Avena Sativa Research Update

Most claims for avena sativa rest on research conducted during the 1980s by the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco, which marketed a line of avena sativa products. According to an article in Nutrition Action Healthletter, the one study on men and women that compared avena sativa to a placebo was never published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Effect of Avena Sativa (oat bran) enriched diet on the atherogenic lipid profile in patients with an increased coronary heart disease risk. A controlled randomized lifestyle intervention study.
Ann Nutr Metab. 2003;47(6):306-11.

AIM: To study whether an Avena Sativa bran enriched diet has a specific effect in lowering total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterols, in addition to caloric and fat restriction. We performed a randomized, controlled, parallel-group, single-centre study in which 1,994 patients from the Wehrawald Hospital were screened and 235 met the criteria male gender, hypercholesterolemia, and overweight. All patients in the Hospital took part in a 4-week standardized inpatient lifestyle health program consisting of dietary intervention, increased physical activity, and health education. Caloric restriction, fat modification, and Avena Sativa bran supplementation were part of the nutritional regimen within the lifestyle health program. Ninety-nine patients were randomized to a fat-modified diet with caloric restriction and a daily intake of 35-50 g Avena Sativa bran and 136 patients to a fat-modified, Avena Sativa-free diet with caloric restriction. Fifty-three male overweight but normocholesterolemic subjects were selected as controls. RESULTS: The most significant decreases in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B were found with the combination of the fat-modified and Avena Sativa enriched food. CONCLUSIONS: Added to a fat-modified diet, Avena Sativa bran within a practical range of intake significantly reduces total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B. Avena sativa tablet.

Adult celiac patients do tolerate large amounts of oats (avena sativa).
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003 Jan;57(1):163-9.
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether adult patients with celiac disease in remission could include large amounts of oats in their daily gluten-free diet for an extended period of time without adverse effects. Twenty adult celiac patients in remission included large amounts of uncontaminated rolled avena sativa in their daily diet for a prolonged period. The examinations, performed four times during the study period, included small bowel endoscopy with biopsies, blood samples, height and body weight, gastrointestinal symptoms and dietary records. Gastrointestinal symptoms and diet were also investigated through unannounced telephone interviews once a month during the study period. RESULTS: No adverse effects of a large intake of avena sativa were seen in small bowel histology, serology nor in nutritional status in the 15 subjects who completed the whole study period. Two of the subjects dropped out because of gastrointestinal symptoms and three for non-medical reasons. The median intake of oats was 93 g/day and the compliance to the avena sativa diet was found to be good. Examinations of the patients after drop-out did not show any deterioration in small bowel histology or nutritional status nor raised levels of antibodies. CONCLUSION: Results from this study indicate that adult patients with celiac disease in remission can include large amounts of controlled wheat-free rolled oats for an extended period of time without adverse effects.

Recent studies indicate that patients with celiac disease in remission are able to tolerate avena sativa.

This information is from Ray Sahelian,M.D.