Who hasn't enjoyed tucking into a warm, comforting bowl of oatmeal on a cold winter's day? Whether consumed as a hot breakfast, in baked goods or as part of such healthy goodies as granola, this ancient grain boasts a long history of providing nutritious sustenance for man and beast alike.

One reason the oat is so beneficial is a fiber found in its outer covering, or bran - a heart-healthy substance known as oat beta-glucans . Now this valuable fiber is available in a supplemental form that can bring the benefits of oat bran to a wide variety of beverages, bars and other foods.

Circulation Hazard

One of the most common causes of cardiac trouble is atherosclerosis. In this process, fatty deposits called plaques accumulate within arteries, including coronary arteries that feed the heart muscle itself. (To learn more, see "System Alert!" om page 30, if you don't get Energy Times Magazine, come see us at either Nature's Pantry location for a Free Copy!). Many factors cause plaque development, but one significant issue is the presence of excess cholesterol in the blood.

Your body makes its own cholesterol, which serves a variety of uses. But cholesterol's fatty consistency means that it needs a partner, called lipoprotein, to carry it through the watery bloodstream. There are two main types, low and high density (LDL and HDL). Of the two, LDL can become problematic if it's affected by oxidation, a process similar to the rusting of a car. Oxidized LDL is prone to becoming trapped in plaque. HDL, the "good" kind to LDL's "bad," actually appears to help carry cholesterol away from the artery walls and back to the liver for processing.

Cutting the Cholesterol

Oat beta-glucans helps reduce cholesterol because its soluble fiber absorbs water, forming a thick gel in the digestive system. Not only does this gel provide a more lasting feeling of fullness, which helps curb overall calorie intake, it traps the cholesterol found in food and carries such dietary cholesterol out of the body. In the same way, oat beta glucans helps mop up some of the bile that your body pours into the intestines to digest fat. The liver uses cholesterol taken from the bloodstream to create bile, so this action also helps to reduce cholesterol levels.

Oat beta-glucans has proven its cholesterol-fighting worth of clinical research. In one study at the University of Minnesota, 75 people with high cholesterol received either 6 grams of oat beta-glucans ir 6 grams of a lookalike placebo. In the oat supplement group levels of both total and LDL cholesterol fel after six weeks, with reductions signigicantly greater than those in the placebo group (Nutritional Journal 3/07). And while lowering LDL  is certainly a good thing, raising HDL at the same time is even better- something oat beta-glucans has been able to do (American Journal of Therapeutics 3-4/07).

Excess blood sugar, or glucose, is just as bad for the circulatory system as too much cholesterol. In several studies oat beta-glucans has moderated post-meal glucose increases, a key consideration for people with diabetes.

When looking for an oat beta-glucans supplement, check to see how it is made. Only products that are processed mechanically, without using chemical solvents, from such whole food products as rolled oats or oat bran can carry a government-approved claim that they help lower cholesterol.

Concerned about controlling your cholesterol levels naturally? Oat beta-glucans may provide the solution you've been looking for.

Check Out Some Our New Cholesterol Fighters

HeartBeat™ Cholesterol Support Drink Mix

Refreshing, Delicious, Cholesterol-Lowering Success!

HeartBeat™ Drink Mix with Suppressterol™ is a revolutionary breakthrough that helps lower your cholesterol and thereby helps to reduce your risk of heart disease. And it’s as easy as sipping a delicious glass of orange drink! The powerful LDL cholesterol-reducing effects of beta-glucans have been known for years. But until now, people had to eat at least one serving of oatmeal every day, in order to get enough beta glucans to be effective. But HeartBeat Drink from DreamQuest Nutraceuticals changes all that, delivering an amazing 750 mg of oat beta glucans in each deliciously refreshing serving. And it’s perfectly designed to easily add to water bottles!

Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 3 grams per day of oat beta glucans soluble fiber from whole oats may lower blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Each serving of HeartBeat™ Drink Mix provides 0.75 grams of Suppressterol™ oat beta glucans soluble fiber.

High blood levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol are major risk factors for developing coronary heart disease (CHD). And CHD kills more Americans than any other disease or group of diseases. With HeartBeat Drink you can reduce your risk of CHD, by reducing your blood levels of total and LDL cholesterol today! Every box of convenient HeartBeat Drink packets contains the HeartBeat Easy 3-Step Cholesterol Reduction and Total Heart Health Program, which presents simple steps anyone can use to improve heart health and overall wellness. The sooner you do it, the more HeartBeat Drink can help.

Box of 30 Packets of 16g each - $37.95

Individual Packet (16g) - $1.49

Serving Size 1 Packet (16g)

Supplement Facts Ingredient  Amount  % Daily Value  Calories  45  Total Carbohydrate  10 g 3 %*   Dietary Fiber 1 g 6%     Soluble Fiber 1 g †  Sugars 5 g †  Protein  1 g <1 %* Folate   4 mcg 1 % Phosphorus  54 mg 5 % Magnesium  17 mg 4 % Selenium   3 mcg 5% Manganese  0.4 mg 21% Potassium  40 mg 1 % * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. † Daily Value (DV) not established.

HeartBeat™ Cardiovascular Support Tablets

The Heartbeat of Cardio Nutrition!

HeartBeat™ Tablets, by DreamQuest Nutraceuticals™, is the comprehensive heart health supplement that nutritionally supports every aspect of cardiovascular wellness, from heart muscles to arterial walls. With 400 mg of CardioAid™ active plant sterols, HeartBeat Tablets can be taken alone or together with Heartbeat™ Drink Mix as part of the HeartBeat Easy 3-Step Cholesterol Reduction and Total Heart Health Program (see HeartBeat Cholesterol Support Drink Mix, Product #10739).

HeartBeat Tablets feature:

• 400 mg of CardioAid™ active plant sterols
• As much resveratrol as in 34 glasses of wine – alcohol-free!
• Proprietary Heart Health Botanical Complex
• 150 mg of heart-supporting amino acids
• High potency B-complex vitamins: vitamin B6, vitamin B12, niacin and folic acid, which inhibits homocysteine
• Calcium, magnesium, potassium and selenium: Essential minerals for healthy heart function and antioxidant benefit
• Coenzyme Q10

Take control of your Heart Health with comprehensive HeartBeat Tablets!

Bottles of 90 - $13.95
Serving Size 3 Heart-Shaped Tablets

Supplement Facts Ingredient  Amount  % Daily Value  Niacin (as niacinamide)  40 mg 200 % Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine HCl)  4 mg 200 % Folate (as folic acid)  400 mcg 100 % Vitamin B12 (as cyanocobalamin)  12 mcg 200 % Calcium (as amino acid chelate/complex)  50 mg 5 % Magnesium (as amino acid chelate/complex)  25 mg 6 % Selenium (as aminoate)  70 mcg 100 % Potassium (as amino acid complex)  99 mg 3 % CardioAid®‡ Plant Sterols [supplying minimum 95% (380 mg) total phytosterols]  400 mg †  Standardized minimum:       Beta-sitosterol 40% (152 mg)       Campesterol 20% (76 mg)       Stigmasterol 14% (53 mg)     Proprietary Heart Health Botanical Complex  200 mg †  Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum seed)‡, English Hawthorne (Crataegus laevigata berry), Grape Seed (Vitis vinifera)‡, Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus fruit)‡, Garlic (odor-modified Allium sativum clove)‡, cayenne (Capsicum frutescens fruit)‡, green tea (Camellia sinensis leaf extract)‡     L-Taurine (pharmaceutical-grade free form amino acid)   75 mg †  L-Carnitine (as L-carnitine-L-tartrate)   75 mg †  Resveratrol (from Polygonum cuspidatum root extract‡)  25 mg †  Coenzyme Q10 (pharmaceutical-grade ubiquinone)  10 mg †  ‡ Standardized extract    †  † Daily Value (DV) not established.