AN Australian discovery of how beta glucans in oats reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood stream could help reduce heart disease globally.
And the discovery could lead to ways of boosting the cholesterol-fighting properties of other cereals including wheat.
University of Queensland's Professor Mike Gidley said the study, funded through the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls, revealed new information on the function of beta glucans - a healthy soluble fibre naturally occurring in the cell walls of some plants, particularly cereals.
The research, using pigs as a model for humans, revealed that the beta glucans in oats reduced the total amount of circulating bile which means that fats, which bile helps break down, are not digested as rapidly or as completely."
A lower or slower absorption of fat is an important factor in reducing blood cholesterol.
"Now that we know how the beta glucans positively impact on cholesterol levels, it will help us identify other fibres in plant cell walls that may have a similar effect," lead researcher Dr Purnima Gunness said.
