Sahlgrenska Academyat University of GothenburgDepartment of Internal Medicine and Clinical NutritionAbstractTitle: The effect of naturally existent beta-glucan in adults with hypercholesterolemia. - a systematic review with focus on the Swedish food market.Author: Ida Edman Hellberg, Frida HanssonSupervisor: Mette AxelsenExaminer: Anna WinkvistProgramme: Dietician study programme, 180/240 ECTSType of paper: Examination paper, 15 hpDate: May 01, 2014Background EFSA states in 2010 that there are good evidence that three grams of beta-glucan/day from oat as a part of a balanced diet, has a positive effect on total cholesterol and LDL.Objective Evaluate if there is evidence for primary treatment of lifestyle related hypercholesterolemia with products naturally containing beta-glucan.Search strategyIn February 2014 the databases PubMed and Scopus were used for article research. The search terms used were; cholesterol level, beta-glucan, hypercholesterolemia, oat and barley.Selection criteria Articles, written in Swedish and English, on RCT-studies conducted on otherwise healthy adults with hypercholesterolemia (serum cholesterol >5,0 mmol/L) were included. The intervention product must naturally contain beta-glucan, and an equally product should be retailed in Swedish grocery stores. The control group needed to be supplied with a placebo product and the participants could not be on any lipid-lowering Medication.