Oats Reduce Inflammation

Oats have been long proposed to have heart healthy benefits, and US Agriculture Research Services (ARS) researchers have elucidated the mechanism for this association.  Previously Mohsen Meydani, from Tufts University (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues have shown that phenolic antioxidants in oats obstruct the ability of blood cells to stick to artery walls. In new research, the team has found that another oat compound, avenanthramides, decrease the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.  The study provides additional indications of the potential health benefit of oat consumption in the prevention of coronary heart disease beyond its known effect through lowering blood cholesterol.