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Science supports grandmother's advice that oats are good for you-they can help lower cholesterol levels. Scientists speculate oats may accomplish this by slowing the rate at which the intestines absorb carbohydrates.

An ARS chemist has created a low-calorie, cholesterol-fighting fat substitute called Oatrim from soluble oat fiber. A study by ARS nutrition scientists showed that Oatrim reduces cholesterol and lowers blood glucose linked to diabetes. An unexpected payoff: most of the volunteers lost weight even though they increased their calorie intake.

Oatrim is a light, tasteless powder that can be incorporated into baked goods. It can also be used to prepare a frozen dessert that resembles soft ice cream. A 4-ounce serving of the dessert contains 135 calories, less than 1 gram of fat, and 4 milligrams of cholesterol. (Premium ice cream has 298 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 85 milligrams of cholesterol.)

In 5 short years, this excellent fat replacement technology has been transferred from lab to grocery store and now is listed on the label of hundreds of products as hydrolyzed oat bran.

Photo by Scott Bauer.

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