Two days on an oatmeal diet. And what's the result?

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That oats are beneficial for metabolism is not news. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, diabetics were successfully treated with this cereal. Today, effective medications exist for diabetes therapy, so this method has almost completely fallen out of doctors' sight in recent decades.

Nevertheless, a recent study by scientists from the University of Bonn showed that the potential of oatmeal should not be written off yet. Men and women aged 45 to 70 participated in the short-term experiment. They did not yet have diabetes but were at risk due to metabolic syndrome – a condition accompanied by overweight, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and abnormal blood fat levels.

The publication Bild introduces the results of the study.

It turned out that oat flakes are capable of more than just satisfying hunger. A new study showed: just two days on a strict oatmeal diet can significantly reduce cholesterol levels. Moreover, the positive effect lasts for the next six weeks.

300 grams of oatmeal per day

A group of 34 people was divided into two equal parts. The first group ate 100 grams of oat flakes in the form of porridge three times a day for two consecutive days. Only a small amount of fruit or vegetables was allowed. The diet was low-calorie. The control group received nutritionally similar food but without oat flakes.

The results were impressive. After just 48 hours, total cholesterol decreased by an average of 15.61 mg/dL. The level of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) decreased by 16.26 mg/dL, or approximately 10%. According to the authors, this is a significant indicator, although it is not entirely comparable to the effect of modern medications.

At the same time, the concentration of certain metabolites, including dihydroferulic acid, significantly increased in the blood. This compound is formed by intestinal bacteria during the processing of oat components and is likely associated with lower cholesterol levels. Additionally, oats are known to be rich in soluble dietary fibers (β-glucans), which also contribute to lowering blood cholesterol.

It was unexpected that the effect was noticeable even after six weeks, although the participants had long since returned to their usual diet.

Intensive course is more effective

In a second, independent study (also involving 34 people), half of the participants replaced only one meal a day with oatmeal (80g) for six weeks. The rest of the diet remained unchanged and was not calorie-restricted. In this case, no significant effect on cholesterol levels was recorded.

The difference is obvious: in the first case, the portion of oats was significantly larger, and for two days it effectively completely replaced the usual food. In the second experiment, oats were simply added to the regular diet. The results suggest that the intensity of such a short-term dietary course may be the key factor.

According to the authors, they will further try to determine whether an intensive course of oatmeal consumption, repeated every six weeks, will have a stable preventive effect in the long term.

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