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Oat bran increases serum acetate of hypercholesterolemic men
S R Bridges1, J W Anderson, D A Deakins
1Metabolic Research Group, VA Medical Center, Lexington, KY 40511.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|August 1, 1992
Summary
Oat bran significantly lowered cholesterol by increasing serum acetate, a type of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA). Wheat bran did not produce these cholesterol-lowering or SCFA-boosting effects.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Gastroenterology
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- The cholesterol-lowering mechanisms of oat bran are not fully understood.
- Soluble fibers, like those in oat bran, are fermented into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the colon.
- SCFAs may influence hepatic cholesterol synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between oat bran consumption and serum short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations.
- To compare the effects of oat bran versus wheat bran on SCFA levels and serum cholesterol.
Main Methods:
- A controlled feeding study involving 20 hypercholesterolemic men.
- Participants consumed control, oat bran, and wheat bran diets sequentially for specified periods.
- Serum SCFA concentrations were measured multiple times over 14 hours post-diet.
Main Results:
- Oat bran consumption led to a significant decrease in serum cholesterol (12.8%).
- Wheat bran did not significantly affect serum cholesterol levels.
- Oat bran intake resulted in elevated peripheral serum acetate concentrations compared to wheat bran and control diets.
Conclusions:
- Increased serum acetate levels, a SCFA, may contribute to the hypocholesterolemic effects of oat bran.
- Oat bran demonstrates a significant cholesterol-lowering effect, potentially mediated by SCFA production.
- Wheat bran does not appear to confer similar cholesterol-lowering benefits or SCFA-related effects.