Oat bran: a new solution to an old problem; high-fiber, low-fat oat bran lowers cholesterol levels at a fraction of the cost of drugs

Better Nutrition (1989-90), March, 1989 by Frank Murray

"Since recent data indicate that every one-percent fall in the level of serum cholesterol leads to as much as a two-percent fall in the incidence of first major coronary events, it is appropriate as part of the national effort to lower population serum cholesterol levels ... as emphasized in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the department of Health and Human Services," the researchers concluded.

In the double-blind study, which involved men and women aged 30 to 65, one group consumed two servings of either oat bran or oatmeal -- about 60 grams -- daily. The control group received no oat products. The study lasted for 12 weeks.

The Journal of the American Medical Association reported a study by Bruce P. Knosian, M.D., and John M. Eisenberg, M.D., who determined that oat bran as a daily addition to the diet is less expensive than drug therapy for treating high blood cholesterol.

The study analyzed the cost-effectiveness of treating individuals with high cholesterol levels (over 265 mg/dl) by comparing three cholesterol-lowering agents: oat bran, cholestyramine resin and colestipol.

The study, which was designed to compare the costs of using these three agents to lower blood cholesterol estimated that cholesterol reduction with oat bran cost $249 per year; cholestyramine resin cost $1,442 annually; and colestipol, $879 including medical supervision in each case.

Therefore, said Dr. Kinosian, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, "a broad public health approach to lowered cholesterol levels by additional dietary modification such as with soluble fiber, may be preferred to a medically oriented campaign that focuses on drug therapy."

Oat bran and oatmeal, available in various forms from your health food store, not only make a delicious cereal, but also can be used in a variety of recipes.