Arabinoxylan

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See also : MGN-3
Arabinoxylan is a hemicellulose found in both the primary and secondary cell walls of plants, including woods and cereal grains, consisting of copolymers of two pentose sugars – arabinose and xylose. It is found in the outer shell of cereal grains (such as wheat and rice).

Special Precautions of Arabinoxylan

Since arabinoxylan may lower blood sugar levels, there's some concern that using arabinoxylan in combination with diabetes medications may have harmful effects.

Health Benefits and uses of Arabinoxylan are

  • Diabetes : Arabinoxylan may help manage diabetes, according to a small study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2004. For the study, 15 diabetes patients supplemented their diets with either arabinoxylan-enriched bread and muffins or with bread and muffins made only with whole wheat and white flour. After five weeks, study members given the arabinoxylan-enriched bread and muffins showed a significantly greater improvement in blood sugar control. Arabinoxylan may also help regulate blood sugar in people without diabetes, suggests a small study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2000. After consuming a breakfast containing arabinoxylan-enriched bread, study members were found to have significantly lower blood sugar concentrations (compared to when they consumed a breakfast that did not contain arabinoxylan-enriched bread). The study included 14 healthy participants.
  • Gastrointestinal Health : A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2012 indicates that arabinoxylan may help improve gut health. In a clinical trial involving 63 healthy adults, the study's authors observed that consuming 10 grams of arabinoxylan-enriched wheat bran every day for three weeks was associated with improvement in several markers of gastrointestinal health, including a decrease in the frequency of constipation occurrence.
  • Obesity : Preliminary research suggests that arabinoxylan may have anti-obesity effects. In a 2011 study published in PLoS One, for example, mice fed an arabinoxylan-enriched diet experienced a decrease in fat tissue and weight gain. Arabinoxylan also appeared to help lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and improve insulin sensitivity. However, it's presently unknown whether arabinoxylan might help fight obesity in humans.
  • Cancer : Arabinoxylan shows promise in the treatment of some forms of cancer. For instance, a study published in Anticancer Research in 2010 found that a combination of arabinoxylan and an interventional therapy involving chemotherapy was beneficial in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Compared to study members given the interventional therapy only, those assigned to the combination treatment had a lower recurrence of the disease, a higher rate of survival, and a greater decrease in tumor volume. The three-year-long clinical trial included 68 patients. It's important to note that more research is needed before arabinoxylan can be recommended in treatment of any type of cancer.
  • In addition, arabinoxylan is used to stimulate the immune system in people undergoing cancer treatment (including chemotherapy). Some proponents also suggest that arabinoxylan can help fight cancer.
  • Arabinoxylan is also thought to act as a prebiotic, a type of substance that promotes the growth of probiotics (beneficial bacteria shown to enhance gut health and stimulate the immune system).

References