by Lyn Carew

Oats have long been considered one of the healthiest foods available. As a result, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows manufacturers of whole oat cereals such as Cheerios to put a label on the carton saying, in part, "may reduce the risk of heart disease." But this happened long after the popular song "Mairzy Doates" (written by Al Drake in 1943 for his daughter) told us that young horses and deer also eat lots of oats.

The FDA approved the "good for your heart" label because oats contain a unique kind of fiber. Oat grain is different from other plant grains such as wheat, corn, barley, etc., in that its fiber is mainly soft and soluble - like the pectins used to make jams and jellies. Most grains have "insoluble" or tough, coarse fibers made largely of cellulose such as found in wheat bran. In its own way, these "tough" fibers are important to intestinal health because intestinal muscles have to work to pass them on; in doing so, they are strengthened. To the contrary, an important function of soft, soluble fibers, found most extensively in fruits and vegetables, is to adsorb intestinal cholesterol and carry it out of the body. This supposedly will prevent your blood cholesterol from rising and prevent heart disease, although the evidence for dietary cholesterol causing heart disease has weakened substantially in the last few years. Nevertheless, this is why oats get this "Good Health" label.

If you've followed nutritional news in the last few years you know that the indigestible part of plant food called fiber is so good for your health that it's almost considered an essential nutrient. Yes, this cardboard-like part of grains and cereals used to be considered a bothersome waste product, and we thought it just passed though our intestines, uselessly, and out the other end. Not anymore. Adequate dietary fiber may help prevent appendicitis, diverticulitis (infected pouches in the large intestine), polyps, gallstones, diabetes, and constipation, as well as heart disease.

Recently, the nutritional value of oats has taken on new significance. Scientists in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) discovered that oats contain a new family of antioxidants called "avenanthramides" (Avns). Avns, like all antioxidants, fight inflammation. Based on new scientific data, excessive, misplaced inflammation in your body is the main cause of many diseases. Inflammation is the response seen when you have an injury wherein irritation, swelling, redness, heat, and pain occur. That's fine. That's part of the healing process. But if this occurs when not needed in your arteries, soft organs, and other critical locations, it can lead to conditions such as hardening of the arteries and atherosclerosis. There is a strong body of evidence suggesting that inflammation may be the real cause of heart disease and that blood cholesterol is only a marker (and maybe a poor one) for this.

At Tufts University, Dr. Mohsen Meydani reported that the antioxidant properties of Avns prevent blood cells from sticking to the lining of arteries. This gluing of cells to blood vessels is very likely the process that leads to blocking of the arteries in coronary heart disease. These researchers also suggest that Avns in oats relax your arteries. My gosh, isn't that what a day at the beach is supposed to do?

Cancer is another disease in which errant inflammation may play a role, and USDA researchers have evidence that oats may slow the growth of cancer cells in the colon. To add to the enthusiasm about oats, Time magazine just published a lead story on aging. In it, 106-year-old Leonard McCracken of Tavares, Fla. is quoted as attributing his longevity to eating oats. Wow! Will eating oats slow our aging? I wonder if oat-eating mares and does live longer?

A little caution though. There are estimated to be hundreds of antioxidants in various foods - most of them never studied. The Avns in oats could just be doing the same thing as antioxidants in other foods. We don't know. Please don't start dumping oats on all your meals. On the other hand, like mares and does, you might want to pay more attention to eating oats. Certainly, a whole grain cereal like oatmeal is a better choice than refined cereals that contain lots of sugar! So pay attention when you hear "Mairzy Doats and Dozy Doats," but for heaven's sake don't be like little lambs and let the kids start eating ivy.