Fiber Facts
Oats are no magic bullet.
According to the Nutrition Action Health Letter, Some companies pump up their oatmeal's with extra processed fibers that don't lower your cholesterol.
Quaker High Fiber Instant Oatmeal, for example, provides 40% of your daily fiber needs, 10 grams BUT that is largely due to added maltodextrin. Think Thin Protein & Fiber Hot Oatmeal adds chicory root. The Food and Drug Administration counts both ingredients as fiber, but the agency hasnt approved either to lower cholesterol.
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In order for oats to lower your cholesterol, you'd need to eat 5 to 10 grams of viscous soluble fiber everyday to lower LDL cholesterol by about 5%.
Oat Bran: a creamy way to get some soluble fiber. Oat bran has 3 grams of soluble fiber.
