U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home News & Events News Articles Research News 2013





- ARS News & Events
- AgResearch Magazine
- Image Gallery
- News
- Search News & Events
- Insect Meal: A Grand Challenge
- The Chicken, the Egg, and Salmonella
- Cooking with Science: Strawberries
- ARS Featured Photos
- Down on the Farm
- Facebook Live Events
- Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
- News Archive
- Science in Your Shopping Cart
- Scientific Discoveries
- Social Media
- Under the Microscope
- AgResearch magazine
- ARS at Work
- ARS Memorial Lectures
- ARS Science Hall of Fame
- Citrus Disease (Huanglongbing)
- Contact Office of Communications
- Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- Mobile Apps
- Public Affairs Contacts
- Publications and Other Resources
- USDA Blog
- Videos

Archived Page
 This page has been archived and is being provided for reference purposes only. The page is no longer being updated, and therefore, links on the page may be invalid.
 **Read the magazine story to find out more.**Scientists have found that adding small amounts of beta-glucan, an oat component that can help maintain normal cholesterol levels, doesn't noticeably affect the texture or other key characteristics of low-fat yogurt. Click the image for more information about it.For further reading
Cutting fat-and calories-from cakes and frostings
Inventing new oat and barley breads
Cooling inflammation for healthier arteries Enhancing Yogurt with Healthful Fiber From Oats Marcia Wood  Small amounts of beta-glucan, a fiber-rich component of oats, can be added to low-fat yogurt without noticeably affecting the texture or other key characteristics of this increasingly popular dairy food, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers have shown. Oat fiber is of interest to foodmakers and nutritionists because studies with volunteers have indicated that it can lower serum cholesterol, which may help improve heart health. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) food technologist Mukti Singh, research chemist Sanghoon Kim, and their colleagues have experimented with adding oat beta-glucan to what's known in the dairy industry as low-fat yogurt mix. The mix is made up of low-fat milk and a selection of common, safe-to-eat bacteria, such as *Lactobacillus acidophilus*, or various *Bifidobacterium* species, that ferment the milk. The scientists' intent was to see how much fiber they could add without altering the texture, viscosity, or other aspects of the microscopic structure of the yogurt, or its color, pH, or fermentation time, for example. In their experiments at the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill., the team added either zero, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5 percent purified oat beta-glucan to low-fat yogurt mix. The idea of adding edible fiber to yogurt isn't new. But in studies such as this, the scientists are providing some missing details about how using oat beta-glucan as a source of fiber affects yogurt-mix qualities important to foodmakers and yogurt fans alike. The team determined that up to 0.3 percent highly purified (95 percent pure) oat beta-glucan, which translates to 0.3 grams of beta-glucan per 100 grams of yogurt mix, could be added without significantly altering key yogurt qualities. But adding 0.4 percent or higher changed the yogurt's color, contributed to unwanted hardening, and slowed fermentation. The 0.3 percent level of fortification totals out at 0.75 grams of fiber, or about one-quarter teaspoon per 8-ounce serving of yogurt. Most Americans don't get enough fiber, so even this small addition to a familiar dairy product helps. Researchers Singh, Kim, and Sean X. Liu, a research leader at the Peoria center, reported their findings in a peer-reviewed scientific article published in 2012 in the *Journal of Food Science*. Read more about this research in the March 2013 issue of *Agricultural Research* magazine. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov