The latest research shows that long-term consumption of oatmeal can effectively reduce cholesterol

In recent decades, with the continuous improvement of living standards, the dietary structure and living habits of ordinary people in China have undergone earth-shaking changes

A previous study published in "Nature" showed that in the past 39 years, the cholesterol level of Chinese residents has basically jumped from the bottom of the world, surpassing that of many western developed countries

According to the different effects on human health, cholesterol can be divided into two types: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the so-called good cholesterol; non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, mainly including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or bad cholesterol

In addition to its own anabolism, bad cholesterol usually comes from excessive intake of saturated and trans fatty acids in the diet, which are mostly found in red meat and processed foods; while good cholesterol is mostly produced from the metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids in the diet , this type of fat is usually found in vegetables, fruits, dairy products, nuts, vegetable oils and oats

Oatmeal has always been a recommended food in the field of nutrition and health due to its high content of protein, unsaturated fatty acids (mainly monounsaturated fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic acids), dietary fiber, and various micronutrients

In the new study, published in Frontiers in Immunology, researchers conducted a multicenter randomized controlled trial in Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai

Metagenomic analysis revealed that oat intake significantly increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacterial genera such as Akkermansia muciniphila and Rothella spp

The researchers also found that in the oat group, the abundance of Bifidobacterium was inversely associated with bad cholesterol; Enterobacteriaceae, Roche and Clostridium flexis were positively associated with plasma butyric and valeric acid concentrations and isobutyric acid.

In conclusion, this study shows that oats mediate prebiotic effects on the gut microbiome in addition to significantly reducing total and bad cholesterol

(Source: China Biotechnology Network)

"China Food News" (03 edition on January 12, 2022)

(Editor-in-charge: Han Songyan)