Oats may hold the secret to a smooth skin

A study finds that a natural ingredient in oats can cure ageing and wrinkles in women.

Women who get paranoid about ageing and scream at the sight of a wrinkle can now find some consolation in the fact that an innovative study by the University of Alberta has dispelled a hard-held belief about the natural ingredient, beta glucan, found in oats.

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The study, published in the current issue of International Journal of Cosmetic Science, is the first to show that oat beta glucan can penetrate the skin despite years of doctors and scientists believing that the large molecule was too big.

The finding is significant, not only in the treatment of skin disorders and removing fine lines and wrinkles but in the promotion of wound healing and reduction in scaring following surgical procedures, says Dr Mark Redmond, president and CEO of Ceapro Inc.

Beta-glucan is the soluble fiber found in the cell walls of oat kernels. Oat has a long history of safe use in providing fast, temporary relief of itching and pain associated with minor skin irritations, has reported to improve the appearance of smoother skin and has helped wound healing. But it has been long believed that such a large molecule as beta glucan was too big to penetrate the skin.

"Interestingly, the glucan penetrates in the same way that water penetrates a brick wall it does not go through the brick, it goes through the concrete binding the bricks together," Redmond was quoted as saying.