Benefits of Avena sativa and Cereal Oats

Avena sativa Cereal Oat
health benefits and nutritional values

Avena sativa - common oat, Common oats, oat, oatgrass (common), oats, wild oats [1]. Oat is the seed of the annual grass Avena
sativa. Cereal means a food prepared from the starchy grains of wheat, oats, or corn. [2]

What is Avena sativa? Avena sativa is the annual grass and
its seed is the oat. Thus, Avena sativa is also called oat. While,
cereal oat is widely cultivated in temperate regions for its edible
grains. [2]

Cereal oat? This name remains me Kelloggs. Recently, Kelloggs
has launched out a new product series of cereal oat called STAR
WARS EPISODE III. STAR WARS has Jedi in Training, Darth Vader;
and Yoda. The nutritional values of these cereal oat products are
great.

Nutritional Facts: Whole oat flour, sugar, marshmallow bits
(sugar, modified corn starch, corn syrup, dextrose, gelatin, artificial
color (yellow #5, red #40, blue #1, yellow #6), sodium
hexametaphosphate, natural and artificial flavor), corn flour, corn
meal, wheat bran, salt, baking soda, sodium ascorbate and
ascorbic acid (vitamin C), niacinamide, zinc oxide, reduced iron,
pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2),
vitamin A palmitate, thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin B1), BHT
(preservative), folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin D.

What are the health benefits of Avena sativa or
Oats?

Avena sativa is a source of antioxidants.

Researchers have examined the concentrations of total phenolics,
tocols, and phenolic acids and in vitro antioxidant activity of Avena
sativa milling fractions. They found a correlation between the total
phenolic content and antioxidant activity and the pearling fractions
have the highest amount of total phenolics and tocols [3]

Avena sativa suppressed oxidation of LDL in a vitro study.

Researchers found that Avena sativa fractions inhibited LDL
oxidation in a dose-dependent manner. They believe that most of
Avena sativa's antioxidant capacity is likely derived from its polar
phenolic compounds in the aleurone.

Can Avena sativa help weight loss?

Avena sativa may have benefits on glycermic profiles of
over-weight ladies.

In a study of ten women aged 50 (BMI 30), researchers suggested
their glycemic responses after consumption of Avena sativa flour,
oatmeal etc. They found that particle size of the oats had little
effect on the glycemic responses. Both Avena sativa or oat and
barley meals reduced glycemic responses. [5]

Avena sativa may have health benefits on HDL profiles of
premenopausal overweight women.

In a study of 34 premenopausal women (age: 22-53 years),
researchers studied the plasma lipoprotein/lipid response to dietary
fibers. They found the beneficial effects of Avena sativa (oat bran)
on the plasma HDL-C levels.[6]

References

[1] Avena sativa L. , Taxonomic Serial No.: 41459 , IT IS Report, usda.gov,
May 29, 2006. [2] Avena sativa, The Free Dictionary, May 29, 2006. [3]
Emmons CL. Et al, Antioxidant capacity of oat (Avena sativa L.) extracts. 2.
In vitro antioxidant activity and contents of phenolic and tocol antioxidants.
J Agric Food Chem. 1999 Dec;47(12):4894-8. [4] Handelman GJ et al,
Antioxidant capacity of oat (Avena sativa L.) extracts. 1. Inhibition of
low-density lipoprotein oxidation and oxygen radical absorbance capacity. J
Agric Food Chem. 1999 Dec;47(12):4888-93.[5] Behall KM et al, Comparison
of hormone and glucose responses of overweight women to barley and
oats.J Am Coll Nutr. 2005 Jun;24(3):182-8.[6] Robitaille J et al, Effect of an
oat bran-rich supplement on the metabolic profile of overweight
premenopausal women.Ann Nutr Metab. 2005 May-Jun;49(3):141-8. Epub
2005 May 24.

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