The Influence of Daily Intake of Whole Grain Barley or Oats on Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease

Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women between the ages of 25-70 years * Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 19 and ≤ 38 * Willingness and ability to make scheduled appointments at clinical site as required by study protocol Exclusion Criteria: * Do not regularly consume breakfast or dislike cereal for breakfast * Known (self-reported) allergy or adverse reaction to grains (e.g., wheat, gluten, barley) * Presence of kidney disease, liver disease, gout, untreated or unstable hypothyroidism, untreated or unstable hyperthyroidism, certain cancers, gastrointestinal disease, pancreatic disease, other metabolic diseases, or malabsorption syndromes * Type 2 diabetes requiring the use of oral antidiabetic agents or insulin * Fasting triglycerides \> 300 mg/dL * Fasting glucose \> 126 mg/dL * Use of cholesterol lowering medication * Blood pressure \> 180/100 or hypertension treated with calcium channel blockers, direct acting vasodilators, or beta blockers * History of bariatric or certain other surgeries related to weight control * History of major surgery within 3 months of enrollment * Smokers or other tobacco users (during 6 months prior to the start of the study) * Antibiotic use during the intervention or for 3 months prior to the intervention period * History of eating disorders or other dietary patterns which are not consistent with the dietary intervention (e.g., vegetarians, very low fat diets, high protein diets) * Volunteers who have lost 10% of body weight within the last 6 months * Unable or unwilling to give informed consent or communicate with study staff * Self-report of alcohol or substance abuse within the past 12 months and/or current acute treatment or rehabilitation program for these problems (long-term participation in Alcoholics Anonymous is not an exclusion) * Other medical, psychiatric, or behavioral factors that in the judgment of the Principal Investigator may interfere with study participation or the ability to follow the intervention protocol