The benefits of eating oats regularly have been highlighted mainly due to their high fibre levels but recently have gained popularity because they are a low glycaemic food.
The main composition of oats is carbohydrate but of all the cereal grains they have the highest levels of protein and fat. The slow release of energy from oats (due to their complex carbohydrates) helps stabilise blood sugar levels, so eating oats for breakfast makes it easier for the body to keep blood sugar levels under control for the rest of the day, helping you avoid quick sugar fixes, like chocolate bars!
Oats contain high levels of fibre, one of which is soluble fibre, this acts like a sponge on circulating cholesterol in the system. Soluble fibre surrounds the cholesterol and carries it away before it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Ultimately this lowers the (bad) LDL cholesterol but not the (good) HDL cholesterol. Insoluble fibre on the other hand acts like a broom in the digestive system helping sweep away waste. Insoluble fibre speeds up the passage of food through the digestive track and can help ease constipation.
Another type of fibre found in oats is beta-glucan; this plays a role in cholesterol lowering at the same time as working in conjunction with the immune response system to help fight bacterial infection. A portion of oats (medium bowl or 75g) provides a good source of B-complex vitamins, small amounts of vitamin E along with calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, folic acid, selenium, phosphorous, potassium and sodium.
Many people who are unable to tolerate the gluten in wheat, barley or rye find the type of gluten in oats does not cause the same reaction and therefore they can sometimes be eaten on a gluten free diet.
Scientific studies have shown that oats can enhance the performance of athletes when eaten one to three hours before prolonged endurance exercise (more than two hours of moderate intensity). Porridge (made with water and no sugar) enabled runners to keep going at a faster pace for longer than those who had consumed a high-carbohydrate drink. Oats appear to make the body burn fat more quickly to fuel the muscles, this allows stored glycogen (in the liver and muscles) to be kept in reserve for later use.
Variety of Oats
- Oat groats - The oat kernel
- Steel cut oats - Oat groats which have been cut into small pieces, no heat used in this process, so they are the most nutritious.
- Rolled oats - Cut and flattened groats, steaming process used, so a few nutrients will have been lost
- Quick oats - Rolled oats that have then been pre-cooked and then dehydrated, this leaves the product very nutrient depleted and no oat bran remains
To ensure the maximum benefit of oats it is best to eat steel cut, but these do take 40 minutes to cook. If time is an issue then use rolled oats. Quick oats would not provide the health giving properties contained in the previous three types. Oatmeal can also be used to help heal and calm eczema and other skin conditions, simply by adding it to a bath of warm water.
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