The effect of rolled oats on blood lipids and fecal steroid excretion in man.

Rolled oats (125 g daily) were substituted for breakfast cereals and wheat flour in the metabolically controlled diets of 10 subjects for 3 wk. Fat and energy intakes in the 2-wk control periods before and after the oat period were adjusted by addition of an oil with a similar fatty acid composition to the lipid in the oats. Plasma total cholesterol concentrations were reduced in seven of 10 subjects, but over the whole group the mean reduction of 8% was not significant (0.05 less than p less than 0.01). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations and plasma triglyceride levels were unchanged. Fecal fat excretion was increased by 47% (p less 0.005) and fecal bile acid excretion by 35% (p less than 0.01) but neutral steroid excretion was unchanged on the oatmeal diet.