Start feeling your oats
Three simple facts: 1. Around 71 million Americans have high LDL cholesterol. 2. Elevated levels of lousy LDL cholesterol fuel coronary heart disease, which leads to around 371,000 deaths annually. 3. Americans get far too little fiber in their diet -- but if they just added one-third of an ounce of fiber a day to their diet, they could lower their risk of fatal coronary heart disease by 17%. (Psst! Four ounces of raw oats have 4 grams.)
And speaking of oats: A study in Nature Communications looked at how folks with metabolic syndrome (elevated blood pressure, glucose levels and lipids and being overweight) could reduce their lousy LDL cholesterol levels quickly. The answer: oatmeal. For two days, participants ate nothing but a total of 10.5 ounces of oatmeal cooked in water with some added fruit and vegetables -- divided into three servings. Their LDL cholesterol immediately fell by 10% -- and stayed that way over the next six months.
How could a short-term fiber bomb produce such positive-lasting effects? The researchers found that it caused significant improvements in gut health, upgrading the balance of beneficial microbes, improving the integrity of the intestine's lining and changing how the body metabolized glucose and fat.
After you do the two-day oat-fest, keep fiber in your diet with high-fiber recipes in my book "The What to Eat When Cookbook," and for more heart-loving ways to live longer and healthier, check out "The Great Age Reboot" and ask your doctor about getting therapeutic plasma exchange.
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@4YOUngevity.com.
(c)2026 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2026 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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