title: Oats and bowel disease: a systematic literature review.
abstract: Whole-grain foods such as oats may protect against colorectal cancer and have benefits on inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease. The present study aimed to systematically review the literature describing intervention studies that investigated the effects of oats or oat bran on risk factors for bowel disease. A literature search was conducted using Embase, Medline and the Cochrane library, which identified 654 potential articles. Thirty-eight articles describing twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Two studies carried out in participants with a history of colorectal adenomas found no effects of increased oat-bran intake on indirect risk makers for colorectal cancer. One of two interventions with oat bran in patients with ulcerative colitis showed small improvements in the patients' conditions. Most of the eleven studies carried out in adults with coeliac disease showed no negative effects of uncontaminated oat consumption. The fourteen studies carried out in volunteers with no history of bowel disease suggest that oats or oat bran can significantly increase stool weight and decrease constipation, but there is a lack of evidence to support a specific effect of oats on bowel function compared with other cereals. A long-term dietary intake of oats or oat bran could benefit inflammatory bowel disorders, but this remains to be proven. A protective effect on colorectal adenoma and cancer incidence has not yet been convincingly shown. The majority of patients with coeliac disease could consume up to 100 g/d of uncontaminated oats, which would increase the acceptability of, and adherence to, a gluten-free diet.
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill,AberdeenAB25 2ZD,Scotland,UK.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thies
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill,AberdeenAB25 2ZD,Scotland,UK.
authors.forename: Lindsey F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Masson
authors.affiliation: The Tisch Cancer Institute and Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York,NY10029,USA.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boffetta
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences,Pennsylvania State University,University Park,PA16802,USA.
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kris-Etherton
mesh_terms: D018554:Avena; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000178:diet therapy*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000178:diet therapy; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D003248:Constipation / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet; D055050:Diet, Gluten-Free; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002523:Edible Grain; D005983:Glutens; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005983:Glutens