meta-analysis<\/a> published in Taylor & Francis online found that eating three grams of barley a day could cut LDL cholesterol by up to 15 per cent within eight weeks, making it one of the most effective natural dietary tools for heart health.<\/p>\nBut Sarah suggests that dietary improvements often hinge on modest, consistent changes, and less on major overhauls. <\/p>\n
She adds that those considering the switch may want to note that barley contains gluten, making it unsuitable for individuals with gluten sensitivities.<\/p>\n
“Including more soluble fibre in meals is a great place to start. If you’re eating more fibre, you also need to drink more water,” she advised.<\/p>\n
Beyond barley and oats, she recommends beans, lentils, nuts and seeds as additional fibre sources, alongside fruit, vegetables and healthy fats like olive oil or avocado.<\/p>\n
Though barley typically features in hearty soups and stews, it proves equally suited to the breakfast table.<\/p>\n
Sophie Nahmad, Lead Recipe Developer at Gousto, champions its morning potential.<\/p>\n
![\"BARLEY](\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201200%20800'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\")
<\/p>\n
Barley contains beta-glucan, the same cholesterol-lowering soluble fibre found in oats<\/p>\n
| <\/p>\n
GETTY<\/p>\n
“Cooked barley has a naturally creamy texture and a slightly nutty flavour,” says Nahmad. “It’s really easy to make and works beautifully as a breakfast bowl topped with fruit, yoghurt, and nuts.”<\/p>\n
Its preparation is straightforward for home cooks, making it a practical alternative for those seeking to enhance their morning routine and support cardiovascular health through simple dietary adjustments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It appears Britons are on the hunt for ways to reduce blood sugar levels naturally, with searches for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":517738,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[616,102,655,6636,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-517737","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-diet","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-lifestyle","11":"tag-nutrition","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=517737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517737\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/517738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=517737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=517737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=517737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"barley](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/barley-soup.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"BARLEY](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/barley-in-palm.jpg\")
<\/p>\n