When you think of oats, you think of them as an ingredient in breakfast cereals and oatmeal. Over the past decade, oats have become an extremely popular health food. According to Healthline, oats are loaded with fiber (10.6g) and contain avenanthramide, which is only found in oats. Avenanthramide can help reduce arterial inflammation and regulate blood pressure. For those who eat oatmeal every day, whether it’s for breakfast or a snack during the day, there are certain things that it can do for your body.
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Help Control Weight: When it comes to losing weight, there are times we can always use a little help. So if you eat oatmeal, you might be able to control your weight. A study that was published in 2009 in an issue of Molecular Nutrition & Food Research gives evidence of this claim. The study concluded that a compound found in oatmeal known as β-glucan can reduce one’s appetite by increasing the hormone cholecystokinin.
Reduces Blood Pressure: Heart disease is one of the top causes of death in North America, so anytime we can lower our blood pressure, we will reduce the risk of developing a heart disease. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a high whole-grain diet is just as effective as taking anti-hypertensive medication to lower your blood pressure.
Stabilizes Blood Sugar Levels: Everyone has experienced a sugar crash at some point in their life. With oatmeal, this won’t happen as often. Because of its high fiber content, the sugar is released more slowly into the bloodstream, which means that it has a low glycemic index. A study that was published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that a low glycemic diet was associated with less insulin resistance and lowered the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
pittawut/shutterstock.comDigestion: According to reviews that were published in a supplement issue of the British Journal of Nutrition, oats can play a vital role in improving satiety, digestive and diet quality. When you feel fuller, you give your body time to digest the food quicker. So, many times people often overeat because they don’t have that fullness feeling.
Lifescience/shutterstock.comColorectal Cancer: Britain and Netherland researchers published evidence in BMJ that covered almost 2 million people and evaluated whether or not a high fibre diet is linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer. They found that an extra 10 grams of fibre per day can reduce someone’s risk of developing colorectal cancer by 10%.
Promotes Antioxidant Activity: As I mentioned at the beginning, oatmeal is loaded with antioxidants called avenathramides. These can inhibit inflammation and also boost the production of nitric oxide, which prevents hardening of the arteries. Antioxidants also protect your cells from free radicals. Free radicals increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. A study published in Nutrition and Cancer found that avenathramides in oats actually decrease the spread of colon cancer cells.
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