Very rich in soluble fibre, oat bran is renowned as a slimming food, in particular because it reduces appetite and also acts as a natural laxative. What are these real benefits? Its side effects? Lighting.
Star of diets (especially that of Dr Pierre Dukan), THE Oat bran is a well-known food help lose weight but also reduce cholesterol, increase transit… What are its true and false effects on the body ? How to eat it ? What precautions if we have the fragile intestines ? Advice with naturopath Alexandra Métayer.
What is oat bran?
Oat bran comes from the outer hull that envelops the oat seed. This was crushed and reduced to flour, during an operation known as “boltage”, in order to obtain this residue, this ground bran. This cereal product has the double particularity of being rHigh in soluble fiber (15 to 17%) and protein (around 15%).
Oat bran or flakes: what’s the difference?
If oat bran and oat flakes come from the same seed, they are obtained in different ways. Oat bran results from grinding the outer husk only. However, for the flakes, whole grain oats – not just the shell – are used. Cleaned, they are then steamed, before being reduced to small fragments. Flakes and bran also differ in their properties. THE oatmeal, which you can buy as a cereal bar, for example, contains much less fiber than bran. It is also more caloric.
How much oat bran per day?
One can take two tablespoons of oat bran daily.
Alexandra Métayer, naturopath interviewed, gives some indications as to the amount of daily oat bran tolerated by our body. “In France, we recommend not not ingest more than 30 grams of fiber per day“, she informs. There are approximately 15 grams of fiber per 100 grams of oat bran. 100 grams, of course, is huge. One tablespoon of this powder is about 15 grams. “You can therefore take two tablespoons of oat bran a day, without risking intestinal problems., recommends the specialist. “For this calculation, you have to take into account that there is fiber everywhere else: in fruits, vegetables, bread, oilseeds…”
What are the benefits of oat bran?
By its high in soluble fiber (beta-glucan), oat bran helps toimprove transit and regulate it. “His soluble fibers are prebiotics, that is, food for intestinal bacteria. They will come into contact with these in the colon and positively modify our intestinal microbiota” details the naturopath. It pictures the mechanism as fascinating as it is complex: “In the colon, space is limited for bacteria. There are families of “good bacteria”, which are beneficial to the body, and families of “bad bacteria”, which are dangerous. Like a war of territory in the Bronx, the two groups are fighting to keep their place Oat bran will produce butyrates, that is to say, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which will feed these healthy bacteria and therefore allow them to develop, proliferate, until they suffocate the bad ones, which will no longer have a place.” Because it modifies the composition of our microbiota, oat bran is also considered to regulate glucose (and therefore blood sugar). It is in this sense “favorable for people suffering from type 2 diabetes, who have too high a level of glucose (blood sugar”, explains Alexandra Métayer: “Since their blood sugar will be more stable, they will have fewer cravings.” Always thanks to his action of “intestinal broom”, oat bran can participate in the good cardiovascular health of the subjectsince it sweeps away certain fats and regulates cholesterol. Oat bran is also rich in mineralsincluding the vitamin B1. This plays a role in the nervous system and therefore in the intellectual performance, such as memorization or concentration.
Does oat bran absorb fat?
“The so-called soluble fibers found in oat bran contain pectins. This vegetable substance will gel the water/soluble fiber mixture and create a slightly viscous solution in the colon“, describes the interviewee. As it progresses through the colon, this gelatinous ball “goes absorb some of the fats (lipids) and sugars (carbohydrates) found there“confirms Alexandra Métayer.
Does oat bran reduce constipation?
By capturing water, its soluble fibers contribute to regulate intestinal transit. As for its insoluble fibers, they act as laxatives natural, helping to cleanse the liver as well as the gallbladder. Thus, people suffering from constipation (which is defined by the combination of a slowing of transit and dehydration of the stool) can integrate oat bran into their diet. The naturopath also advisesuse in case of constipation “psyllium, a plant that swells with a lot of water and will have the effect of causing emptying”.
Is oat bran recommended for hemorrhoids?
High fiber foods help reduce hemorrhoidal attacks. Oat bran, like wheat bran or other cereals, can be recommended to avoid constipation, conducive to the onset of a hemorrhoid attack or the aggravation of these pains.
Is it recommended for athletes?
Oat bran can be a ally for athletes. “Physical exertion consumes a lot of sugars, but oat bran regulates blood sugar, keeps it stable“, explains the specialist. These athletes will therefore be less likely to see their blood sugar levels and energy drop during their training.
Does oat bran have calories?
Well yes. If it helps to partially absorb fats and sugars, a serving of oat bran is caloric. “In the calorie chart, 100 grams of oat bran can see between 250 and up to 360 calories”informs the naturopath. “Like flour!”
Does oat bran make you gain weight or lose weight?
Rather calorie, Oat bran can be fattening if taken in too much. On the other hand, by dissolving it in the digestive tract, the soluble fibers of oat bran carry with them certain nutrients from the foods consumed during the meal, such as carbohydrates and lipids. The mixture slides, it goes directly through the digestive tract and the colon without being absorbed, before being eliminated naturally. Thus, the overall caloric intake of the meal decreases. In addition, oat bran provides a feeling of satiety. In other words, he has a “appetite suppressant” effect, it calms the desire to snack. However, the specialist warns: this food popularized by the Dukan diet – not without risk to health – is not not a miracle product for weight loss like this one insinuates.
Should you eat oat bran before or after a meal?
Rather during the meal. Alexandra Métayer recommends sprinkling a little oat bran on a soup, a salad with moist ingredients, such as tomatoes, or in a yogurt. “And above all, you have to drink with it, so that it can create this gel around the fibres”, she indicates.
What are the side effects of oat bran?
Adverse effects will only occur if the subject consumes too much, according to the specialist. She warns that this exaggeration can cause a colon irritation but also diarrhea. Furthermore, when it absorbs fats and carbohydrates, oat bran can also absorb in its path certain nutrients beneficial to the body, such as vitamins and minerals, which can cause, in case of too much consumption, a slight risk of deficiency.
Is it irritating to the intestines?
Soluble fibres, the majority in oat bran, are “very soft”, they will not irritate the intestines, according to the naturopath. Oat bran is even one of the cereals to favor in case of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Is oat bran beneficial during pregnancy?
Constipation is common during pregnancy, recalls Alexandra Métayer. That is why oat bran is of interest to pregnant women. “But always within the recommended dose”, she supports. On the other hand, the taste of oat bran is rather neutral. It will not cause nausea to the pregnant woman.
Where to buy oat bran?
Oat bran can buy in supermarkets, delicatessens, shops specializing in the sale of organic products, or in certain pharmacies and parapharmacies. The customer must promote organic oat bran. The specialist insists on this choice of the natural product, because the outer layer of this cereal (then ground into bran) is by definition very exposed in the event of harmful chemical treatments. Pesticides, for example, attach themselves to this envelope.
Thanks to Alexandra Métayer, naturopath practicing in Vaires-sur-Marne, in Île-de-France.