Oatmeal and Lowering Cholesterol / was Blood Work Results

[Guest guest]

Does a bowl of oatmeal a day lower cholesterol?

 

Actually, this info/claim has been around for years. How effective? Dunno

personally. (I don't have a cholesterol problem so . . . ) But I do know some

highly educated people who investigated this claim - and then started eating

oatmeal. And they lowered their cholesterol. What role the eating of oatmeal

played I cannot say, since I wasn't there to monitor them ;=)

 

If you google on 'oatmeal and cholesterol' you get a whole load of results -

and they're worth having a look at ;=) Quaker Oats's study suggests ten per

cent lowering of cholesterol. It's taken for granted you don't put butter or

milk

on the oatmeal, of course LOL Other things one reads suggest that *in

addition* to cutting out fats etc. the oatmeal would help another two to three

per cent. Not insignificant.

 

For a quick discussion go to:

 

http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1898.html

 

(and scroll down the page a bit to get to the text)

 

This item also names other good foods that would help. Recommended.

 

Best,

 

Pat ;=)

> Does anyone know if there's any truth to claims that eating a daily bowl

> of oatmeal will help lower cholesterol? It's a good whole grain, so I

> know it's a healthful food, but the cholesterol claim seems almost too

> good to be true.

> Hilary

[Guest guest]

as far as lowering your cholesterol by eating oatmeal goes, here is

what i believe the answer to be. they are comparing people eating

oatmeal every day insead of eating bacon and eggs every day. the

bottom line is if you eat healthier you are healthier. no shock to

us all that oatmeal is healthier than bacon.

shari

[Guest guest]

Cute ;=) And true, oatmeal is healthier than bacon. But that's not all, eh?

 

> as far as lowering your cholesterol by eating oatmeal goes, here is

> what i believe the answer to be.

 

But as you know it's not really a 'puzzle' and it's not a matter of personal

'belief'

- although sometimes I'm tempted to agree that we are asked to take an awful

lot of scientific study 'on faith' as it were ;=)

 

>they are comparing people eating

> oatmeal every day insead of eating bacon and eggs every day.

 

I really didn't understand this from anything I read and have read over the

years on the subject. Could you pleasse point me to some sources for this

assertion?

 

>the bottom line is if you eat healthier you are healthier. no shock to

> us all that oatmeal is healthier than bacon.

 

Of course it is. But it has also been proven, by scientific study, to actually

reduce cholesterol - not just have less cholesterol in it (it has none) than

bacon and eggs. Some foods do act to reduce cholesterol. What we were

debating a bit, I think, was to what degree oatmeal is effective. One reading

was ten per cent, another two to three percent and another was five per cent.

That these figures differ doesn't take away from the value of oatmeal as a

cholesterol-lowering food. Percentages differ, perhaps, becauses they may

be comparing those who are on a diet high in cholesterol who then switch to a

low cholesterol diet (including oatmeal) - and I say 'maybe'. Or it may indeed

be that *initially* oatmeal lowers it by 10 per cent and after that it drops to,

say,

2 or 3 per cent for those persons eating oatmeal as compared to others on a

low cholesterol diet who are not eating oatmeal. Or the figure of 5 per cent,

which has also been suggested, may be closer. And perhaps it differs for

different people, age groups, genders, blah blah blah. Ya know?

 

It's quite a study in itself, and our member 'fitvegan' has made a study of this

and can, I think, be relied upon to have covered the available literature.

 

In any case, as you say, Shari: it is clearly healthy and I would add should do

no harm in moderation to a healthy person who is eating a healthy diet. And I

would feel secure in believing that regardless of scientific study.

 

Er, do people still actually eat bacon and eggs for breakfast?????? Ewwwww.

 

Best,

 

Pat ;=)