20 - Converting oats to high-fibre products for use in functional foods

Abstract

Functional foods are generally considered to be foods or dietary supplements that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition when consumed on a regular basis at effective levels. The biologically active components of functional foods impart health benefits or desirable physiological effects. Functional components have become attractive because of increased interest in Dietary Fibers (DF) for maintenance of good health. This chapter focuses on the conversion of oats to high-fiber products for use in functional foods. The β-glucans in oat bran have been shown to provide many human health benefits such as serum cholesterol lowering, reduced coronary heart disease, diabetic symptoms, lowered blood pressure, cancer prevention and improved gastric emptying and nutrient absorption. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized the importance of oat soluble fiber, generally called β-glucan, from oat flour and bran by allowing a health claim on food labels. The cholesterol-lowering efficacy of oats is dependent on consumption of a sufficient quantity of oatmeal or oat bran over an extended period. Increased use of oat fiber in food applications would enable a sustainable consumption of oats to help combat Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), diabetes, obesity and many other diet-related diseases. The chapter discusses some selective high-value, functional high-fiber oat products and these products can be useful for those populations seeking better health and longevity. It also reviews the application of high-value functional high-fiber oat products in functional foods.