Dori,

Re: American Heart Association story on fat consumption:
>
>>>At any rate, the chief researcher lauds the benefits of eating two servings
>of low-fat cereal grains a day.  Those who ate oat cereal did better than
>those who ate wheat cereal (duh!).  oaters fared better than
>wheaters in this area.

My response:
Oats are rich in soluble fiber, the kind of fiber predominant in vegetables
and fruits.  Few Americans eat even 5 measly USDA servings of produce per
day (a servings = 1 cups salad greens, 1/2 cup cooked or other vegetables,
or 1/2 cup berries or 1 small piece of fruit....).  It makes sense they
might have some benefit from increasing their intake of soluble fiber, which
S. Boyd Eaton and other say early man ate much more of.  However, study
participants could probably have gotten the same or more benefit by eating
more fibrous veggies and or fresh, fibrous fruit.  Soluble fiber has been
shown to bind with cholesterol and help bring down levels.

Insoluble fiber, found in abundance wheat and most other grains, does not
show the same benefits as soluble fiber.  Insoluble fiber is more irritating
to the colon and does not absorb and hold water as soluble fiber does.
>
Rachel