Research shows about half of all Heart attacks are caused by raised cholesterol levels and although we all know that high cholesterol levels are a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disease (strokes and heart attack), the majority of us are unaware that Oats and oatbran are well-known, everyday ingredients that can help reduce cholesterol.
Mornflake are working with HEART UK – The Cholesterol Charity – to encourage awareness of the dangers of high cholesterol and to help people identify simple ways of lowering theirs. Oats are one of 4 key cholesterol busting foods that have been proven to help lower cholesterol levels.
Mornflake have launched a range of foil packed ready to eat cereals including Granola, Muesli and Crisp which provide at least ? of the 3g of oat beta glucans shown to lower blood cholesterol (see www.mornflake.com for full range). Mornflake will be appearing with HEART UK at the BBC Good Food Show at Birmingham NEC from 13th to 16th June sampling the Mornflake range and giving advice on cholesterol issues.
Mornflake are passionate about healthy eating and are keen to spread the message of the importance of Oatbran in our daily diet. And they should know;they’ve been aware of the great benefits of Oatbran for the past three centuries!
There are many simple lifestyle changes that can help lower cholesterol levels. What you eat; your waist circumference; smoking; and how physically active you are all affect your cholesterol levels.
HOW CAN I LOWER MY CHOLESTEROL?
Eat less saturated fat from meat, meat products, dairy fats and hard fats. Replace these with unsaturated fats from vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, oily fish and spreads made from these;
Reduce your intake of harmful trans fats by eating fewer processed and takeaway foods;
Opt for regular exercise, such as 30 minutes brisk walking every day;
If you smoke, stop;
Eat at least your 5-a-day portions of fruit and vegetables;
Have a handful of unsalted nuts everyday;
Include oats and oatbran 2 to 3 times every day. Oats contain soluble fibre which works by absorbing excess cholesterol on its way through your body.
WHAT IS OATBRAN, AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
When the oats arrive from the farm one of the first jobs after cleaning is to remove the inedible outer husk of the oat. What’s left after this ’shelling‘ process is the ‚groat‘ and it’s the outer layer of the groat which contains the bran.
Separating this outer layer of the groat is pretty tricky and a bit of a ‚Mornflake‘ family secret but when they’re all done what’s left is Oatbran, one of the most underestimated foods around!
Oatbran works by absorbing excess cholesterol on its way through your body. It’s a rich, natural source of beta glucan soluble fibre which has been shown to lower blood cholesterol* and therefore can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease when eaten as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
*The inclusion of Oatbran as part of a diet low in saturated fat and a healthy lifestyle can help actively reduce cholesterol. In fact, just one 40g serving of Oatbran provides 2.3g of beta glucan soluble fibre from oats which is 76% of the recommended daily amount (3g) of beta glucan – the soluble fibre absorbed into bloodstream that helps remove cholesterol.
MORNFLAKE OATBRAN
Mornflake Oatbran is the perfect addition to any breakfast – just sprinkle on top of your breakfast cereal, to experience the benefits of Oatbran and a give yourself an extra healthy start every morning
Mornflake Oatbran can also be used in a variety of other meals and snacks. Try adding to a stew for some extra texture, or include in your favourite flapjack recipe
The Mornflake Oatbran range aims to highlight the benefits of Oatbran in aiding a healthier lifestyle and our range of delicious Oatbran products, such as Mornflake Toasted Oatbran or the new foil sealed range of delicious Granola’s, Mueslis and Crisp Cereals which are simple to use and perfect for those with busy lifestyles.
About Mornflake
Reportedly the 8th oldest company in the UK (source: realbusiness.com), the Lea family can trace their milling roots back to 1675 when they first started milling at Swettenham Mill near Congleton in Cheshire. The Mornflake brand was created in 1941.
At the start of the Second World War Britain was largely reliant on the supply of foodstuffs from beyond its shores. The outbreak of war meant that this had to be rethought and the Ministry of Food turned its attention to home grown supplies. Philip Lea, father of current Managing Director John Lea, was already in the RAF when he was ordered home to ‚feed the nation‘.
The Ministry of Food wanted him to mill oats due to the sustainable nature of this resilient crop and because oats were believed to be the healthiest of all cereals. The family mills were too small to cope with the task that Philip Lea had been set and so the company moved to a derelict flour mill in Crewe.
The Country’s need became so great that a new mill and factory were built, making it one of the very few non-munitions developments to take place during the war. Rationing meant home grown oats became a staple part of British diet, and as new products and technologies have become available, the Mornflake product range has developed into what it is today.
With expertise and skills handed down from fathers to sons and over 330 years of milling experience, it is no wonder that Mornflake are able to produce what is probably the finest range of oat cereals available today, winning international gold medals for the quality, purity and consistency of our oats year after year.
About HEART UK….
HEART UK was formed in 2002 following a merger of The Family Heart Association (FHA) and the British Hyperlipidaemia Association (BHA).
HEART UK – The Cholesterol Charity – promotes healthy hearts and better lives by:
helping and supporting individuals, families and health professionals to understand and control cholesterol conditions and other heart risks
promoting education and research to improve identification, prevention, treatment and care of cholesterol and lipid conditions
working in partnership with government, the NHS, industry and other charities
promoting best practice in addressing inherited and non-inherited cholesterol conditions
Two thirds of adults in the UK have raised cholesterol. Over 120,000 people in Britain have a form of inherited high cholesterol called Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) which can cause premature death in those as young as 30 – and only 15% of those with the condition are known.
Please contact either richard.jones@morningfoods.com or catherine.sadler@morningfoods.com for further information on this press release.