Abstract

Whole grains are one of the body's primary sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds. High intakes of whole grains have been linked to the reduced risk of developing chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndromes. Oats, as a recognized healthy food, can directly and indirectly affect human health. The main bioactive components of oats include β-Glucan, phenolics, vitamins, and oat avenanthramides. This article reviews the roles of oats and their bioactive compounds in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, weight control, diabetes, intestinal diseases, cancer, and inflammation, which are important for further research on the maintenance of a rational for human health, and also provides a rationale for the development of new whole grain products.