Eat Oats to Protect Heart and Brain Vessels
Eat Oats to Protect Heart and Brain Vessels
It is well known that cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are currently the leading cause of death worldwide. One major contributing factor is high lipid levels, including high cholesterol and triglycerides. We now introduce a healthy food for middle-aged and elderly people—oats—which effectively lowers cholesterol in the body. Regular consumption can help prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, the main threat to middle-aged and elderly individuals.
Oats are known as "youmai" in China, commonly called oil wheat or jade wheat, and are a major coarse grain in Guyuan County, Ningxia. Oats have extremely high nutritional value. According to data, oats contain 15.6% protein—over double that of rice—and 3–4 percentage points higher than flour. They contain 8.5% fat—several times that of rice and flour. Carbohydrates account for 64.8%, about 10% lower than rice and flour. Fiber content is 2.1%, ash content 2%. Oats are low in sugar, high in protein, high in fat, and high in energy. Their nutrient content is high and quality excellent. Among cereal proteins, essential amino acids are best balanced, with ideal lysine and methionine levels—deficient in rice and flour. Moreover, they are rich in essential fatty acids, with linoleic acid exceeding one-third of total fatty acids. Vitamins and minerals are abundant. Per 100g: vitamin B1 590mcg, vitamin B2 150mcg, vitamin B6 160mcg, niacin 1000mcg, minerals 1000mcg, folate 25mcg, calcium 55mg, potassium 335mg, iron 5mg, manganese 5mg, zinc 4mg. Vitamin B1 content ranks highest among cereals.
Oats have excellent auxiliary therapeutic effects: due to high linoleic acid content, they lower blood cholesterol; contain 8 plant sterols that prevent intestinal absorption of cholesterol; smaller starch molecules than rice and flour, easily digestible and absorbable; contain polysaccharides derived from fructose, directly usable by the body. For those with high cholesterol, oats lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and raise HDL ("good") cholesterol. High-quality dietary fiber alleviates colon cancer, diabetes, constipation, varicose veins, and phlebitis. Facts confirm oats are rich in nutrients, high in quality, abundant in vitamins and minerals, and offer maximum auxiliary therapeutic benefits. Thus, the World Health Organization officially lists oats as a recommended health food.
If you wish to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases or already suffer from them, consider eating oatmeal daily. Beijing Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Medical Research Center and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences jointly confirmed that consuming just 50g of oatmeal daily can reduce blood cholesterol by an average of 39mg per 100ml and triglycerides by 76mg. No wonder former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has long maintained a habit of eating oat bread for breakfast, even requesting daily air shipment of oat bread during her brief visit to China!