Oats have known to be one of the healthiest foods but do you know how they are beneficial to our health?
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- Oats are good for your heart. A study found that eating foods rich in whole-oat sources of soluble fiber (oats, oat bran, and oat flour) may help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
- Oats are good for immune system. Some studies have shown that beta-glucans in oats boost defenses of the immune system against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
- Oats increase appetite-control hormones. A study found a significant dose response between higher levels of oat beta-glucans and higher levels of Peptide Y-Y, a hormone associated with appetite control.
- Oats may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Oat beta-glucans show the rise in blood glucose levels following a meal and delays its decline to pre-meal levels, which means dramatic changes in blood sugar levels are avoided. Also some studies have shown that eating oats can improve insulin sensitivity.
- Oats lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Beta-glucans in oats have proven effective in lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol.
- Oats can lower the risk of colorectal cancer. It has been shown that a high fiber diet including oats can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Also oats contain phytochemicals, which are thought to reduce the risk of getting cancer.
- Oats are good for digestion and obesity. Studies have shown that oats can play an important role in improving satiety, diet quality, and digestive, cardiovascular and general metabolic health. Regular consumption of whole-grain foods like oats may be correlated with lower body mass index (BMI).
- Oats are basically gluten-free. Non-contaminated, pure oats are gluten-free, but some commercial oats are processed in facilities that process wheat, barley, and rye. The gluten in these ingredients can contaminate oats. However, gluten-free oats are also widely available.
There are mainly 4 types of oats here in the U.S.
- Rolled oats or Old fashioned oats: De-hulled and steamed, which partially cooks the oat, and then flattened between two rollers.
- Instant oats : Produced the same way as rolled oats but they are steamed for a longer period of time to completely cook them before the drying process.
- Steel cut oats or Irish oats : Oats are cut into pieces rather than rolled. It takes longer to cook and has a chewy texture.
- Stone-ground oats or Scottish oats : Same as steel cut oats but they are ground into smaller pieces.
Although the shape and the texture are different, these oats above have almost the same nutritional value.
It’s a great idea to add some oats into your daily diet! The easiest way to use oats is to add into soup or make porridge. You can also use oats to bake cookies or bread!