Oatmeal, that sturdy breakfast food from your grandmother's kitchen, has a lot going for it. How Oatmeal Lowers Cholesterol for Heart Health, Ⓒ 2020 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved. What if you could do it naturally, just by eating more fat? Jennifer Moll, MS, PharmD, is a pharmacist actively involved in educating patients about the importance of heart disease prevention. Where you live may affect your risk of heart disease. Getting both types of fiber is a big win for your body, and there’s another benefit: Fiber can also aid in weight loss, since it helps you feel full and satisfied. 2015;114(8):1256-1262. doi:10.1017/s0007114515002895. What if you could lower your cholesterol fast — in a matter of days — just in time for your lipid blood tests? It would go against every piece of dietary advice about cholesterol that the government and most doctors have pushed for the last 60 years. The Ultimate Guide to Health and Happiness, Don’t Just Sit There: A Little Exercise Makes Up for a Full Day of Sitting, FDA Watch: Monoclonal Antibody Treatments for COVID-19, Preventive Flu Medication, and an Anti-Nightmare Device Get the Go-Ahead, Tippi Coronavirus: Tips for Living With COVID-19. The fiber can benefit your cardiovascular health by helping to reduce your cholesterol. And recently, a six-year study involving 18,000 people with heart disease affirmed that for reducing LDL levels, the lower, the better. Grundy M, Fardet A, Tosh S, Rich G, Wilde P. Processing of oat: the impact on oat's cholesterol lowering effect. This is mainly due to the rich source of water-soluble dietary fibers, particularly beta-glucan, that are found in oatmeal. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. Changing lifelong eating habits can be scary at first, but our guide will make it easier. These forms often include sugar and flavorings which you may not want. Source: Cleveland Clinic, 2015. You’re better off eating an anti-inflammatory diet and keeping your And here’s the other beautiful thing about oatmeal: If you eat one-and-a-half cups of it each day, you can lower your cholesterol by 5 to 8 percent. Published January 23, 1997. Oatmeal may be used to make granola or snack bars, but often the resulting product is high in sugar and fat. In order to help lower LDL cholesterol, reduce saturated fat in your diet and increase dietary fiber. By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Looking to start a diet to better manage your cholesterol? Although oatmeal is helpful in lowering cholesterol, some of the ingredients placed in oatmeal may not be. Drugs like statins and non-statins are the go to treatment to lower cholesterol fast in people who suffer from elevated levels of LDL. A bowl of oatmeal made with ½ cup of rolled oats provides 4 g of fiber along with 150 calories, 2.5 g of fat, 27 g of carbohydrates and no sugar. You must also be careful when buying packaged flavored instant oatmeal to note the ingredients. How Phytosterols Can Help Lower Your Cholesterol, 5 Things That Could Adversely Affect Your Cholesterol Levels, How Zocor (Simvastatin) Works to Lower Your Cholesterol, Managing High Cholesterol When You Have Diabetes, Ways Your Diet Can Reduce High Cholesterol Levels Through Diet. Eating just one and one-half cups of cooked oatmeal a day can lower your cholesterol by 5 to 8%. My name is Sandra Thomas. British Journal of Nutrition. Oatmeal: How Much You Need to Lower Cholesterol. It's important to keep your cholesterol in check because high cholesterol levels increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. However, because these forms are made into very thin flakes that are quicker to digest, they have more of an effect on raising your blood glucose level. To prevent a rapid rise in your blood glucose, it's wise to have some lean protein or healthy fat with your instant oatmeal, such as low-fat milk or chopped nuts. Be sure to check the ingredients of oatmeal products and the fat content per serving if you want to achieve the full, cholesterol-lowering effect of oatmeal. The short answer is yes, oatmeal can lower your cholesterol. Studies also have shown that oatmeal has some heart-healthy benefits. In these studies, anywhere between 40 and 60 grams (or roughly one bowl) of oatmeal was consumed by each subject per day. Oatmeal seems to be most effective in lowering LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) levels. Eating a healthy diet and doing regular exercise can help lower the level of cholesterol in your blood. Soluble fiber, which is also found in beans, oranges, and pears, helps prevent disease and lower cholesterol. There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Food Labeling: Health Claims; Oats and Coronary Heart Disease. Saturated fats increase your body’s production of LDL cholesterol. Read our, Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD, Medically reviewed by Yasmine S. Ali, MD, MSCI, Medically reviewed by Jeffrey S. Lander, MD. http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/02/oatmeal-how-much-you-need-to-lower-cholesterol-infographic/.