Subjects from Canada, Australia and the U.K. consumed 2 servings of OatWell cereal per day for 4 weeks. At the end of the 4 weeks, participants demonstrated a 5.5% average decrease in their LDL-cholesterol levels. Beta-glucan affects LDL-cholesterol levels by increasing the viscosity of the gut contents, according to researchers, who observed that when subjects consumed the cereal that produced the lowest gut viscosity there was no significant reduction in LDL-cholesterol. This suggests that development of viscosity in the upper gut (small intestines) was related to bioactivity.
The extrusion process used to make OatWell cereals makes the beta-glucan more soluble and, as a result, produces higher viscosity in the gut. Previously, there had been concern that processing—high temperature and pressure—would breakdown the beta-glucan molecules so that they would lose their effectiveness. For further information: www.oatwell.com
