We are not eating enough fiber in today’s society. As a result, diet-related diseases, like diabetes and heart disease, are increasing globally and they are among the top 10 causes of death. By utilizing the potential of Swedish oat, innovative fibrous foods could be developed and might solve this problem.

Oat grains are mainly made up of carbohydrates, which could be transformed into different fibers by enzymatic processing. In my research I aim to develop enzymatic methods to create specific fibers (prebiotics) from oat, which can stimulate growth of good (probiotic) bacteria in our guts. The resulting oat food products could help the public to include more fiber in their diet, maintain a healthy gut and prevent diet-related diseases.

My research project is a part of ScanOats, an industrial research center dedicated to Swedish oat. The ScanOats concept is "to link the entire chain from breeding and agriculture to product development and beneficial health effects".