Archive - 18 October 2013

Indulge Your Heart with Oat Soluble Fiber Beta-Glucan

It is not difficult to keep your cholesterol level low and maintain a healthy heart. Both the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and the Malaysian Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) recommend Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC), to manage hypercholesterolemia and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The TLC Program is a three-part program that incorporates:

Dietary changes which include a decreased intake of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and increased intake of soluble fiber to more than 3g per day.
Physical activity
Weight reduction, if you are overweight or obese.

The cornerstone of treatment for elevated LDL-cholesterol is to adopt a holistic approach, rather than relying on drugs or dietary changes alone. Even if you need to take a cholesterol-lowering drug, following the TLC program may allow you to take a lower dose, lessening your exposure to the drug’s adverse side effects.

Oat Bran Powder – The Best Source of Soluble Fiber Beta-Glucan

Though there are many types of soluble fiber, only beta-glucan from oats is the most extensively studied and documented in human trials. In fact, so clear is the picture that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) now permit foods that are high sources of soluble fiber to state on their labels that a daily intake of at least 3g of beta-glucan from oats can help reduce total cholesterol level and lower the risk of heart disease.

A review of more than 20 studies on oat bran revealed that adding as little as 3g of soluble fiber beta-glucan per day to your diet can lower total cholesterol level by 3% to 5% in just weeks. Every 1% drop in cholesterol is shown to lower the risk of heart attack by 2%. A 5% drop means your chance of developing heart disease is reduced by 10%!

Also, studies have demonstrated that there is a dose response between the level of soluble fiber beta-glucan from oats and the level of reduction in blood total and LDL-cholesterol. By consuming 3g, 4g & 5g beta-glucan daily are shown to further reduce total and LDL-cholesterol (Diagram 1). Intakes of beta-glucan at or above 3g/day were found to be more effective in lowering blood lipids than lower intake levels (Davidson et al., Ripsin et al.)

Biogrow Oat BG22™ offers you a more convenient way of consuming oats!

Just 2 scoops (approx.18g) of Oat BG22™ oat bran powder will give you more than 3g of beta-glucan which exceeds the MOH’s recommended daily requirement of 3g beta-glucan for cholesterol-lowering effect.

As a natural food product made from oat bran powder imported from Sweden with no added sugar, it is easy to consume and dissolves readily in cold or room temperature water due to its fine powder form.

Biogrow Oat BG22™ provides you a safe & natural way to help reduce cholesterol with more than 3g beta-glucan from oats. Share this news with your loved ones and enjoy a healthier life today!

This article is a courtesy of Legosan (M) Sdn. Bhd. For more product information, please email to info@biogrow.com.my or call 03-7956 2220.

References:
Davidson MH, Dugan LD, Burns JH, Borra J, Stary K, Drennan KB. The hypocholesterolemic effects of beta-glucan in oatmeal and oat bran. A dose-controlled study. JAMA. 1991 Apr 10;265 (14):1833-9.
Ripsin CM, Keenan JM, Jacobs DR Jr, Elmer PJ, Welch RR, Van Horn L, Liu K, Tumbull WH, Thye FW. Oat products and lipid-lowering. A meta-analysis. JAMA. 1992 Jun 24;267 (24):3317-25.