Oats Stand the Test of Time

Various studies have looked at whether oats truly benefit the cardiovascular system. Now a review published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (Volume 2, page 51) says the grain has lived up to the claims.

Oats were a nutritional darling during the 1990s, after the Food and Drug Administration announced oats may reduce the risk of developing heart disease when combined with a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

By assessing 10 years of studies, authors of the recent report found that almost all of the research on oats' effects reached the same conclusion: Eating oats may reduce blood concentrations of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol without adverse affects on levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or triglycerides.

The review also reported that diets rich in whole grains such as oats (three or more servings per day) may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Research suggests that the soluble fiber in oats increases bile acid excretion, which in turn reduces cholesterol levels in the blood. Oats have the highest proportion of soluble fiber of any grain.

Bottom line: Eat more oats. To add oats to your diet, fix yourself a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast (preferably with no added sugar) or opt for products rich with the healthy grain. Just remember that many foods have "oat" in their names but contain only small amounts; look for whole oats, oatmeal, or oat bran as the first ingredient.