A recent study from Germany found that consuming oatmeal for two days may reduce cholesterol.
For the study, people suffering from metabolic syndrome were included, who followed a strict oat-based plan for 48 hours and saw a 10% drop in harmful LDL cholesterol.
What is Metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of diseases, including obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia and unhealthy cholesterol levels, that may significantly contribute to heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Presence of any three of the above-mentioned five diseases confirm the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.
During the two-day phase of the study, participants ate 300 grams of oatmeal each day, split into three meals, along with a few amounts of fruit or vegetables.
Simultaneously, they also cut their normal calorie intake by about half.
A control group also reduced calories but did not eat oats.
In all, 32 women and men finished the two-day oat plan: 17 in the oat group and 15 in the control group.
Both groups saw great benefits from eating fewer calories. However, the oat group saw stronger changes.
Study co-author Marie-Christine Simon stated,"The level of particularly harmful LDL cholesterol fell by 10% for them — that is a substantial reduction, although not entirely comparable to the effect of modern medications."
"As a result, this method has been almost completely overlooked in recent decades," she added.
Notably, participants in the oat group also lost about 4.4 pounds on average, and saw a slight drop in blood pressure.
Lead author Linda Klümpen stated, "We were able to identify that the consumption of oatmeal increased the number of certain bacteria in the gut."
Gut bacteria help break down food and produce some substances that affect health. Researchers discovered that oats helped bacteria produce compounds called phenolic substances.
