Health benefits of oat dietary fibre in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION

Oats are well-known for their health benefits in managing chronic diseases, mainly due to their fibre content, especially b-glucan, which has prebiotic properties.

AIM: This review aimed to examine clinical and preclinical studies conducted in the past decade on the effects of oat dietary fibre, particularly b-glucan, in the context of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

METHODS

A systematic search of the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Sciences databases from 2014 to 2024 was performed using the keywords (oat OR oat beta glucan) AND (IBD OR UC OR Colitis OR Crohn's).

RESULTS

The search identified 159 studies, of which 20 met the inclusion criteria. Two clinical trials, 1 case-control study, and one in vitro study highlighted the lack of human-based research, while 16 animal studies suggested promising beneficial effects of oat dietary fibre b-glucan in IBD.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings emphasize the need for more clinical trials to further explore the potential of oat dietary fibre in treating IBD.