Oats contain a prebiotic that'll help you lose fat and boost immunity, but there's a better source.
We love reading health and fitness articles in the mainstream media. It's fun to see them write about a "brand new discovery" that T Nation covered ten years ago. Recently, we read an article about oatmeal and beta glucan (Buy at Amazon), the prebiotic fiber it contains. The writer got a lot right, but one very important thing wrong.
Beta Glucan: What It Does
Oats and a few other foods do contain beta glucan. Here's what this soluble fiber is known to do:
- Increased intake of beta glucan leads to fat loss, improved metabolic health, and improved insulin sensitivity.
- Beta glucan forms a gel-like structure in the digestive tract. Its viscosity allows it to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by binding bile acids (which are then excreted) and reducing cholesterol reabsorption. It also slows carbohydrate absorption, reducing glucose spikes and regulating blood sugar.
- It feeds your good gut bacteria. Beta glucan is fermented by gut microbiota, producing short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which support gut health.
- Beta glucan enhances immune function by activating immune cells like macrophages, neutrophils, and natural killer (NK) cells. This boosts your body's ability to prevent and fight infections, including respiratory illnesses.
- Emerging research shows that beta glucan may enhance immune surveillance against tumor cells. And by reducing oxidative stress, it could help ward off cancer.
- Beta glucan improves skin health due to its ability to stimulate immune responses and promote healthy tissue replenishment. Some companies even market beta glucan as a beauty product.
Better than Oatmeal
There's nothing wrong with having a bowl of oatmeal, but if you're eating it for the beta glucan benefits, you're probably not reaping them all.
The more processed the oats, the less bioavailable beta glucan you'll get. Smaller particle sizes (finely milled oats or "instant" oatmeal) reduce beta glucan's ability to form a viscous gel, lowering bioavailability. Less processed oats (steel-cut or rolled) retain a higher molecular weight and viscosity, leading to better functionality.
But there's another issue: oat and yeast-derived beta glucan itself isn't very bioavailable. The gastrointestinal tract isn't prepared to properly digest some of the thick cell walls of grains like oats to give the gastrointestinal system access to beta glucan. Specifically, the type of beta glucan you want is beta-1,3-glucan.
Beta-1,3-glucan is extracted from Euglena gracilis, a species of algae. It has no chemical side branches or particulate matter. Its cell wall is much thinner, making it easier to absorb and utilize. Also, the concentration of beta glucan in algal cell walls is over 95%, much higher than that found in oats or yeast.
So, have your oatmeal, preferably rolled or steel-cut, then supplement with algae-derived beta glucan. Each serving of Biotest Beta Glucan Immune-Boosting Fiber (Buy at Amazon) contains 600 mg of beta-1,3-glucan extracted from Euglena gracilis.
