It is proven that β-glucan can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. The required dose for such effects is 0.75 g β-glucan per serving.
Oats contain many essential amino acids (methionine, cysteine, threonine, isoleucine, tryptophan, valine, leucine, histidine, methionine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine) necessary for human body, and high antioxidant activity components such as tocopherols, tocotrienols, and flavonoids.
Oat flour is made by grinding oatmeal on stones and sifting out the fine material. The fines streams from groat cutting and flaking typically end up in the oat flour stream. Grinding is usually accomplished by hammermills, but pin-mills and other types of size reduction equipment are also used alone or in sequence.
The most important characteristic of oat flour is high content of fibers, especially β-glucan, which reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood by increasing the secretion of bile in the body. Many studies recommended using oat flour as a source of dietary fiber in various products such as bread and biscuits.
Oat flour is a major component of infant foods. Additionally, oat flour is used as a thickener in many commercial infant foods. There are several important considerations for selecting oat ingredients for this use; they include lack of allergenicity, good flavor compatibility, high nutritive value, and excellent shelf life and stability.
Oat flour
