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Do Oats Lower Your Cholesterol

Oat Structure And Composition

Oats to Lower Cholesterol

A food matrix can be described as the structure and hierarchical organisation of the components of a food product. The spatial arrangement and the relationship between the components constitutive of the plant food matrix can occur naturally or result from processing . The oat grain is a complex matrix containing the protective hull and the groat , the latter being composed of the bran, germ and starchy endosperm . The bran is a coarse outer layer rich in minerals, vitamins, and cell wall polysaccharides, mainly cellulose, arabinoxylan and -glucan. Below the pericarp and seed coat of the bran, there are the aleurone and subaleurone layers joined to the endosperm. The aleurone and subaleurone cells are surrounded by thick cell walls resistant to digestion, whereas the endosperm cells have thinner cell walls, rich in -glucan. The oat protein and lipid increase in concentration from the interior to the periphery of the groat, while starch increases from the subaleurone region to the centre of the endosperm. The structure and composition of the proteins and glutelins) differ depending on the part of the grain in which they are located. Two types of starch granules exist in the endosperm: compound and single granules. The proportions of amylose and amylopectin, and the size of the granules vary between oat varieties.

Structural representation of the oat grain presenting different oat tissues and the nutrient distribution/organisation within these tissues.

Oats May Help Relieve Constipation

Elderly people often experience constipation, with infrequent, irregular bowel movements that are difficult to pass.

Laxatives are often used to relieve constipation in the elderly. However, while theyre effective, theyre also associated with weight loss and reduced quality of life .

Studies indicate that oat bran, the fiber-rich outer layer of the grain, may help relieve constipation in older people .

One trial found that well-being improved for 30 elderly patients who consumed a soup or dessert containing oat bran daily for 12 weeks .

Whats more, 59% of those patients were able to stop using laxatives after the 3-month study, while overall laxative use increased by 8% in the control group.

Bottom Line:

Studies indicate that oat bran can help reduce constipation in elderly individuals, significantly reducing the need to use laxatives.

Your Metabolism Will Speed Up If You Eat Oats

If youve been feeling like your metabolism could use a makeover, steel-cut oatmeal may be the ticket. When speaking with She Finds, Jennifer Stagg, a naturopathic physician and author of Unzip Your Genes: 5 Choices to Reveal a Radically Radiant You, recommended readers make steel-cut oats their go-to breakfast.

When eating a complex carbohydrate like oatmeal, your metabolism has the opportunity to run like its supposed to like a well-oiled machine. People who eat good carbs like oatmeal have more energy and reduced sugar cravings, Stagg explained when speaking to the publication.

Although you may correlate a fast metabolism with feeling hungry all the time, you dont have to worry about being hangryonce your metabolism improves. As highlighted above, oatmeal is still going to keep you full even the steel-cut kind. Just as the fiber in instant oatmeal will help you stay satiated, the texture of steel-cut oats can actually work to do the same. Because it takes longer to chew, and therefore eat, your body has time to realize when its full. Who knew oatmeal was this magical?

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Eating More Oats Can Help You Lower Your Cholesterol Significantly

One systematic review found that oat consumption can lead to 3 percent to 6 percent reductions in total cholesterol and 4 percent to 8 percent reductions in LDL-cholesterol. The researchers estimate that these reductions translate into a 6 percent to 18 percent lower risk for cardiovascular disease.

People with high cholesterol already, or conditions like diabetes, likely benefit even more from adding oats to their diet.

Your Body Produces Cholesterol Too

How Much Oatmeal You Need to Lower Your Cholesterol

Dietary cholesterol from foods only a small effect on your blood cholesterol, especially compared with the much greater increase caused by saturated fat. Your body makes its own cholesterol, so its best to avoid foods that may lead to high blood cholesterol levels. Visit your GP to have your cholesterol tested with a detailed blood lipid test, which requires you to fast for 12 hours prior. The test will measure your total cholesterol levels, good HDL and bad LDL cholesterol levels, and a type of blood fat called triglycerides. Adults aged 45 years and older are at greater risk of high cholesterol, so its particularly important to be regularly tested if you’re in this age bracket.

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One Major Effect Oatmeal Has On Your Cholesterol Says Dietitian

Oatmeal is one of the most popular breakfast choices in the United States, and it’s for good reason. Not only is it delicious, but the health benefits of oatmeal are through the roof. Oats have been known to help manage blood sugar, improve your gut microbiome and gut health, help you manage your weight, and even help you lower your cholesterol.

According to our medical expert Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, author of The First Time Mom’s Pregnancy Cookbook and Fueling Male Fertility, oatmeal can help you lower or manage your LDL cholesterol because of its unique fiber content.

Oatmeal has a fiber called beta-glucans, and this fiber is a superstar addition to a diet when people are trying to lower their cholesterol, as this fiber essentially ‘binds’ LDL cholesterol, allowing it to be removed from the body before it is absorbed,” says Manaker.

Continue reading to learn more about how oatmeal can lower cholesterol, and for more healthy heart tips, check out The Best Foods That Can Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease.

Oats are full of both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber, which is what gives them many health benefits. Soluble fiber turns into a gelatinous substance in your body and has been known to help specifically with cholesterol, blood sugar, and healthy digestion.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve and instead helps you stay regular and softens your stool. Both types are important in maintaining a healthy diet.

How Can I Lower My Cholesterol In 30 Days

A few changes in your diet can reduce cholesterol and improve your heart health:

  • Reduce saturated fats. Saturated fats, found primarily in red meat and full-fat dairy products, raise your total cholesterol.
  • Eliminate trans fats.
  • Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Increase soluble fiber.
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    How Oatmeal Lowers Cholesterol For Heart Health

    A morning bowl of oatmeal can give you benefits towards heart health, including lowering your cholesterol. Oatmeal is made of ground oats that can be made into a variety of foods, including porridges, cookies, and snacks. Studies also have shown that oatmeal has some heart-healthy benefits. This is mainly due to the rich source of water-soluble dietary fibers, particularly beta-glucan, that are found in oatmeal.

    Over the years, there have been many research studies that have proven the benefits of oatmeal in lowering cholesterol levels. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is convinced. Oatmeal was one of the first foods to carry the heart healthy distinction on its label because of promising research findings.

    Consider Your Liquid Options

    How to Lower Cholesterol With Oatmeal

    While some may choose to make their oatmeal with water, others enjoy the creaminess of oats made with milk. There are a few characteristics to keep in mind when choosing a milk that will aid in your cholesterol-lowering goals. If you prefer dairy milk, go with 1% or skim to limit the amount of cholesterol you consume. While a cup of whole milk contains about 24 milligrams of cholesterol, 1% milk provides half that, and skim only contains 5 milligrams per cup.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

    You may also consider plant-based milk alternatives, like soy, almond or oat that will contain zero milligrams of cholesterol. Choosing oat milk will provide an additional gram of soluble fiber per cup, which is a bonus however, you will want to watch out for added sugar content in any milk option. Many milk alternatives contain added sugar which may actually increase blood LDL levels.

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    How Long Does It Take Cholesterol To Go Down

    People who need to use medications such as statins to lower their cholesterol should see their cholesterol levels fall quickly. These medications may work in a matter of weeks, and they generally work to a larger degree than lifestyle changes.

    However, because diet affects the levels of cholesterol in the body, doctors commonly recommend that people make changes to their diet and lifestyle in addition to taking medications.

    Making simple changes to the diet and lifestyle can help reduce cholesterol. These changes vary depending on how strictly a person adheres to their diet. Other factors, such as exercise and reaching a moderate body weight, also play a role.

    Some dietary changes may cause minor reductions in cholesterol in as little as

    Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that the liver produces. In the body, cholesterol plays a roll in cell function and the breakdown of some types of fatty acids. The body can create all the cholesterol it needs.

    Dietary cholesterol is the other source of cholesterol, coming from the foods a person eats. Cholesterol appears in animal foods, such as meat, egg yolk, and full fat dairy products.

    Regularly eating these foods adds more cholesterol to the body and raises the levels of cholesterol in the blood.

    Additionally, some fats and oils may stimulate the liver to make more cholesterol, potentially increasing the levels even more.

    Dietary and lifestyle changes and medications can all help lower blood cholesterol levels.

    Keep Your Heart Healthy

    What makes oats so special to the point where they are one of the most researched foods when it comes to heart health? The secret lies within beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber present in oats. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, turning into a gel and acting as a sponge that binds to cholesterol and fats and removing them from the blood stream to be excreted. Research has found that eating 3 grams of beta-glucan from whole oats may reduce total cholesterol by 12 points. With 2 grams of soluble fiber present in every 40-gram serving of oats and with beta-glucan making up the majority of the soluble fiber, you may benefit from oats’ cholesterol-lowering properties by eating 1.5 servings of oats regularly.

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    Foods With Added Sterols And Stanols

    Sterols and stanols are plant chemicals which are a similar size and shape to cholesterol. They are absorbed from the intestines into the blood stream and block some cholesterol from being absorbed, lowering the cholesterol in your blood.

    We get a small amount of sterols from plant-based foods such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, but its not enough to lower cholesterol. So, food companies have developed foods with plant sterols or stanols added to them, such as mini yogurt drinks, fat spreads, milk and yogurts.

    These fortified foods lower your cholesterol gradually, over a few weeks, and how much depends on the amount you eat. Some experts believe they are the most effective single food for lowering cholesterol.

    Who should eat foods with sterols and stanols added?

    Sterols and stanols have been thoroughly researched, so they can be added to foods and are safe to eat.

    They are suitable for:

    • People with high cholesterol theres no real benefit if you dont have high cholesterol.
    • Children with inherited high cholesterol such as familial hypercholesterolaemia with support from a doctor or dietitian.
    • People taking statins sterols and stanols will help to lower your cholesterol further because they work in a different way to the statin.

    They are not suitable for:

    Aim for: one to three servings of fortified foods a day. This will give you 1.5 to 3g of stanols and sterols.

    Three servings of: OR

    • 1 glass of milk

    One product a day:

    How Does Oatmeal Lower Cholesterol

    Does Oatmeal Lower Cholesterol?

    Beta-glucan is a specific kind of fiber found in oats. It has many health benefits in the body, which include controlling blood sugar and managing cholesterol. And it is probably largely responsible for making oats one of the best foods to lower cholesterol.

    Researchers know that when people take oat beta-glucan itself, they see significant decreases in cholesterol levels. Review studies suggest that at least three grams of beta-glucan from oats has beneficial effects on cholesterol.

    For example, one meta-analysis of several studies found that at doses of more than 3 g per day, oat beta-glucan can decrease LDL cholesterol by 0.25 mmol/L and total cholesterol by 0.3 mmol/L.

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    When You Need More Than Food To Lower Cholesterol

    Food is a powerful tool for managing cholesterol, but sometimes its not enough. If you need more to get your cholesterol under controlwithout drugsturn to our comprehensive natural cholesterol treatment plan and look for best foods to lower cholesterol in our post Natural Cholesterol Control: Achieve Healthy Cholesterol Levels Without Drugs

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    How Quickly Can Diet Affect Cholesterol

    According to Dr. Eugenia Gianos, cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center, you can lower your cholesterol levels by up to 20 percent through dietary and lifestyle changes alone, but that can vary depending on the person. We give patients three months to see what effects occur with dietary changes, she says.

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    Putting Together A Low Cholesterol Diet

    When it comes to investing money, experts recommend creating a portfolio of diverse investments instead of putting all your eggs in one basket. The same holds true for eating your way to lower cholesterol. Adding several foods to lower cholesterol in different ways should work better than focusing on one or two.

    A largely vegetarian “dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods” substantially lowers LDL, triglycerides, and blood pressure. The key dietary components are plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains instead of highly refined ones, and protein mostly from plants. Add margarine enriched with plant sterols oats, barley, psyllium, okra, and eggplant, all rich in soluble fiber soy protein and whole almonds.

    Of course, shifting to a cholesterol-lowering diet takes more attention than popping a daily statin. It means expanding the variety of foods you usually put in your shopping cart and getting used to new textures and flavors. But it’s a “natural” way to lower cholesterol, and it avoids the risk of muscle problems and other side effects that plague some people who take statins.

    Just as important, a diet that is heavy on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts is good for the body in ways beyond lowering cholesterol. It keeps blood pressure in check. It helps arteries stay flexible and responsive. It’s good for bones and digestive health, for vision and mental health.

    Is Quaker Oatmeal Good For High Cholesterol

    Oatmeal Lowers Your Cholesterol – I Explain How

    Good news oatmeal actually helps lower cholesterol! Oats were the first whole grain recognized by the FDA to help reduce cholesterol. In fact, the FDA approved the first-ever food specific health claim for oatmeal because of its heart-healthy benefits in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

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    Oats Bind Cholesterol In The Gut

    High cholesterol actually begins in your gut. When we consume a diet rich in whole grains, like oats, a certain amount of cholesterol is bound during digestion.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

    Thus, this process lowers cholesterol because it gets excreted instead of absorbed. Oats contain a significant source of soluble fiber that helps excrete cholesterol via digestion.

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    Soluble fiber acts as a “binder” to prevent “bad” cholesterol from being absorbed and circulated.

    Choosing high soluble fiber foods like oats, oatmeal, and oat-containing products changes how much cholesterol becomes absorbed by the body.

    Total cholesterol numbers include all types of cholesterol in the bodyboth good and bad!

    Because LDL cholesterol in part makes up the total levels of cholesterol in the blood, total cholesterol also decreases with lower LDL values.

    Include A Couple Of Serves Of Oily Fish During The Week

    Eating a serve of oily fish two to three times per week is a long-standing recommendation to promote overall cardiovascular health. Oily fish is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels. Examples of oily fish include salmon, tuna, trout, herring, sardines and mackerel. Our bodies cannot synthesise omega-3s, meaning they must be obtained from our diet. Easy ways to include a serve of oily fish in your week are to:

    • Add a can of tuna to salads, sandwiches or wraps
    • Replace grilled chicken with grilled salmon
    • Try an oven tuna pasta bake with vegetables.

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    Best Foods For Your Recipes To Lower High Cholesterol

    Oats are full of soluble fiber which helps bring down bad cholesterol and keep arteries flexible. Manufacturers of oats and oatmeal are allowed to state that these products are heart-healthy by the FDA. Warning: adding enough sugar and fat in breakfast cereals and oatmeal bars turns oatmeal into a portion of junk food.

    I like using Old GF Fashioned Oats

    Walnuts, almonds, and other nuts are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids.

    Almonds and other nuts are particularly rich in L-arginine, an amino acid that helps your body make nitric oxide. This, in turn, helps regulate blood pressure which has been found with almonds.

    In a 2014 study, those who ate 1.5 ounces of whole walnuts 6 days a week for 1 month lowered their total cholesterol by 5.4 percent and LDL cholesterol by 9.3 percent. The nuts were not salted or coated with sugar.

    Olive oil is full of monounsaturated fatty acids which lower LDL cholesterol. Bonus: they help trim belly fat! Make your Healthy Salad Dressings with olive oil. Make sure you know Which are the Best Olive Oils to Buy? Real Olive Oils vs Fake Exposed.

    Beans: Eating just 4.5 ounces of cooked beans daily lowered badcholesterol by five percent.

    Spinach contains lots of lutein. Research suggests that just 1/2 cup of lutein-rich food daily, guards against heart attacks by preventing artery walls from getting clogged.

    I use Bakers Unsweetened Baking Chocolate which is All Natural to make my own chocolate treats.

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