Eating oats — and not much else — for two days straight can have lasting benefits for your metabolic health, according to a recent study. A group of 17 adults ate 300g of oatmeal per day, made with water and optional fruit or vegetables, for two days. As a result, participants lost around 2kg each, and their LDL ("bad") cholesterol fell by an average of 10 percent. Gut health and blood pressure also improved, with gains still evident six weeks later.
Researchers from the University of Bonn compared this brief intervention with a six-week diet where another group simply added 80g of oats to their usual meals. The longer approach proved less effective, suggesting the benefits were driven by the short, intensive oat-only phase rather than just adding oats to a normal diet.
All participants had metabolic syndrome, a condition affecting nearly a third of the global population. Characterized by elevated weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol, it increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The research suggests oats are helpful for this group as a rich source of fiber, vitamins, and anti-inflammatory polyphenols.
The secret may lie in the gut. During digestion, microbes break down food and release chemicals into the bloodstream. When participants followed the two-day diet, their gut bacteria produced more helpful compounds — notably ferulic acid, which is linked to lower cholesterol. Those with the highest increase in ferulic acid saw the most significant drops in their LDL levels.
The scientists concluded that — thanks to the interaction between bacteria and oats — a short-term oat diet could be a cheap, sustainable, and effective way to target metabolic syndrome.