A high fibre diet, health experts say, improves health. Such a diet is linked to a lowered risk of heart disease and is believed to reduce the chances of getting colon cancer. Dietary fibre also improves digestion and reduces constipation. Research suggests that a 3g increase in the daily intake of soluble fibre may improve the heart by lowering cholesterol. Oatmeal is low-fat food as it only has a small amount of fat, mostly unsaturated, in the germ layer of the grain.
Oats contain both soluble and insoluble fibre.
Soluble fibre helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels. But it is the soluble fibre called beta glucan in oats that experts believe is responsible for lowering cholesterol. Soluble fibre may help to control blood sugar levels and body weight. In the small intestine, soluble fibre slows the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, preventing a sudden rise in blood sugar level. This is beneficial to the diabetic.