliably than in number. Harms are mild and mostly digestive. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Apolipoprotein B (apoB) | <80 mg/dL; <60 mg/dL if cardiovascular risk is high | Counts atherogenic particles directly, one per particle |
| LDL cholesterol | <100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L); <70 mg/dL if risk is high | The endpoint the cereal fibre mechanism targets |
| Non-HDL cholesterol | <130 mg/dL | Captures triglyceride-rich particles that LDL alone misses |
| HbA1c | 4.8–5.4% | Shows whether the after-meal effect translates into sustained glycaemic change |
| Fasting glucose | 75–86 mg/dL | Baseline against which the glycaemic effect is judged |
| Fasting insulin | 2–5 µIU/mL | Detects compensation before glucose itself rises |
| High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) | <0.5 mg/L; up to 1.0 mg/L acceptable | Whether immune activation becomes systemic inflammation |
| Ferritin and transferrin saturation | Ferritin 30–100 ng/mL; saturation 25–35% | Viscous fibre binds divalent minerals in the gut lumen |
| Serum (1,3)-β-D-glucan | No established target and no role in routine monitoring; if testing is clinically necessary, track against the individual's own pre-supplement value | Avoids misreading a fungal infection assay |
Cadence: Lipids and apoB at six to eight weeks, then at six months and annually; HbA1c at three months; iron studies at six months, then annually if stable