Scientists at the nutrition department of King's College, London say they have found that good, old-fashioned oats can reduce levels of blood cholesterol by as much as 14 per cent. The oft-criticized breakfast food also appears to lower blood pressure.
Nutritionists at King's College say they persuaded 32 people to give up their breakfasts of more fashionable cereals in favor of 75 grams of oats a day for a month, in the form of a bowl of oatmeal. The volunteers found an appealing part of the test was that they didn't have to make any other diet changes or become involved in exercise regimens.
Dr. Tony Leeds, who helped conduct the research, says the working ingredient in oatmeal apparently is beta glucan, a soluble fiber that soaks up deposits of LDL cholesterol, which can play a key role in heart attacks. Oatmeal does have some high-profile fans, including actress Demi Moore and Microsoft boss Bill Gates, for whatever that's worth.
