A substance found in oats may help keep your cholesterol in check, a new study shows. The study found that oat beta-glucan (a type of carbohydrate compound) helped fight LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
The study included 367 participants with high cholesterol, all of whom ate two servings of a cereal containing either wheat fiber or oat beta-glucan every day for four weeks. Looking at data on the 345 people who completed the study, researchers determined that LDL cholesterol was significantly lower among those assigned to the oat beta-glucan cereal.
Beta-glucan is also found in a number of medicinal mushrooms, such as shiitake and maitake. Test-tube research shows that beta-glucan may stimulate the immune system and therefore combat cancer. However, little is known about beta-glucan's potential to reduce cancer risk in humans.
A number of other natural substances (including red yeast rice and cinnamon) may also help reduce cholesterol levels, according to past research.
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