Oat Bran Cereal Lowers Total and LDL Cholesterol in Hypercholesterolemic Men
The clinical trial set out to determine whether oat bran, in a ready-to-eat form, could lower lipid concentrations in both healthy and hyperlipidemic participants. The primary subjects of this study were men. The subjects of the study were fed either oat bran cereals or corn flakes as a control test.
Reference
Publication:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Authors:
J.W. Anderson, D.B. Spencer, C.C. Hamilton, S.F. Smith, J. Tietyen, C.A. Bryant
12 men were chosen for the study. Each participant had undesirably high serum total-cholesterol levels. Each subject was randomly assigned to one of the two diet tracks. The participants completed 2 weeks on each diet. The oat bran provided was the equivalent to 25 grams (a baseline intake for adult diets, according to the USDA food pyramid).
The oat bran cereal diet was show to lower serum total-cholesterol as well LDL-cholesterol levels. Total cholesterol was reduced by 5.4% while taking 25g of fiber daily. LDL cholesterol was lowered in the men taking the oat bran diet by 8.5%. The study shows even ready-to-eat oat bran can provide a realistic way to incorporate soluble fiber in your diet. Oat bran can lower cholesterol in a short time, and maintain healthy levels long term.