Trying to stay healthy can seem like a full-time job sometimes, especially during a pandemic.

But I'm here to make that goal a little easier.

Welcome to the Nutrition Facts Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Greger.

Today, the mighty power of oats.

Now I don't recommend you wear a feedback around your neck, but I will say that oats are very versatile.

The brain here is my first story.

Fiber continues to be singled out as a nutrient of public health concern.

There is a fiber gap in America.

We're only getting about half the minimum considered a public health concern for all Americans.

Well, not all Americans, less than 3%.

Meat to recommend a minimum, meaning less than 3% of all Americans eat enough plant-based foods.

The only place fiber is found, though a nominal 0.1 is thrown in for the meat category in case someone eats a corn dog or n

If even half of the adult population ate 3 more grams a day, like a quarter cup of beans or a bowl of oatmeal, we could say billions in medical costs.

And that's just for constipation.

The consumption of plant foods, the consumption of fiber containing fiber, is very important.

The consumption of fiber contains a lot of nutrients.

The first to make this link between fiber and tec and killer disease was probably Dr. Hugh Trowell, many decades ago.

He spent 30 years practicing in Africa and suspected it was their high consumption of corn, sweet potatoes, greens and beans that protected them from chronic disease.

Though he did a few trials.

Those with highest fiber intake, the lowest cholesterol, were those who ate exclusively plant-based diets.

Risk factors like cholesterol are one thing, but can these individual foods actually affect the progression of heart disease?

We didn't know until this study was published.

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