Nutrition Communications
Dr Carrie Ruxton
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A systematic review of the association between cardiovascular risk factors and regular consumption of oats
You are here: Home / Publications / A systematic review of the association between cardiovascular risk factors and regular consumption of oats
Reference
Ruxton CHS, Derbyshire E. (2008). A systematic review of the association between cardiovascular risk factors and regular consumption of oats. British Food Journal; 110: 1119-1132.
Status
Published
Purpose of this paper: To review the evidence from high quality human intervention studies that reported links between oat consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.
Approach: Using Medline, a search was made for all randomized controlled trials published between 1990 and 2008 that met strict inclusion criteria. Studies had a minimum duration of 14 days, used oat products rather than purified extracts, and included plasma lipid levels as outcome variables.
Findings: Twenty-one eligible studies were located. Thirteen of these reported significant reductions in total cholesterol when oats were consumed, while 14 reported significant reductions in low density lipoprotein cholesterol. A few studies found increases in high density lipoprotein cholesterol and more favourable cholesterol ratios when oats were consumed.
Research implications: It was not possible to analyse differences in response between healthy and ‘at risk’ subjects. A meta-analysis would be a useful step forward, as would research on the long-term impact of oats on body weight.
Practical implications: Intakes of oats in successful intervention studies were impractical for most consumers. However, expert bodies base approved health claims on an achievable 3g beta-glucan per day. Additional research on portion sizes for commercially-available foods would increase consumer awareness of how to access the cholesterol-lowering benefits of oats. Effective portion sizes may differ by gender, age and CVD risk.
Value: This review provides further evidence that regular oat consumption is an effective dietary strategy for helping to attenuate CVD risk and sets this within the context of claims for food stuffs.
A copy of the full paper can be purchased from the publishers by clicking here and following the payment instructions.
A copy of the full paper can be purchased from the publishers by clicking here and following the payment instructions.
Date created: 13th Aug 2008