Oats, antioxidants and endothelial function in overweight, dyslipidemic adults

Abstract

Objective: To determine effects of oat and antioxidant vitamin (C 500 mg, E 400 IU) ingestion on endothelial function in overweight, dyslipidemic adults.

Design: Randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial Intervention(s): Subjects (16 males > or = age 35; 14 postmenopausal females) were assigned, in random order, to oats (60 g oatmeal), vitamin E (400 IU) plus vitamin C (500 mg), the combination of oats and vitamins, or placebo, and underwent brachial artery reactivity scans (BARS) following a single dose of each treatment, and again following 6 weeks of daily ingestion, with 2-week washout periods. At each test, a provocation high-fat meal (50 g, predominantly saturated) was administered and subjects were scanned pre, and 3 hours post-ingestion.

Results: Mean flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD; measured as percent diameter change before and after treatments) at baseline was 6.35 +/- 3.37. Oats increased FMD non-significantly (p > 0.05) with both single acute dose (from 6.07 +/- 6.25 to 9.22 +/- 8.82) and six weeks of sustained treatment (from 6.01 +/- 10.07 to 8.69 +/- 8.42). The direction of effect was negative for vitamins and the oat/vitamin combination with both acute and sustained treatment. There were no significant differences in FMD change among the treatments in either phase of the study, however when acute and sustained effects were pooled, oat treatment significantly augmented FMD (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: This trial suggests but does not confirm a beneficial influence of oat ingestion on endothelial function in overweight, dyslipidemic adults. Further study of this potential association is warranted.