Health benefits of oat: current evidence and molecular mechanisms

•This article summarizes the beneficial effects associated to oat consumption.•Oat intake reduces the LDL-cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular diseases.•Oat exhibits glucose lowering effects and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.•Most of oat health benefits are attributed β-glucan.•Other bioactive compounds present in oat are also involved in its health benefits.

Oat has historically been considered as a valuable crop due to its nutritional attributes. In recent years, oat has attracted growing attention as a healthy food due to its content of various bioactive compounds that can positively impact human health, such as β-glucan, avenanthramides, tocols, sterols, phytic acid and avenacosides. These compounds are involved in the reduction of the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), gastrointestinal disorders and cancer. This short review summarize the current knowledge about the beneficial effects of oat consumption, with emphasis on oats bioactive compounds responsible of the health-promoting attributes of this cereal and their underlying molecular mechanisms.