Compound in Oats May Provide Cardioprotective Benefits

New research suggests a compound found only in oats may play a key role in protecting the heart, according to information presented at last week’s meeting of the American Chemical Society in Dallas.

The improvements in cholesterol associated with oats are generally attributed to the soluble fiber, beta-glucan, but researchers are now taking a closer look at how avenanthramide (AVE)—a phenolic compound found only in oats—provides cardioprotective benefits.
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“The cardioprotective effect of oats can be attributed to multiple mechanisms including lowering blood cholesterol, antioxidation, and anti-inflammation,” said presenter Oliver Chen, Ph.D., of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, in Medford, Mass. Bioactives accountable for these mechanisms include soluble fiber (beta-glucan), alpha-tocotrienol, phytosterol, polyphenols, and avenanthramides.

“The current science confirms the cholesterol-lowering effect of oat beta-glucan,” Chen said. “Thus, oats added to a healthy diet high in other whole grains, fruits, and vegetables and low in salt and simple sugars shall be beneficial to those who like to control blood cholesterol and protect against cardiovascular diseases.” 

AVEs that are unique in oats appear to be bioavailable in humans and capable of modulating antioxidant defense system and inflammation in humans, he explained. They have been shown to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-itch, and anti-cancer properties, all of which likely contribute to the atheroprotection of oats.

“Currently, we are conducting a clinical trial examining, as compared to a low avenanthramide oat, how a high avenanthramide oat will help regulate blood glucose and decrease inflammation in overweight/obese people with central adiposity,” Chen says.

—Colleen Mullarkey

Reference

Chen O. Clinical evidence on oat bioactives in cardiovascular health. National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, Dallas. March 17, 2014.