ISU Extension News

Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915

6/27/03

For immediate release

Contacts:
Ruth Litchfield, Food Science and Human Nutrition, (515) 294-9484, litch@iastate.edu
Pamela White, Food Science and Human Nutrition, (515) 294-9688, pjwhite@iastate.edu
Diane Nelson, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-3178, dinelson@iastate.edu

Eat Oats to Lower Weight, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, and Glucose and Weight

AMES, Iowa---A study presented at the Experimental Biology 2003 conference suggests that the risk of becoming obese is lower for kids who eat oatmeal regularly compared to those who do not. According to the study, the percentage of 2- to 18-year-olds who are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight is almost 50 percent lower in oatmeal-eaters than in children who do not consume oatmeal.

"Because high fiber foods tend to make you feel fuller, it is likely that individuals who eat them also eat less total food. In addition, high fiber foods tend to be lower in fat and calories," said Ruth Litchfield, Iowa State University Extension nutritionist. "Oatmeal and oat-based foods offer other benefits as well, including lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose."

Research indicates that the beneficial health effects of oats are caused by a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan. However, it takes a fair amount (1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal) to gain those health benefits. Researchers at Iowa State University want to change that.

Pamela White, Mirela Colleoni-Sirghie and Jean-Luc Jannink in the departments of food science and human nutrition and agronomy are breeding new oat cultivars to have more beta-glucan. Their goal is to develop a cultivar that has twice as much as the 4.5 percent in standard lines. Their best consistent oat so far has had a beta-glucan content of 7.8 percent, although they have produced more experimental lines with up to almost 10 percent.

"This would decrease the amount of oat consumption required to achieve the health benefits so it would be easier for more people to obtain the benefit," Litchfield said.

The ISU researchers also are examining the functional properties of the beta-glucan.

"We have found that the viscosity of oats varies with both quantity and quality of beta-glucan. The quality is related to the size of the beta-glucan molecule. Both these features vary with the type of oat cultivar and processing conditions," said White. "This is important because high viscosity is one of the factors determining the health benefits of soluble fibers."

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For more information, check these Web sites:
Agricultural Research magazine
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may03/grain0503.htm

Health World
http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/news.asp?id=6994

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