Posted on 01/25/2026 9:05:10 PM PST by ConservativeMind
A short-term oat-based diet appears to be surprisingly effective at reducing the cholesterol level. This is indicated by a trial. The participants suffered from a metabolic syndrome—a combination of high body weight, high blood pressure, and elevated blood glucose and blood lipid levels. They consumed a calorie-reduced diet, consisting almost exclusively of oatmeal, for two days. Their cholesterol levels then improved significantly compared to a control group. Even after six weeks, this effect remained stable. The diet apparently influenced the composition of microorganisms in the gut.
Although the test subjects in the current trial were not diabetic, they suffered from a metabolic syndrome associated with an increased risk of diabetes. The characteristics include excess body weight, high blood pressure, an elevated blood sugar level, and lipid metabolism disorders.
The participants were asked to exclusively eat oatmeal, which they had previously boiled in water, three times a day. They were only allowed to add some fruit or vegetables to their meals. A total of 32 women and men completed this oat-based diet. They ate 300 grams of oatmeal on each of the two days and only consumed around half of their normal calories. A control group was also put on a calorie-reduced diet, although this did not consist of oats.
Both groups benefited from the change in diet. However, the effect was much more pronounced for the participants who followed the oat-based diet. "The level of particularly harmful LDL cholesterol fell by 10 percent for them—that is a substantial reduction, although not entirely comparable to the effect of modern medications," stresses Simon. "They also lost two kilos in weight on average and their blood pressure fell slightly."
A six-week diet, in which the participants consumed 80 grams of oats per day, without any other restrictions, achieved small effects.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
“You describe yourself as a carnivore, which is absolutely fine, I don’t care what people eat, to claim oatmeal is a worthless food, is simply not true.”
There’s not a single post on this thread ‘demonizing’ meat, eggs, etc.
But you demonize oatmeal even though plenty of people can eat it with no problem.
We’ll just have to agree to disagree, I’ll take the advice of my cardiologist and a registered dietician I worked with after open heart surgery before I’ll take the word of someone on FR that I’ve never met or know anything about. Oatmeal is healthy, unless you are using the instant processed version and the evidence is overwhelming.
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When I used to eat processed oatmeal in the morning, whether it was instant or ‘old fashioned’, I would often feel stuffed and sluggish for hours.
That doesn’t happen with the steel-cut oats. I use McCann’s.
I’ll have to keep that in mind next time I go to the grocery store.
It’s more expensive, and it takes quite a while to cook unless you use the ‘Overnight’ method (much easier) but I think it’s very much worth it.
An acceptable source of oats is Honey Nut Cheerios.
I started putting a handful on my vanilla ice cream. I liked it so well that I now put some vanilla ice cream on breakfast honey nut cheerios.
Good, I use the overnight method, it is much easier and quicker
With the steel cut oats, I put the oats in boiling water with some salt, and boil for about a minute to a minute and a half. Turn it off, put the lid on the pan, and just leave it on the stove until morning. Then just scoop out a serving and heat it in the microwve.
(If you use milk or broth, you may want to cool it and put it in the fridge overnight, but if just water you don’t have to.)
It’s always one part oats to 4 parts liquid.
The McCann’s website has lots of recipes:
One more thing - the water to oats ratio in my directions is for the traditional steel cut oats; I don’t use the ‘quick and easy’ type.
Thanks for great info. I’m a very small woman, so I can only imagine what statins would do to me. Been taking for about 7 weeks.
Are you taking something instead? Eating something instead? Like Oatmeal?
If you ever want to increase your oat intake you can add raw oats to tunafish or chicken salad. You won’t know it’s even in there. It’s a good way to stretch your canned chicken/tuna. School cafeterias used to add add oats all the time.
Great info. I’m a small woman, weigh 112. . Just started taking them two months ago when they found high cholesterol when I was in hospiital for “Vertigo”.
I’ll finish this month’s bottle and never get them again if my very smart MD agrees. At my age, who knows?(89) Meanwhile organic oatmeal and organic almond milk from AMZ will be here by 11 tomorrow.
“Controlling appetite” worries me. I only eat twice a day and sometimes forget to eat even that. Had breakfast at 2 this afternoon and had to remind myself that I had to eat something. My cat helps, she’s always demanding food. But her vet doesn’t want her to be overweight. .
Reducing cholesterol would be wonderful, if that actually had anything to do with reducing or curing atherosclerosis. It doesn’t, but inflammation inside your arteries does. Guess what causes inflammation. (among other things)? Insulin spikes, similar to those that are undoubtedly caused by eating as much oatmeal as these people had. Frankly, having a whole lot less oatmeal will do the exact same thing.
The problem is that the entire medical establishment, at the urging of the very large advertising budgets of the pharmaceutical industry, has bought into the erroneous ideas championed by Dr. Ancel Keys in the 1950s and 1960s. He is the author of the famous seven nation study which linked high cholesterol to heart disease. The only thing that people didn’t know then, and most people still don’t (including many cardiologists, is that he actually did research in far more than seven nations, but he threw out the data that didn’t match his pre-ordained conclusion.
Cholesterol is manufactured by the body (somewhere between 3 and 4 times as much as we consume in our food), and is a component of the cell wall of every single cell in one’s body. It is also a key component of the brain. It is also a key component of all hormones, most specifically sex hormones. Cutting back on cholesterol too much with statin drugs, or by any other means, is very harmful, and goes a long way toward explaining why those who have been on statins for a long period of time have a much higher risk of getting Alzheimer’s, or some other form of dementia. Additionally, statins are well known to block the body’s absorption of Co-Enzyme Q10, a substance that is critical to the health of the mitochondria that exist in every single cell of your body. Inflammation is the enemy, not cholesterol. Cholesterol is actually part of the bodies mechanism to heal arterial injuries caused by inflammation. It acts similarly to a Band-Aid, just on the inside of your arteries instead of on your skin. Blaming cholesterol for heart disease is like blaming firemen who are on your block because your neighbor’s house is on fire. They didn’t cause the fire, though they are there at the same time as the fire in order to put it out. Ditto for cholesterol and inflammation of the arteries, yet cholesterol gets the blame because reducing it is a HUGE money-maker for Big Pharma and a lot of doctors.
“Oatmeal doesn’t give you diabetes.”
——————
No, repeated large spikes of insulin do. Oatmeal (like any other carbs in sufficient quantities) causes those spikes…so technically it doesn’t cause diabetes. But the dots are easy to connect.
And before you say the your blood sugar is well controlled (which I hope it is), every person is unique and some are highly resistant to getting diabetes. That doesn’t apply to most people, though.
....................”grandmother who had cholesterol in the mid 300’s.She died very peacefully at about 97.”
Terrific news. Hope that grandmother is enjoying heaven.
I have no idea how high my cholesterol is. I think my MD did a blood test, so I’ll ask him. The doc in the hospital said I needed it. My MD is really sensible, told me I didn’t need a covid vax. That horrible vax killed my big, strong, handsome son-in-law. Did I mention that I hate all pharmaceutical drugs and employees.
I’m 89 already,MD saysI’ll live to be 100. I’m hoping for more than that. Life is fun!!!
Interesting study you quote. I can easily stick to tha diet.Threw my salt shaker out years ago,don’t have sugar in the house, though I eat organic yogurt for dessert and it does contain a bit.
Decades ago, two nutrition books were published that helped me raise two healthy kids. “Food Is Your Best Medicine “ by Henry Bieler,, MD and “How to Live Longer and Feel Better” by Linus Pauling, who won two Nobel prizes . He writes about the efficacy of vitamins, especially Vitamin C. Oregon State University does ongoing research at the Linus Pauling Institute there.
Dr. Ax is smart about supplements, gets lots of info from Linus Pauling Institute. Sells his own brand. Pricey but terrific quality, available at his own web site and at upscale health stores. We have a few of those stores in Spokane.
Afterthought: Friend of mine went to see Dr. Bieler while he was still alive. He planned a special diet for her including his famous Bieler Soup. Weight fell off her body and she had far more energy.
Bieler’s Broth
Cook Time 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
3-4 medium Zucchini, ends removed and chopped
1 pound String Beans, ends trimmed
3-4 stalks Celery, chopped
1-2 bunches Fresh Parsley (flat-leaf or curly), stems removed
4 cups Filtered water
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the water, celery, zucchini, and string beans in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are green and tender (not mushy), about 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, you can steam the vegetables if preferred.
Add the fresh parsley and puree the soup using an immersion blender (or transfer to a heat resistant blender like a Vitamix in batches).
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,,,,,,,,,,”That doesn’t happen with the steel-cut oats.”
Interesting. I just ordered some organic oatmeal from AMZ, will be here early enough to have for breakfast with organic almond milk, also from AMZ, poured over it. No clue re steel-cut oats. Haven’t touched oatmeal in decades. And after breakfast tomorrow may never eat it again. Only cereal I like is Panda Puffs, have it every other morning, with poached eggs on avocado toast on alternate days.
Try cinnamon, apple pieces, and brown sugar. Very filling! Also strawberries with some preserves to sweeten. I have to be in the mood but it’s a nice, warm breakfast.
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