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A healthy diet is a key to healthy heart. If you are obese or having sedentary lifestyle or suffering from diabetes or high blood pressure, then you are at high risk of getting into the grip of coronary heart diseases. Cholesterol is a major cause of all kinds of heart diseases. The risk of heart diseases is directly co-related with bad cholesterol levels in the body. When there is too much of bad cholesterol or LDL building up in the coronary arteries, it gradually forms plaque that can narrow the arteries and hampers the flow of oxygen that is vital to the function of the heart. Such condition is known as atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, it can result into a heart attack or heart stroke.

Oats: for healthy heart

Oat is a great food for maintaining a healthy heart life style. Recognizing the benefits of Oats as a healthy heart diet, FDA gave it the status of a "health claim" in 1997. It allowed manufacturers to advertise the health benefits on boxes of oatmeal and other oat products. Few health benefits of Oats for heart have been discussed as follows:

1. Oats bring down LDL (bad cholesterol) without lowering HDL or good cholesterol. Recent studies reveal that everyday consumption of 3gms of soluble oat fiber can lower the total body cholesterol by 8-23 percent and helps to maintain a healthy heart life style. In order to qualify this healing claim, such Oat product must contain at least 0.75 grams of beta-Glucan soluble fiber derived from Oats.

2. Oat contains high level of fiber, manganese, and magnesium which helps to strengthen your heart and prevent it from many heart diseases.

3. Lack of selenium is one of the reasons for coronary heart diseases. Selenium is also used as antioxidants to repair cell damage caused by free radicals. Selenium deficiency can lead to low thyroid function, problems with your immune system and heart problems. Eating Oats regularly can help an adult to meet the recommended 55 mcg daily requirement of selenium and ensure they do not become selenium deficient.

4. Oats also contains unique antioxidants called Avenanthramides that help protect artery walls from the build-up of plaque.

In order to increase intake of Oat in your meals, you can take Oat meals with nuts or fresh fruits as breakfast or can also add Oat flour, when you make breads and muffins. With enormous healthy heart benefits, Oats can be truly called as a miraculous meal for heart.


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