Oats are a nutritious whole food grain that can help to
prevent heart disease and diabetes. Oats contain a special
type of fiber that is called beta-glucan. Studies dating
back over 40 years have consistently shown the beneficial
effects of beta-glucan on cholesterol levels. In individuals
with cholesterol above 220, consuming only 3 grams of
soluble oat fiber per day (an amount found in one bowl of
oatmeal) typically lowers total cholesterol by 8-23%. Each
1% drop in cholesterol equates to a 2% decrease in the risk
of developing heart disease. Now that's an easy way to take
care of your heart.
Studies also show that beta-glucan has beneficial effects in
diabetes as well. Type 2 diabetics who ate foods high in
this type of oat fiber such as oatmeal or oat bran
experienced much lower rises in blood sugar compared to
those who were ate processed foods. Starting out your day
with whole food oats may make it easier to keep blood sugar
levels under control the rest of the day, especially when
the rest of your day is also includes other whole foods that
are rich in fiber.
More recently, researchers from the Human Nutrition Research
Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, report that oats
may have another heart protective quality. Their findings
were reported in The Journal of Nutrition, June 2007, and
indicate that oats contain unique antioxidant compounds
called avenanthramides. These special antioxidant compounds
help prevent free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol
thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
In another study also conducted at Tufts and published in
the journal Atherosclerosis, researchers exposed human
arterial wall cells to purified avenenthramides from oats
for 24 hours, and found that these oat phenols significantly
suppressed the production of several types of molecules
which cause arteries to become clogged.
