We are proud to be using a strong nutritional foundation in the FITBAR to provide you with long lasting energy and great nutritional value. That’s why we turned to oats, one of our first key ingredients, when developing the bar.
Oats are a cereal grain, coming from the edible seed of oat grass. This seed, or kernel, is made up of three major parts: 1) the bran 2) the endosperm 3) the germ. The bran is the protective outer shell of the oat seed, which is high in fiber, antioxidants, and B vitamins1. The endosperm is the meat of the seed, containing all of the energy it needs to grow. Lastly, the germ, is the embryo which contains all the necessary healthy fats, proteins, minerals, and proteins needed for a new plant to sprout from.
Types of Oats
Oats come in different forms such as steel-cut, rolled, quick-cooking, and instant. Different milling and cooking practices affect the digestibility of starch in oatmeal. Soaking, duration of cooking, and other chemical transformations may affect the digestibility of starches. When developing FITBAR, we made sure to use rolled oats, a type of oat that includes the bran and makes the whole-grain, whole.
Steel-Cut or Irish: Oat groats that have been cut into two or three smaller pieces using a steel blade. This time takes the longest to cook.
Rolled or Old-Fashioned: Oat groats have been steamed, rolled, flatted, and dried.
Quick or Instant: Oat groats that have been steamed for a longer time and rolled into thinner pieces so they can absorb water faster and cook quickly.
Health Benefits
Oats are high in a soluble fiber called, beta-glucan, which has been shown to reduce cholesterol. It is so well established, that the US Food and Drug Administration allows for the use of health claims on food labels associating soluble fiber from certain foods and decreased risk of coronary heart disease2.
Beta-glucan, a fiber found in oats, has over 80 clinical trials evaluating its biological effects from immune reactions to treatment of cancer3. Recently, researchers suggest that beta-glucans will move from food supplements to widely accepted drugs.
A diet high in whole grain intake, such as oats, has been shown to improve heart disease, diabetes, digestive health, and weight control1. One meta-analysis of 18 studies showed that people who consume the highest amounts of whole-grains had an associated 21% reduced risk of heart disease when compared to those people who consume the lowest amounts4. Another meta-analysis found that eating 3 grams of beta-glucan soluble fiber from whole oats decreased blood cholesterol by 12 points5. Fiber helps to prevent blood sugar spikes to provide you with long lasting energy, and can influence appetite hormones, insulin levels, and help lower blood glucose5.
Soluble fiber, such as beta-glucan, may aid in weight control because it slows digestion and the absorption rate of nutrients. In turn, this means your body will feel fuller, longer, as the soluble fiber pulls water into your gut to increase thickness and volume of the food in your gut. The increased weight and water content of the stool may then make it easier to pass and thus improve regularity as well as overall digestive health.
Oats can also play a role in a healthy gut microbiota, thanks to the beta-glucan. The fiber is a prebiotic, meaning it is able to pass undigested through the gut where they act as fuel for microbes to feed on. During this process, fermentation, beneficial by-products called short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are produced, and more beneficial are stimulated to grow. SCFA are independently associated with numerous health benefits as they are key regulator of metabolism, inflammation, and disease6.
Additionally, there have been preliminary studies to demonstrate the role of two phytochemicals, avenanthramides, and avenacosides A and B in providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects7.
These are just a few of the reasons we chose to make oats the foundation of the FITBAR. FITBAR is more than a tasty snack, it is a fitter snack for a healthier you.
How Much Do I Need?
One and a half cups of cooked oatmeal, or about 3 packets of oats will provide you with 3g of the soluble fiber beta-glucan. The recommended daily intake of fiber is about 25-30g total, or about 14g per 1,000 kcal. Remember, fiber can come from many different sources to help you achieve this goal. Here are some great recipes to incorporate to boost your oat intake!
FITBAR is designed with you in mind, providing you with the functional ingredients to keep you fueled with long lasting energy and strong nutritional foundation. Each bar contains 3g of fiber, helping you make smarter choices without the sacrifice.
References:
- Whole Grains 101. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101
- Food and Drug Administration, HHS. Food Labeling: Health Claims; Soluble Fiber From Certain Foods and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease.
- Vetvicka, V., Vannucci, L., Sima, P., & Richter, J. (2019). Beta Glucan: Supplement or Drug? From Laboratory to Clinical Trials. Molecules, 24(7), 1251. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24071251
- Tang G, Wang D, Long J, Yang F, Si L. Meta-analysis of the association between whole grain intake and coronary heart disease risk. Am J Cardiol. 2015 Mar 1;115(5):625-9.
- Tiwari U, Cummins E. Meta-analysis of the effect of β-glucan intake on blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Nutrition. 2011 Oct 1;27(10):1008-16.
- Tan, J., McKenzie, C., Potamitis, M., Thorburn, A. N., Mackay, C. R., & Macia, L. (2014). The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Health and Disease. In Advances in Immunology (pp. 91–119). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-800100-4.00003-9
- Sang, S., & Chu, Y. (2017). Whole grain oats, more than just a fiber: Role of unique phytochemicals. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 61(7), 1600715. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201600715
