Dear Alice,
I read on a box of Quaker oats that oatmeal is "like little sponges that soak up
extra cholesterol" and that a person can bring his/her cholesterol down to normal or
below normal by eating a daily bowl of oatmeal (without milk or butter) and cutting
back on high cholesterol foods. Is this true? I don't like oatmeal and want to be
certain that this diet is going to work before I force myself to have a daily dose of
it. I also get daily exercise (usually walking).
— Haulin' Oats
Dear Haulin' Oats,
Actually, you can go for that, yes can do. Here's the whole story.
In accordance with the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may authorize a health claim only
if there is significant scientific agreement that it is true —
meaning accurate and not misleading to consumers. In 1997, the FDA
allowed whole oat food manufacturers to make the health claim that their
products reduce the risk of heart disease, as long as it met their
criteria. Scientifically, the basis for this assertion is that the
dietary fiber found in oats has been shown to help lower cholesterol, one
of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
The type of fiber oats contain is soluble fiber. Beta-Glucan, the
water-soluble fiber prevalent in oats, appears to be the active
ingredient that decreases LDL (low density lipoprotein, the harmful
cholesterol) and total cholesterol. Since soluble fiber has a high
water-holding capacity, it becomes gooey when dissolved in water. This
feature allows soluble fiber to travel slowly through the digestive tract
and to attach to bile acids in the intestine, carrying them out of
the body as waste. Since bile acids are made from cholesterol, soluble
fiber helps with the absorption of less dietary cholesterol.
In order to qualify for the health claim, the food item must be whole oat
and provide at least 0.75 grams of soluble fiber per serving. The
assertion must also include the words, "Diets low in saturated fat and
cholesterol;" otherwise, consumers may think that eating oats is all they
need to do to lower their risk of heart disease.
So, how much oat does one really need? An analysis of thirteen
studies done by Rispin, et. al. and published in a 1992 issue of the
Journal of the American Medical Association showed that two
servings of oats daily reduced cholesterol 2 - 3 percent beyond what was
achieved with a low-fat diet alone. About three grams of soluble fiber a
day is how much one would need to see a cholesterol lowering effect from
adding it to one's eating plan [20 - 35 grams of total fiber (soluble and
insoluble) a day is recommended].
Other sources of soluble fiber may help instead of, or in addition to, the oats. Some examples of dietary soluble fiber include:
| Food |
Serving Size |
Soluble fiber (grams) |
| Kidney beans (cooked) |
½ cup |
2.0 |
| Pinto beans (cooked) |
½ cup |
2.0 |
| Brussels sprouts (cooked) |
½ cup |
2.0 |
| Oat bran (dry) |
1/3 cup |
2.0 |
| Orange |
1 medium |
1.8 |
| Oatmeal (dry) |
1/3 cup |
1.3 |
| Apple |
1 medium |
1.2 |
| Broccoli (cooked) |
½ cup |
1.1 |
| Grapefruit |
½ medium |
1.1 |
| Spinach (cooked) |
½ cup |
0.5 |
| Brown rice (cooked) |
½ cup |
0.4 |
| Whole wheat bread |
1 slice |
0.4 |
| Grapes |
1 cup |
0.3 |
To reduce the risk for heart disease further, keep weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure at healthy levels; don't smoke; and, exercise regularly. Also munch on plenty of fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Oat cereals can be a part of that healthy eating plan, but if you can't stand them, don't force feed yourself; many other strategies and dietary sources of soluble fiber are available that you can use to improve your (heart) health.
- Alice
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A bowl of oatmeal a day keeps the cholesterol at bay?
