Top 10 Health Benefits of Eating Oats and Oatmeal for Breakfast
If you’re looking for a healthy whole grain that’s gluten-free and has great nutritional value, it’s oats you want. They’re often prepared for breakfast as oatmeal/porridge simply by boiling them in milk or water. Of course, many people like to add extra ingredients such as cinnamon, berries, bananas, chocolate chips, and so on. What’s more, they’re a great addition to a range of baked goods such as cookies, muffins, granola bars, etc. And, most importantly, eating oats and oatmeal for breakfast comes with many health benefits.
Oatmeal Nutrition Facts
Half a cup of dry oats cooked in water has about 140 calories, which amounts to about a cup of oatmeal. If you don’t add any salt or sugar, your breakfast won’t have any content of sodium and sugars either. That said, oatmeal is rich in Vitamins B1 and B5, manganese, iron, zinc, magnesium, folate, as well as other healthy minerals. The mentioned amount contains approximately:- Fat: 2.5 g
- Carbs: 28 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
Health Benefits of Oatmeal
If you’re wondering if oatmeal is good for you, wonder no more. The answer is yes! Eating oatmeal for breakfast can become a part of your healthy lifestyle routine thanks to a variety of reasons.1. Helps Weight Control
We’re all looking for ways to eat better and manage our weight as much as possible. But did you know that eating oatmeal for breakfast can help you do precisely that? A 2009 study found that oatmeal contains this nifty compound called beta-glucan, which has the ability to reduce appetite by boosting the production of the cholecystokinin hormone, which is responsible for fighting the pesky hunger urges.2. Lowers Blood Pressure
In this day and age, stress, sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet habits have all led to the rising issue of heart health across the globe. But if you don’t have to take meds just yet, you can help your heart and reduce blood pressure simply by eating whole-grains such as oats daily! Namely, an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that whole-grains have a similar effect of lowering blood pressure to anti-hypertensive medication.
3. Minimizes Cholesterol
Soluble fiber is your body’s ally for trapping blood cholesterol substances. It’s been proven that just 3 g of soluble fiber a day can effectively minimize the cholesterol by 8-23%. Amazingly enough, oats contain the highest amount of soluble fiber among all grains. As stated before, just a cup of oatmeal will get you to consume 4 g of soluble fiber!4. Protects Your Skin
The next time you’re shopping for some beauty products, take a look at the ingredient lists of different creams and lotions. Undoubtedly, you’ll find that a great number of products contain oatmeal! This is no gimmick; oatmeal is already known in the beauty world as a natural way to soothe dry and irritated skin. Basically, oats help create a barrier between your skin and external factors, which helps the skin retain its much-needed moisture. Oats can also be used as a gentle exfoliant. And when you eat oatmeal for breakfast, you get your dose of antioxidants that are crucial for your skin’s ability to fight away free radicals.5. Reduces the Risk of Colorectal Cancer
There’s no need to go about just how terrible and painful colon cancer can be in detail. What we can say, however, is that the evidence of a study performed on 2 million people showed that a high-fiber diet reduces the risk of colorectal cancer considerably. Namely, for every extra 10 g of fiber that one gets through their diet, there’s a 10% risk reduction of suffering from this horrible disease.6. Manages Blood Sugar
What does oatmeal do for you that other sugary breakfast doesn’t? For starters, it doesn’t cause the notorious sugar crash/mid-morning slump that many people tend to experience after consuming something sweet for breakfast. The mentioned high levels of soluble fiber in oatmeal allow the sugar to enter the bloodstream at a much slower rate. Essentially, if you’re looking for a morning meal with a low glycemic index, this is it. Still, if you’re specifically looking for an ideal breakfast that can stabilize your blood sugar levels, it’s more effective to go with steel-cut oats than instant oats.7. Boosts Energy
Together with a beneficial content of soluble fiber, oatmeal also has an admirable amount of carbs and protein. Thanks to this fact, your good to go oatmeal can give you enough energy to deal with your everyday tasks problem-free and still have some extra energy left to burn on exercise. The studies have shown that consuming oats about an hour prior to working out speeds up metabolism and enhances your athletic performance. As long as you plan a physical activity of moderate intensity, of course.8. Strengthens Immune System
We have already mentioned that oatmeal contains a compound called beta-glucan which helps with weight management. But this is not the only benefit to it. Beta-glucan also promotes a better response of the immune system when it comes to dealing with bacteria and infections, thus keeping you stronger and healthier.