Oatmeal is a great breakfast choice in several ways. They are quickly prepared, inexpensive, healthy and can be excellently combined with other high-quality ingredients. Oatmeal has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels. But how much oats must be eaten regularly for this effect?
Oatmeal contains both soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber ensures good digestion. Soluble fiber helps protect against heart disease and lowers cholesterol levels.
How much oatmeal to lower cholesterol?
“Eating both types of fiber is a huge benefit for your body,” confirms Andrea Dunn, a nutritionist at the renowned Cleveland Clinic in Ohio (USA).
According to her, eating just one and a half cups of cooked oatmeal a day lowers cholesterol by five to eight percent. This amount requires between 40 and 45 grams of uncooked rolled oats, which are boiled in water in a ratio of 1:3.
- Here is a delicious oatmeal recipe: creamy banana porridge with raspberry puree
That’s why oatmeal lowers cholesterol levels
Beta glucan is primarily responsible for the effect. This soluble fiber in oatmeal binds to bile acids and cholesterol in the digestive tract, causing more cholesterol to be excreted in the stool instead of being absorbed into the blood.
In turn, to replace the bile acid lost in this way, the body uses cholesterol from the blood, resulting in a reduction in total cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol-lowering effect proven in studies
The cholesterol-lowering effect of oatmeal or beta-glucan has already been confirmed in several studies.
For example, a meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Nutrition concluded that regular consumption of oatmeal contributes to a significant reduction in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol without reducing HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol. to affect negatively. (vb)
