WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Eating mostly oatmeal for just two days may help lower cholesterol levels, according to a clinical trial conducted by researchers at the University of Bonn.
Published in Nature Communications, the study involved people who did not have diabetes but had metabolic syndrome, a condition that increases the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.
During the main part of the study, participants followed a strict two-day diet where they ate boiled oatmeal three times a day. They were allowed to add only small amounts of fruits or vegetables. In total, 32 men and women completed this oat-based diet. Each person ate about 300 grams of oatmeal daily and reduced their usual calorie intake by roughly half. A control group also reduced their calorie intake but did not eat oats.
Both groups saw some health benefits because they were eating fewer calories. However, the group that ate oats showed greater improvements.
After just 48 hours, total cholesterol levels in the oat group dropped by about 8 percent. Their LDL, or 'bad' cholesterol, fell by around 10 percent, a bigger decrease than in the control group. Participants who followed the oat diet also lost some weight and saw small reductions in blood pressure.
Researchers also examined stool and blood samples. They found that eating oats increased certain gut bacteria that produce helpful compounds linked to better cholesterol processing in the body.
'We were able to identify that the consumption of oatmeal increased the number of certain bacteria in the gut,' says Linda Klümpen, the study's lead author.
'For instance, we were able to show that intestinal bacteria produce phenolic compounds by breaking down the oats,' says Klümpen. 'It has already been shown in animal studies that one of them, ferulic acid, has a positive effect on cholesterol metabolism. This also appears to be the case for some of the other bacterial metabolic products.'
To understand this better, the team studied a substance called dihydroferulic acid, which is produced when gut bacteria break down oats. This compound appeared to help reduce cholesterol storage in the body.
In a second part of the research, 17 volunteers ate 80 grams of oats daily for six weeks without making other major changes to their diet. Another 17 people did not eat oats. While the longer oat diet showed some health benefits, it did not lead to the same quick drop in cholesterol seen in the strict two-day diet.
Overall, the findings suggest that even a short-term oat-based diet may help improve cholesterol levels, especially when combined with reduced calorie intake.
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