The healthy part of a balanced-breakfast, Oatmeal provides its great benefits for one's health.
Oatmeal contains insoluble fiber which stays in the stomach longer and helps you feel fuller, longer. This can prevent overeating later on in the day, which may help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid the health problems associated with overweight.
Nutritional breakdown of oats
Dietary fiber - oats are rich in a specific type of fiber called beta-glucan. This particular type of fiber is known to help lower levels of bad cholesterol. One cup of oats contains 16.5 grams of fiber, which is roughly half of a person's recommended daily intake of fiber, according to mrbreakfast.com.
Minerals - oats contain manganese, selenium, phosphorus, fiber, magnesium, and zinc. Oats are also rich in carotenoids, tocols (Vitamin E), flavonoids and avenanthramides - a class of polyphenols, according to mrbreakfast.com.
Calories - one cup of oats contains approximately 607calories.
The health benefits of oats
Health benefits
LOWERS CHOLESTEROL
Oatmeal is a rich source of soluble fiber, which is also found in apples, pears, prunes and barley. Soluble fiber inhibits the body's absorption of low-density-lipoprotein, or LDL, which is known as the bad cholesterol. One-and-a-half cups of oatmeal contains more than five grams of fiber, which is enough to reduce your cholesterol level.
FULL OF ANTIOXIDANTS
Oatmeal contains a special type of antioxidant called avenanthramide. Avenanthramides fight off free radicals that attack high-density lipoproteins, or HDL, which is known as the good cholesterol. They also protect LDL cholesterol from oxidizing from copper, which reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Lower the risk of colorectal cancer
Researchers in Britain and the Netherlands pooled published evidence that covered nearly 2 million people to evaluate whether a high fiber diet (mainly from whole grains and cereals like oats) is linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer. The study found that for every additional 10g of fiber in someone's diet there is a 10% reduction in their risk of developing colorectal cancer.
OATS INCREASE APPETITE-CONTROL HORMONES
Australian researchers studied fourteen people who ate a control meal and three different cereals with different levels of oat beta glucan. They then collected blood samples for four hours after each meal, and found a significant dose response between higher levels of oat beta glucan and higher levels of Peptide Y-Y, a hormone associated with appetite control.
OATS MAY HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES
Researchers in Mannheim, Germany carried out a dietary intervention with 14 patients who had uncontrolled type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. The patients were introduced to a diabetes-appropriate diet containing oatmeal during a short hospital stay, then examined again four weeks later. On average, patients achieved a 40% reduction in insulin dosage - and maintained the reduction even after 4 weeks on their own at home.
BOOSTS IMMUNE SYSTEM
Oatmeal contains a certain type of fiber called beta-glucan fiber. This fiber protects against heart disease and also revs up the immune system. It helps the immune cells seek out and repair areas or the body that may be fighting a bacterial infection.
Lower blood pressure
An article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that a diet which includes plenty of whole-grains (such as oats or wholemeal bread) is just as effective as taking anti-hypertensive medication in lowering blood pressure.
Risks and precautions
Although oats don't contain gluten, in rare cases they are grown in the same fields as wheat or barley and these crops can sometimes contaminate oats with gluten. Therefore, those who suffer from gluten intolerance may have to exercise caution when eating oats.
