Oats, Antioxidants and Endothelial Function in Overweight, Dyslipidemic Adults

Objective: To determine effects of oat and antioxidant vitamin (C 500 mg, E 400 IU) ingestion on endothelial function in overweight, dyslipidemic adults.Design: Randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trialIntervention(s): Subjects (16 males ≥ age 35; 14 postmenopausal females) were assigned, in random order, to oats (60 g oatmeal), vitamin E (400 IU) plus vitamin C (500 mg), the combination of oats and vitamins, or placebo, and underwent brachial artery reactivity scans (BARS) following a single dose of each treatment, and again following 6 weeks of daily ingestion, with 2-week washout periods. At each test, a provocation high-fat meal (50 g, predominantly saturated) was administered and subjects were scanned pre, and 3 hours post-ingestion.Results: Mean flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD; measured as percent diameter change before and after treatments) at baseline was 6.35 ± 3.37. Oats increased FMD non-significantly (p > 0.05) with both single acute dose (from 6.07 ± 6.25 to 9.22 ± 8.82) and si...