Regular consumption of oatmeal for breakfast can lead to a vast number of health benefits to our entire system.
Oats have been in use for centuries, for both nutritional and medicinal purposes. Nations across the glove learned quickly that growing them doesn’t require too much trouble, and that they can be used not only as a food, but also to treat skin conditions, urinary tract infections, stomach issues, issues with nerves, and numerous other illnesses. One of specific conditions that is easily managed and eliminated with the regular use of oats is gout.
The healing powers that oats posses come from their wide and rich nutritional profile. Oats contain a staggering number of antioxidants such as vitamin E, phytic acid, selenium, and phenolic acid. Other nutrients found in oats include copper, magnesium, vitamin B, phosphorus, biotin, molybdenum. There are simply too many phytonutrients in them to count. A half-cup serving of oats contains 13 grams of protein, making oats a great dietary supplement for those on heavy work-out regiments. One quarter of a cup of oats contains the daily recommended amount of manganese; mineral that isn’t readily available in other foods.
Oats have a low glycemic index, meaning they provide our cells and body with energy, and in turn don’t cause a drop or an increase in blood sugar levels. This helps our body regulate insulin levels, so we feel full and not hungry for longer periods of time. In addition, oats prevent sugar cravings, which is another way of preventing weight gain.
Some other health of prolonged used of oats in your breakfast include:
- Reduced risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease
- Longer life expectancy
- Lowered risks of type 2 diabetes
- Breast cancer prevention
- Immune system response boost
- Prevention of childhood asthma
Multiple ways of processing oats are practiced by different producers, before they can be turned into oatmeal. Here’s how you can recognize the different types:
- Oat bran: oat bran contains only the outer layer of the oat grain, found under the hull.
- Steel-cut oats: dense and chewy, this type of processing includes cutting the oats using steel blades, and then slicing them.
- Old-fashioned oats: old-fashioned oats are first steamed, then rolled, leading to them having a flat shape.
- Instant oatmeal: oats are first cooked, and then they get rolled thinly in this type of processing.
- Quick-cooking oats: just like the old-fashioned oats, quick-cooking oats are first steamed, but they are cut before rolling.
- Oat groats: the most common type of breakfast oats, oat groats are not flattened and they are also commonly used for stuffing.
Oats can be used in infinite number of ways; you can add them to your morning smoothie, eat them with yogurt, add them to a shake, in cookies, or in muffins. Oatmeal can be a replacement for quinoa in any recipe that contains this ingredient, and it can only improve it.
If you’re looking for a healthy breakfast, and if you’re trying to lose weight or you’re on a heavy work-out regiment, oats for breakfast are the right choice.
