In recent years, clinical studies have affirmed the ability of oatmeal and oat bran to reduce blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and generally reduce the long term risk of heart disease.
In recognition of these well-established benefits, in 1996 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted manufacturers/packagers of oatmeal the right to make specific health claim about this food, stating that diets high in oat meal or oat bran may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Oat meal is one of the best unrefined carbohydrates for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels and a healthy heart. It contains beta-glucan from soluble fiber. Beta-glucan is actually a type of polysaccharide. Beta –glucan helps lower cholesterol level and significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
In the intestines, soluble fiber forms a gellike mass that binds with bile and cholesterol, promoting their excretion from the body. Because of this action, it has a potent cholesterol lowering effect, reducing both total cholesterol and LDLs.
According to the studies, one bowl of oatmeal can lower cholesterol levels between 8 and 23 percent in just three weeks. Fiber plays an important dietary role in the prevention of coronary disease.
A six-year study involving 22,000 middle-aged Finnish males showed that consuming as little as 3 g daily of soluble fiber (from the beta glucan fiber component of oats, barley or rye) reduce the risk of death from heart disease by 27%.
Oatmeal for Your Heart
