Oats- The Cholesterol Cure?

Oats, a part of horse feed is now a hot breakfast cereal. Although oats are hulled, this process does not strip away their bran and germ allowing them to retain a concentrated source of their fiber and nutrients, thus preserving their health benefits.

Healthy Heart
Diabetes Control
Weight Maintenance
Good antioxidant status

 

Healthy Heart:

 

Dietary Fiber plays an important role in maintaining our health and protecting us against many diseases like Diabetes, Heart Diseases and Cancer. Oats, oat bran, and oatmeal contain a specific type of fiber known as beta-glucan. It is a soluble fiber that helps in decreasing LDL (bad cholesterol), improving glycemic index, provides satiety and promotes normal laxation.

 

Soluble fiber present in oats, works by binding the bile acids which are made of cholesterol and shunting them out of the body before they can be recycled, thus the body must make more of those bile acids for the digestive process and to do so it must turn to the cholesterol in the blood. Little by little, as more bile acids are eliminated and more cholesterol is used to manufacture more bile acids, cholesterol levels in the blood drops.

 

 One of the special things about the way oat works unlike other fibers is that it lowers only bad cholesterol while levels of good cholesterol (HDL) remain unchanged. This means an even better ratio between total cholesterol and HDL, ensuring increased protection against heart disease.

 

Oatmeal is the only whole grain food recognized by the FDA to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, thereby allows its claim as a heart protective ingredient in food labels. A study confirmed that people eating the most water-soluble dietary fiber (the kind present in oats) had 10% risk reduction in cardio-vascular disease (Archives of Internal Medicine, September 8, 2003). Studies also show that in individuals with high cholesterol (above 220 mg/dl), consuming just 3 grams of soluble oat fiber per day (an amount found in one bowl of oatmeal) typically lowers total cholesterol by 8-23%. This is highly significant since each 1% drop in serum cholesterol translates to a 2% decrease in the risk of developing heart disease.

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Diabetes Control:

 

Numerous studies have linked cereal fiber intake to reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Oat beta-glucan may delay gastric emptying time and consequently affect the rate of uptake of glucose from the small intestine. Also, the high viscosity of oat beta-glucan may delay absorption of glucose, which may be another possible mechanism. A study reported that oat bran flour high in beta-glucan had a low glycemic response and helped improve diabetes control.

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Weight Maintenance:

 

A fiber-rich meal is processed more slowly, which promotes earlier satiety, thereby prevents obesity. In addition, high complex carbohydrate content; and low glycemic index contribute to weight reduction.

 

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Good antioxidant status:

 

Epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of whole grains and grain-based products is associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases. The health benefits of whole grains are attributed in part to their unique phytochemical composition. A study at Tufts University reported that antioxidant compounds unique to oats, called avenanthramides, help prevent free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, (The Journal of Nutrition, June 2004).

 

One type of phytochemical especially abundant in whole grains including oats are plant lignans, which are converted by friendly flora in our intestines into mammalian lignans, including one called enterolactone that is thought to protect against breast and other hormone-dependent cancers; osteoporosis as well as heart disease.

Oats are also a very good source of selenium, a powerful antioxidant. Selenium is helpful in relieving asthma. It is also involved in cell repair and is associated with a reduced risk for diseases like cancer, especially colon cancer and heart disease.

 

To derive the benefit of oats, just a serving (a bowl full of cereal) may be a good idea. Better still add it to your chapattis and breads or even thicken your soups and dals.

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