US oat ingredients firm Nurture has launched its concentrated oat bran ingredient OatVantage in supplement form, providing a convenient way of gaining the recommended levels of oat soluble fiber for lowering cholesterol.
Two OatVantage servings (one supplement twice a day) are said to provide 1.5 grams of oat beta glucan, half the daily amount recommended by the FDA to help lower cholesterol. The supplement also contains more than 50 per cent beta-glucan by weight, claimed by Nurture to be the highest concentration available on the market.
Research indicates that beta-glucan may lower total cholesterol levels from 5 to 22 per cent, and may also have positive effects on other heart disease risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity.
Recently, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found dietary intervention with foods rich in soy protein and soluble fiber, such as oats and barley, lowered LDL (bad) cholesterol levels 28 per cent in one month, compared to a 30.9 per cent reduction in subjects administered a prescription statin drug.
"Nurture has patented a novel, water-based technology for concentrating the beta-glucan from oats, while maintaining product quality and nutritional benefits," commented Griffith Parker, Nurture's CEO. He added that "OatVantage could be an important nutritional adjunct for the estimated 65 million Americans with 'borderline' cholesterol between 200 - 240 mg/dL, who might maintain normal levels through lifestyle modifications".
Greg Stevens, vice president of marketing at Nurture, said that while the research continues to confirm the strong potential of oat-based foods to improve heart health, the challenge for the 100 million Americans with elevated cholesterol was how to apply this to a 'real life' diet.
According to Nurture, initial results of the first major human clinical trial studying the effects of OatVantage on blood cholesterol will be reported this month by the University of Minnesota, Department of Food Science and Nutrition. Data will be presented at scientific sessions during the conference of the American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC), September 28, in Portland, Oregon and at Supply Side West, October 2, in Las Vegas.
Made from non-GMO oats grown in North America, OatVantage is classed as non-allergenic, appropriate for strict vegetarians and certified Kosher. It is also Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS), and manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) guidelines.
The supplement is currently available at Vitamin World stores nationwide, and Nurture said it expected increased distribution over the coming months in other national retail outlets.