Breakfast is the most important daily meal, and if it contains oatmeal, you will experience numerous health benefits.
This healthy nutritional powerhouse offers numerous benefits that will significantly boost your overall health.
People have grown and harvested oats for more than two centuries and used it as food and natural medicine. It is an effective alternative remedy for intestinal illnesses, nerve issues, skin conditions, uterine problems, and so on.
If you include oatmeal into your daily diet, you will improve your health in various ways. For instance, it will be of great help in the case of gout.
Oatmeal is a rich source of antioxidants like selenium, vitamin E, phenolic acids, tocotrienols, and phytic acid. Oatmeal is also high in Phosphorus, Biotin, Vitamin B1, Molybdenum, Copper, and Magnesium among numerous other phytonutrients.
Namely, this whole grain contains 13 grams of protein in a small half-cup serving. Plus, a ¼ serving of oatmeal provides 100% of the recommended daily intake of manganese.
If you consume oatmeal for breakfast, you will prevent weight gain and obesity. Namely, it will provide a feeling of satiety, and energize your body.
It also has a low-glycemic index (GI), so it will keep you full of energy, and will not cause a dramatic increase or drop in blood sugar. Maintaining lower blood sugar levels over a longer period of time will regulate the usage of insulin. Moreover, it will prevent sugar cravings.
Plus, oatmeal could reduce the total daily calories by as much as 81%. Researchers analyzed high-GI breakfasts vs. low-GI breakfast foods and their impact on the later caloric intake in the day and found that oatmeal prevented from over-consuming calories later during the day.
Being able to keep you full during the day and reduce the need for calories, oatmeal will help you lose extra pounds and burn the accumulated fat in the body.
Moreover, oatmeal offers numerous other health benefits as well, and these are the most important ones:
- It is a safe grain alternative for celiac disease sufferers or people who avoid gluten
- It is high in fiber and prevents breast cancer
- Stabilizes blood sugar levels and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Boosts the immune response
- Extends life expectancy
- Lowers cholesterol levels
- Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Lowers the risk of heart failure
- Whole grains prevent childhood asthma
Several facts about oat processing
There are different ways of processing whole oats before they end up being a tasty bowl of health. These are some facts you need to know about oat processing in order to distinguish the different types:
- Old-fashioned oats: They have a flat shape due to the steaming, after which they are rolled.
- Oat groats: these unflattened kernels are great as breakfast and for stuffing
- Steel-cut oats: The grain is run through steel blades, and then sliced, and they have a dense and chewy texture.
- Instant oatmeal: The grains are initially cooked, and then rolled very thin.
- Quick-cooking oats: They are processed in the case way as old-fashioned oats, but they are also cut finely before rolling
- Oat bran: It contains only the outer layer of the oat grain which resides under the hull.
You will make a healthy choice if you choose any kind of these, but there is no doubt that it would be best to decide for the less processed one. Try to consume steel-cut oats, and your breakfast will be a highly nutritious and tasty pleasure.
You can add oats to yogurt, smoothies, shakes, and desserts, like cookies and muffins.
Also, you can use it as a grain replacement in all meals. You can use oatmeal instead of quinoa in your favorite recipes, and enjoy all its amazing healthy properties!
Source: Healthy Food House