Oats (naked oats), also known as foxtail millet, commonly called oil millet or jade millet, are a low-sugar, high-nutrient, high-energy food. Oatmeal is a green food product made from carefully selected naked oats grown in the cold mountainous regions of northern China (within Shanyin County, Shanxi Province). Its signature nutrients are not only abundant but also of superior quality, making it one of the most popular foods among modern consumers.In Time magazine's ranking of the top ten healthiest foods, oats secured the fifth position.
Refined processing transforms oats into oatmeal, enhancing both convenience and palatability to create a widely favored health food. Its dietary fiber offers numerous health benefits: it reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, promotes cholesterol excretion, helps prevent diabetes, and reduces the risk of vascular complications associated with diabetes;They promote bowel regularity, offering significant relief for chronic constipation sufferers. As a low-calorie food, oatmeal induces a feeling of fullness and supports weight management with long-term consumption. Additionally, oats are rich in vitamins B1, B2, E, and folic acid, which improve blood circulation and alleviate stress from daily life and work.The minerals calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and manganese help prevent osteoporosis, promote wound healing, and guard against anemia.
【Dietary Benefits】
1. Oats effectively lower cholesterol levels in the body. Regular consumption can help prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, the primary threats to middle-aged and elderly individuals;
2. Regular consumption offers excellent blood sugar-lowering and weight-management benefits for diabetics;
3. Oatmeal promotes bowel regularity, alleviating constipation common among the elderly—a condition linked to cerebrovascular accidents;
4. It enhances blood circulation and relieves stress from daily life and work;The minerals it contains—calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc—help prevent osteoporosis, promote wound healing, and guard against anemia, making it an excellent calcium supplement;
5. Oats are exceptionally rich in linoleic acid, offering auxiliary therapeutic effects for fatty liver, diabetes, edema, and constipation. They also significantly benefit the elderly by enhancing physical strength and promoting longevity.
【Health Benefits】
(1) Lipid-Lowering Effects
Groote (1963) reported that oats significantly reduced serum cholesterol levels in newly weaned albino mice and 21 healthy young men. Among the 21 young men, cholesterol levels dropped markedly after three weeks of consumption but rebounded to near baseline levels within two weeks of discontinuation.
Trials conducted by the U.S. Grain Research Institute and the Welsh Plant Breeding Station in Wales (1983–1984) on chicks demonstrated that incorporating oats or oat beta-glucan (a soluble fiber) into feed significantly reduced serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels after three weeks.In 1989, the Diabetes Research Associations of the UK, US, and Canada reported that after three weeks of human consumption of oat bran (whole oat food), TC decreased from 2.80 mg/mL to 2.26 mg/mL, and LDL-C decreased from 1.90 mg/mL to 1.49 mg/mL, demonstrating highly significant effects.
In 1985, Beijing organized a clinical comparative observation of oat efficacy involving 20 hospitals.The results demonstrated that oats significantly reduce serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and β-lipoprotein (β-LP), while also moderately increasing serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The lipid-lowering effect was highly pronounced, with oats proving more effective for secondary hypertriglyceridemia than for primary hypertriglyceridemia.The mechanism of action is generally attributed to two factors: approximately half of the lipid-lowering effect stems from the relatively high unsaturated fatty acid content in oats, while the other half is due to non-fat components, primarily non-starch polysaccharides. Consequently, oats represent an ideal primary pharmaceutical choice for future clinical treatment and population-based prevention and management of major cardiovascular diseases, including hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular accidents.
Extensive compelling data demonstrate oats' potent efficacy in controlling elevated blood lipids, with particularly pronounced cholesterol-lowering effects. While popular chemically synthesized lipid-lowering drugs exhibit significant therapeutic benefits, they invariably cause noticeable side effects such as hepatomegaly and weight gain. Long-term use may even lead to severe carcinogenic consequences, with mortality rates among treated patients increasing by 2.7%.Oats, however, offer comparable lipid-lowering efficacy while also preventing lipid elevation. They are safe for long-term use without toxicity, leading medical and nutrition experts to favor dietary oats for lowering blood lipids and preventing atherosclerosis. (2) Cancer Prevention Traditional Chinese medical texts and international tumor suppression research indicate the potential for cancer-preventive substances within cereal resources.Preliminary research using oats for tumor suppression has shown promising results. Animal studies with pure oats demonstrated reduced tumor growth and extended survival periods. While these findings have not yet met the standard of 30% tumor suppression rate and 50% survival extension rate required to confirm active properties, they sufficiently indicate the presence of anti-cancer substances in oats.The specific active components and underlying mechanisms remain unreported, necessitating further investigation.Experiments demonstrated that 6g of oat flour significantly reduced plasma viscosity and whole blood viscosity at both high and low shear rates in rats fed a high-fat diet. It also markedly inhibited ADP- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Consequently, oat flour may possess potential anti-thrombotic effects, though no related research reports have been published to date.
(IV) Obesity Control
In 1993, 39-year-old pastry chef Lydeman from Washington State weighed 150kg with a total cholesterol (TC) level of 3.24mg/mL.He was bedridden until following medical advice to consume 2-3 oat bran cakes (whole oat products, each weighing 25g) daily. After three months, his weight dropped to 125kg and TC decreased to 1.75mg/mL. This demonstrates oats' potential role in preventing obesity.