Oat flakes are rolled from oat grains into flat discs roughly the diameter of soybeans, retaining their original shape. Hulled oats can be ground into flakes of varying coarseness or softened and flattened into oat rolls. Instant oat flakes processed for quick cooking may appear slightly crumbly but still retain their original form.When cooked, oats develop a highly viscous texture due to their beta-glucan content. This viscous substance is closely linked to oatmeal's numerous health benefits, including lowering blood lipids and blood sugar, and promoting satiety.
【Nutritional Benefits】
1. Oats effectively reduce cholesterol levels in the body. Regular consumption helps prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, major 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 improves blood circulation and eases 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
Grout (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 after 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 across 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 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 on tumor suppression using oats 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 inhibition 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 150 kg with a total cholesterol (TC) level of 3.24 mg/mL.He was bedridden until following medical advice to consume 2–3 oat bran cookies (whole oat product, 25g each) daily. After three months, his weight dropped to 125kg and total cholesterol decreased to 1.75mg/mL. This demonstrates oats' potential role in preventing obesity.