CAN DIETARY OATS PROMOTE HEALTH

Current consumption levels of oat products are low. However, oats are a nutritious foodstuff, supplying protein of relatively good quality a nd significant quantities of vitamins and minerals. As a bland and nut ritious foodstuff, oats are valuable for the nutrition of infants and the sustenance of adults. Oats are generally consumed as oatmeal or ro lled oats, but oat bran has become available in recent years. In addit ion to their nutritional attributes, dietary oat products exert a numb er of physiological effects that may be beneficial in the prevention o r amelioration of pathophysiological states, including improvements in gastro-intestinal function, modulation of glucose metabolism, and dec reasing blood cholesterol status. The latter effects have attracted co nsiderable attention and a critical review of the data indicates that dietary oats have the ability to lower blood cholesterol and that they are most effective at high dose levels in hypercholesterolaemic indiv iduals. Although the soluble fibre, beta-glucan gum appears to be the major hypocholesterolaemic agent, its mode of action is not fully unde rstood.