Many medical experts recommend oatmeal as a healthy breakfast—and for good reason. There's so much you can do with a container of oats. You can enjoy them warm, soak them overnight, bake them into bars or muffins, or even blend them into a waffle batter.
Besides such delicious versatility, why exactly do health experts recommend oatmeal as a go-to morning meal? How does a simple bowl of oats affect your long-term health? Is it healthy to eat every day? Here's what the science says about consuming oatmeal regularly.
Oats are a great source of fiber, a carbohydrate that the body cannot digest. Because fiber slows down digestion, you won't feel as hungry for a longer period. Eating fiber-rich foods helps avoid spikes and dips in your blood sugar levels while reducing feelings of hunger.
"Having oats for breakfast or incorporated into different foods as meals and snacks is a great way to give the meal more staying power and help you feel fuller for longer," says Maggie Michalczyk, RDN. According to the USDA, 1 cup of cooked oatmeal contains 4 grams of fiber, which is 16% of the recommended daily value.
You'll Have an Easier Time in the Bathroom
"Oats contain a special type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan," says Michalczyk. "Beta-glucan forms a gel-like consistency in the gut and helps to keep things moving in your digestive tract and keep you regular."
This helps with bulking up your stool, making it easier for your bowel movement later. Plus, pairing your oatmeal with sources of insoluble fiber—like unpeeled sliced apples, nuts or blackberries—can also help keep things moving in your digestive tract and make things easier in the bathroom later.
Starting your morning with a bowl of oats can benefit your heart health in more ways than one. Because of the fiber content, oatmeal can help lower your "bad" LDL cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar levels and even lower high blood pressure—all of which play a significant role in minimizing risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Your Gut Bacteria Will Thrive
Oatmeal is also a prebiotic food, which feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Maintaining healthy gut bacteria—also known as your gut microbiome—will benefit your body's immune system, improve your mood and digestion, and help to ward off diseases.
A 2021 systematic review published in the Journal of Nutrition found a link between oat consumption and increasing beneficial bacterial groups within one's gut, making it a gut-friendly and heart-healthy breakfast.
"Incorporating a wide variety of plant foods like oats is also beneficial for gut diversity, which is another important aspect of gut health," says Michalczyk.
You'll Manage Your Weight Easier
Along with these positive benefits, research shows this popular breakfast can even support weight-loss and weight-management efforts.
According to a 2021 review published in Foods, oat beta-glucan has positive effects on hyperglycemia, lowering blood lipid levels and reducing weight.
"The fiber content of oatmeal is filling and satiating, which in turn can help with eating fewer calories throughout the day and managing your weight," says Michalczyk. "Beta-glucan may also promote the release of peptide YY, a hormone produced in the gut that helps with satiety."
The Bottom Line
Oatmeal's high fiber content and prebiotic qualities may benefit your body in more ways than one. Making oatmeal a regular part of your menu can potentially lower your disease risk, help your gut health thrive, make bowel movements easier and keep you feeling fuller for longer. If you're ready to start your morning with oats, you can go the traditional route with a simple bowl of oatmeal and your favorite toppings, or make overnight oats, baked oatmeal, breakfast cookies—the possibilities are endless.
Studies show that oats and oatmeal have many health benefits. These include weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, and a reduced risk of heart disease. Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. They're a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
Oatmeal is nutritionally rich. It has more protein than most grains and also contains numerous vitamins and minerals. It contains antioxidants and a soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which aids several systems of the body. The beta-glucan soluble fiber promotes regular emptying of the bowel and prevents constipation.
The serving size of oatmeal is one half cup of dry oats. This amounts to about one cup of cooked oatmeal. Eating a serving of oatmeal regularly is one way to help increase your fiber intake. Fiber has been linked to better digestion, heart health, and weight management.
Extensive studies have associated oats and oatmeal with plenty of heart-healthy benefits, such as lowering cholesterol (both total and "bad" LDL cholesterol) and helping with weight control. Oatmeal has a host of vitamins and minerals.
Oats can cause gas and bloating. To minimize side effects, start with a low dose and increase slowly to the desired amount. Your body will get used to oat bran and the side effects will likely go away.
Use steel cut or rolled oats they are healthier than instant oats. Can oatmeal help lose belly fat? While oatmeal can't target specific areas like belly fat for weight loss, its high content of fiber and complex carbohydrates may keep you full for longer. This might support overall weight loss.
Although rolled and steel-cut oats have a lower glycemic index, quick oats have a similar nutrition profile. However, packaged instant varieties can contain a lot of added sugar, so it's a good idea to choose plain, unsweetened oat varieties whenever possible.
It moisturizes, protects, exfoliates, and cleanses your skin. Oatmeal also helps boost collagen production, improves your skin complexion, and reduces skin inflammation. You can use it in your bath, use it to make a paste for a face mask, or use it as a gentle cleanser.
High-sugar toppings like chocolate, syrup, and dried fruit
As Best points out, "some of the worst ingredients that are mistakenly added to healthy overnight oat recipes include chocolate sauce, sugar, syrup, and dried fruit."
To follow this 7-day diet, people start off with eating just oatmeal for all three meals of the day for the first two days, followed by eating oatmeal for at least two meals of the day for the next two days. Finally, dieters consume oatmeal for just one meal of the day for the remaining three days.
Oatmeal has soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream.
“My go-to is really oatmeal,” Freeman says. “In general, I recommend oatmeal as the best option.” He advises a small cup of oatmeal made with water, not milk or butter, and loaded high with berries, plus additional heart-healthy ingredients such as ground flax seed or a few walnuts.
Oatmeal is also a prebiotic food, which feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Maintaining healthy gut bacteria—also known as your gut microbiome—will benefit your body's immune system, improve your mood and digestion, and help to ward off diseases.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , the following foods are the best for your heart: Vegetables: such as leafy greens, broccoli, and carrots. Fruits: such as apples, bananas, and oranges. Whole grains: such as plain oatmeal, brown rice, and whole-grain bread or tortillas.
Oats come with a number of health benefits, weight loss included. Did you know that you can eat oats for all three meals of the day in order to lose weight? That is because oats are rich in satiating fibre, which prevents hunger pangs and eliminates the need for you to snack between meals.
If you're allergic to oats, you might experience symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or a skin rash shortly after ingesting them. In severe cases, you could have difficulty breathing or even go into anaphylactic shock. Consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
It moisturizes, protects, exfoliates, and cleanses your skin. Oatmeal also helps boost collagen production, improves your skin complexion, and reduces skin inflammation. You can use it in your bath, use it to make a paste for a face mask, or use it as a gentle cleanser.
There is no particular time to eat oats. You can consume the oats at lunch and dinner too. This cereal, however, is consumed in breakfast mostly. It contains fiber, magnesium, complex carbohydrates, etc, which help in keeping your tummy full for a longer time, thus, reducing overeating.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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