Dr Michael Mosley has shared a superfood to slash your cholesterol levels.
The health guru explained that the humble grain is also good for lowering blood pressure, stabilising blood sugar, protecting you against heart disease and boosting your fibre intake.
What’s more, the potent breakfast choice could already be part of your daily routine.
Speaking on Channel 4’s show Michael Mosley: Secrets of Your Big Shop, the doctor said: “Knowing what to eat to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol is the key to turning things around. As I’ve mentioned before, consuming more beetroot is a good way of lowering blood pressure.
“With three-quarters of us saying we eat porridge, oats are having their moment in the limelight.”
However, the popular breakfast option isn’t only good at giving you energy for the day, oats are also packed with all sorts of health benefits.
Dr Mosley said: “For those in the know the humble oat is a mighty health hack. The reason why oats are so good for lowering cholesterol is the soluble fibre in them, beta glucan binds cholesterol in the gut which then gets flushed down the loo.”
In fact, the health expert shared that oats are so powerful that they could even act as a substitute for medication. Dr Mosley put this to the test when he was diagnosed with high cholesterol 10 years ago.
He said: “I enjoy oats as porridge with toasted walnuts or mixed seeds for my breakfast. Ten years ago, I discovered I had really high cholesterol and actually did a small self-experiment, where I consumed oats.
“And over the course of four weeks, my bad cholesterol went down by nearly 25 percent which was a big change – similar to taking a statin or something like that.
“So if you don’t fancy taking medication or buying products designed to lower cholesterol, it’s oats to the rescue.”
Apart from keeping your cholesterol in check, the affordable food has also been shown to stabilise blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, and protect against heart disease.
Dr Mosley explained that one of the reasons why oats are so healthy comes down to their fibre content which leaves you feeling fuller for longer.
