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Oats as a part of healthy diet |
Oat grain has traditional uses mainly as flakes in baked goods and porridges. Since the discovery of the health benefits of oat beta-glucan in the 1990s, oat fractionation has made it possible to use oat fibre concentrates and other oat fractions in various foods, and the use of oat has expanded to many food categories. Why should we still increase the food use of oat?
Oat grain has mild and pleasant taste. Whole grain oat is high in soluble dietary fibre beta-glucan, known to lower cholesterol and postprandial glycemic response. Specific oat foods may thus help to reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Oat fibre is readily fermentable and contributes to gut-mediated health effects. Oat grain is also rich in antioxidants.
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