Sometimes, the simplest things in life are the best ones. This can be surely said to oats. From providing protein to aiding weight loss, oats are simple food that can provide you with many health benefits.
Commonly eaten for breakfast as oatmeal (which is made by boiling oats in water or milk) oats are also often included in muffins, cookies, granola bars, smoothies, etc. Oat groats, the whole form of oats, take a long time to cook, the reason why people tend to prefer rolled, crushed or steel cut oats. These quick cooking oats take the shortest time to cook but their texture may be mushy.
Here are some great reasons to make oat a staple of your diet.
Packed With Protein
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Oat is exceptionally high in protein. In fact, it contains around 10.9g per 100g, according to nutritionists. Still, oat isn't considered a complete protein. Although it contains all of the essential amino acids (building blocks of protein), it doesn't have enough lysine to be classed as a total protein. For this reason, when eating oats, try adding some seeds or nuts to boost your amino acid intake and increase your chances of getting all of the essential amino acids. You can also add milk or fat-free yogurt to your bowl of porridge to increase its protein content. Ensuring your diet contain plenty of protein is helpful to look after muscles and tissues.
Aid Digestion
Oats are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre. The soluble fibre, once in the gut, forms a gel that helps slow digestion, making you feel full longer. While soluble fibre helps slow down digestion, insoluble fibre adds bulk to stools, aiding in getting things moving through the digestive system normally.
Source of Slow Releasing Energy
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When in need of something easy to prepare but that can power you through the whole morning, prepare some quick cooking oats. Oats are complex carbohydrates. Your body needs carbohydrates to convert into glucose and use it as a source of energy. Because complex carbohydrates are long molecules, they take longer to digest than simple carbohydrates, meaning a much more sustained release of energy. This makes oat a great food to eat in the morning.
According to nutritionists, these slow-releasing carbohydrates in oats are great for powering a workout or for restoring muscles after training. The magnesium found in them is vital for muscle function, as well. If you decide to go for porridge sachets, be careful when buying them. That's because there are a few brands out there that include lots of sugar in their recipes. So, make sure to check the labels first.
Lower Cholesterol
Oats contain beta-glucan, which when bound with water, forms a layer in the digestive tract, particularly in the small intestine. This helps avoid the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine, decreasing LDL and reducing cholesterol. By reducing cholesterol, oats also help reduce the risk of developing a heart problem.
Contain Lots of Important Minerals and Vitamins
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Oats contain a bunch of important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B1, manganese, zinc and selenium that your body needs to function properly. Oats also contain magnesium which is essential for carrying energy around the body and promoting normal muscle function.
Help With Weight Loss
Oat is low in calories and is also a good source of fibre, which can help you feel fuller for longer, reducing your appetite and stopping you from operating. Replacing a higher calorie meal packed with carbohydrates such as white bread and jam or sugary cereals for breakfast with a bowl of oats may help promote satiety while reducing your caloric intake.
Gluten-Free
If you can't eat gluten, you have one more reason to add oats to your diet. It's important to mention that oats do contain avenin, which is a protein similar to gluten. You also need to check with the manufacturer as most oats are processed and packaged in environments where other grains that contain gluten are also produced, such as wheat. Some people can't tolerate even gluten-free oats, so if you have coeliac disease, consider checking with your doctor if you are looking to include oats, so you can monitor symptoms.
Good for the Skin
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Ever wonder why lots of creams and lotions contain oats? Because of their antioxidant properties. Oats can be highly beneficial for preventing dry skin and relieving itchiness and irritation. It also helps create a barrier, allowing the skin to hold moisture while softening and hydrating the skin.
Helps You Sleep
Aside from being a good meal to start your day, oatmeal can also be a smart food choice before bedtime. In fact, many nutritionists recommend a bowl of oatmeal in the evening to get you feeling nice and sleepy.
What makes oatmeal a good option before bed is that the complex carbohydrates together with melatonin content in oat help more tryptophan get into the brain, which consequently helps you sleep. The vitamins, including B6 is also a co-factor that aids in the production of more serotonin in the brain.
