The Wonderful Benefits of Oats

You may have noticed that all the second breakfast (or dessert) recipes contain oats.  You may be asking yourself ‘what’s with all these oatmeal recipes?’ There are a few reasons why I have chosen them:

Firstly, you can have your second breakfast ready to go in 5 minutes.  If you are like me, you don’t have much time in the morning to prepare a warm breakfast and on cold days there’s nothing better. 

Also, as the days get warmer, you can change to the overnight method and take a cold second breakfast with you.  Just add the fruit to the jar in the morning and you are ready to go.

Secondly, and most importantly, oats are a nutritional powerhouse food.  Here’s a list of some health benefits to eating oatmeal every day:

• Reduces Blood Pressure - One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a diet which includes plenty of whole-grains, such as oats, is just as effective as taking anti-hypertensive medication to lower blood pressure!

• Reduces Cholesterol - Have you ever heard of soluble fiber? Well, compared to other grains, oats actually have the highest portion of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps your intestinal tract trap substances associated with blood cholesterol.  Studies show that people with high blood cholesterol who eat just 3 g of soluble fiber per day can reduce their total cholesterol by 8% to 23% (one cup of oats yields 4 g).   

• Reduces Blood Sugar - What does this mean? We have all experienced a “sugar crash”/“mid morning slump” after a sugary breakfast; well, with oatmeal, this doesn’t happen. As a result of oatmeal’s high soluble fiber content, its sugar is released more slowly into the blood stream. Another added bonus, is because it takes longer to digest, you will feel full longer.​  Oatmeal’s low glycemic index is one of the best benefits. In fact, one study states that a diet producing a low glycemic response is associated with significantly less insulin resistance and significantly lower prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, risk of type 2 diabetes, and risk of coronary artery disease, than with a diet producing a high glycemic response.

• Helps control weight - Let’s face it, we could all use some help, but did you ever think oatmeal could help control your weight? It’s true! According to a research study published in the October 2009 issue of Molecular Nutrition & Food Research a compound in oatmeal known as β-glucan reduces appetite by increasing the hunger-fighting hormone cholecystokinin.

Reference:
10 Benefits of Oatmeal You Probably Never Knew, Sarah Bonham, http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-oatmeal-you-probably-never-knew.html
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