Ten ways to use oat bran
Track Your Plaque Nurse Carol learns about the benefits of oat bran and ten ways to use it as part of your Track Your Plaque program.
I'm always surprised how few people have heard of oat bran or know about its wonderful health properties.
While by itself oat bran is not fancy, glamorous, or delicious, when used properly it can be part of delicious and healthy dishes in your nutrition program.
Everyone's heard of oatmeal. The Quaker Oats people have done a good job of publicizing the modest LDL cholesterol reducing effects of oatmeal, even lobbying the FDA to issue a favorable recommendation for its use to reduce cholesterol.
Know what's even better, twice as good in fact? Oat bran!
Oat bran is the fiber source in oatmeal. It contains the soluble fiber, beta glucan, that possesses a unique water-absorbing capacity, capable of absorbing up to four times its volume of water. That's why it's called a "soluble" fiber. That's why it's important to drink plenty of extra water when you add oat bran to foods, since beta glucan is highly water absorbent and can make you dehydrated and constipated if you don't drink enough water. Ouch!
Oat bran contains twice the beta glucan of oatmeal (by weight). I find that it's also easier to use in a variety of dishes you wouldn't think to add oatmeal to. Adding a tablespoon of oatmeal to yogurt doesn't sound very appealing, nor can you bread chicken or fish with it. You can do both easily with oat bran.
A ½ cup serving of oat bran (uncooked) contains 6 grams of fiber, which commonly drops LDL cholesterol 20 points. Compare that to wheat fibers (e.g., Raisin Bran, whole wheat bread, Shredded Wheat Cereal). Effect on cholesterol? None whatsoever.
Despite having around 24 grams of carbohydrates ("net carbs" 18 grams) in a ½ cup serving, the beta glucan content of oats reduces blood sugar when eaten with other foods (e.g., yogurt) and, in effect, reduces the glycemic index (the size and rapidity of blood sugar rise after eating) of other foods. This has been shown to facilitate weight loss. It also helps raise HDL and reduce triglycerides.
Dr. Brenda Davy and colleagues from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Colorado State University found that oat bran also improves LDL particle size. 18 overweight men were given 1 ½ cups of wheat cereal per day; another 18 overweight men were given 1 ½ cups of oat cereal per day (2 servings of ¾ cup). (Overweight men were chosen in order to be more likely to include subjects with small LDL.) Lipoprotein analysis at the start and then after 12 weeks of either supplement.
After 12 weeks, the wheat cereal group experienced no beneficial changes in their lipoprotein patterns. The oat cereal group showed a 17% reduction in the quantity of small LDL cholesterol.
The reason behind this beneficial effect on small LDL is not clear, but may be related to beta glucan's tendency to slow absorption of ingested sugars and thereby lower the effective glycemic index of various foods.
Oat bran is easy to find, inexpensive and extremely easy to use. Now, be aware that packaged oatmeal or some of the dried cereals containing oat bran also include a large quantity of sugar. It's best to avoid these tantalizing cereals and make your own. You can usually find oat bran in the bulk section of the grocery store, or packaged in 1 lb bags in the cereal section of the store. Try to get 2–3 Tbsp in your diet per day for full effect.
But, you ask, how do I incorporate this dry, inedible-by-itself material into my daily diet? Here are 10 ways:
1.) Add to protein or fruit smoothies—a Tbsp or two added. Consume immediately, however. Oat bran's tendency to absorb liquids will turn it into a solid mass if you set it aside.
2.) Use as part of breading for fish or chicken. Add spices and herbs for flavoring. Roll in egg whites or whole eggs first so that "breading" sticks.
3.) Sprinkle on salads.
4.) Use in yogurt or cottage cheese—Add a tsp or two and mix; add berries, chopped (raw) nuts.
5.) Mix with tomato juice or other vegetable juices.
6.) Oat bran is great as a hot cereal. Microwave ¼ cup with ½ cup skim or 1% milk, or soy milk; blend in blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc. and raw nuts or seeds like chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
7.) Mix with homemade soups such as squash soup or lentil soups. Best consumed right away, since the oat bran will absorb the liquids and settle out if set aside.
8.) Try adding to salsas or pasta sauce.
9.) Add to your buckwheat pancake mix. Add a dash or two of cinnamon; your children will never know your hidden secret. (If you struggle with weight, low HDL or small LDL, then ignore this one, since wheat worsens these patterns.)
10.) Mix 1–2 teaspoons of oat bran with your favorite roasted vegetables. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and your favorite spices to the roasted vegetables.
High-fiber oat cereal compared with wheat cereal consumption favorably alters LDL-cholesterol subclass and particle numbers in middle-aged and older men1.
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