Does Raisin Bran Lower Cholesterol?

Does raisin bran lower cholesterol?

Unfortunately, the answer is no, at least if the grain in your raisin bran cereal is wheat. A clinical study conducted at the University of Toronto in Canada nearly ten years ago found that there was no way to put enough bran content in wheat cereals to lower either total or LDL cholesterol. But there is a way to lower your cholesterol with a healthy breakfast: Eat oats!

The bran in rolled oats, oat flour, and oatmeal contains a soluble fiber that "soaks up" cholesterol from other foods. The bran in wheat contains an insoluble fiber that relieves constipation, but does not stop the absorption of cholesterol.

If you really want to lower your cholesterol, eat pure oat bran (cooking it is fine). Studies show that consuming 100 grams of oat bran a day (the equivalent two 1/3 cup servings) usually lowers total cholesterol about 13 per cent (15 to 20 mg/dl) after you eat it for about three months. Moreover, it reduces the small, dense particles of the "bad" cholesterol that are most likely to be involved in the development of cardiovascular disease. And this amount of oat bran will cost you less than $0.40 in the USA.

What about the raisins?

Scientists have found cholesterol-lowering benefits in grape juice, grape powder, grapeseed extract, grape skins, whole grapes, and wine, so it's not a stretch to assume that raisins would have a beneficial effect on LDL cholesterol, too, even if it's less than the fresh fruit because of the polyphenols lost in the drying process. The usefulness of raisins in promoting heart health is not a scientifically proven assumption. However, raisins provide boron for healthy bones and oleanolic acid that fights gum disease, so enjoy!

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References:

Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Vuksan V, Augustin LS, Mehling C, Parker T, Vidgen E, Lee B, Faulkner D, Seyler H, Josse R, Leiter LA, Connelly PW, Fulgoni V 3rd. Effect of wheat bran on serum lipids: influence of particle size and wheat protein. J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Apr;18(2):159-65.