What Are the Health Benefits of Oats & Grains?
Your unassuming bowl of oat cereal is packed with essential nutrients and disease-fighting properties. A traditional breakfast food, oats can help you feel full longer, keep your energy levels up and help maintain body weight. Adding whole grains such as oats, barley and wheat to your diet is important for normal digestive function and may provide numerous other health benefits.
Oats contain the highest amount of soluble fiber of any grain, according to the American Heart Association. Soluble fiber absorbs water in the digestive tract, slowing digestion and trapping and removing unhealthy cholesterol before it can filter into the bloodstream. The C-Health website notes that 1 cup of oats provides 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Just one cup of oats also provides almost 70 percent of your daily recommended amount of manganese, an important mineral for bone formation, as well as other nutrients such as magnesium and vitamin B-1.
The American Heart Association recommends eating oats and other whole-grain foods regularly as part of a balanced diet that is low in saturated and trans fats. These foods are rich in essential dietary fiber, which can help improve your heart health. Soluble fiber, the type found in oats and other whole grains, lowers harmful LDL cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of blockages in and narrowing of the arteries. A study published in the "Journal of Family Practice" found that oat cereals can also help lower high blood pressure; 73 percent of patients treated with oats were able to stop or reduce their prescription blood pressure medication by half.
The Linus Pauling Institute notes that eating whole grains helps to balance the release of the hormone insulin. This hormone is crucial for transporting blood glucose to your cells where it can be converted to energy. However, too much insulin release can increase the risk of diabetes. Eating oats and other whole grains regularly along with a balanced diet and active lifestyle can also help prevent or manage Type 2 diabetes. C-Health notes that while most people need about 26 grams to 30 grams of fiber per day, diabetics require upwards of 50 grams. Eating oats and other fiber-rich foods can help meet this need.
Eating whole grains such as oats helps to reduce unhealthy hunger cravings longer because fiber helps to balance blood glucose levels. Fluctuating blood glucose levels lead to hunger pangs and dips in your energy levels. Eating carbohydrate-rich foods can raise blood glucose quickly before it falls to low levels, making you crave unhealthy foods even after a meal. Whole grains help to prevent this by releasing glucose from digested food gradually and maintaining more even blood sugar levels. This helps you balance your energy levels and maintain a healthy weight for your body type.
- American Heart Association: Whole Grains and Fiber
- Journal of Family Practice: Do Whole-Grain Oat Cereals Reduce the Need for Antihypertensive Medications and Improve Blood Pressure Control?
- C-Health: 7 Reasons Why Oats Are Awesome
- Linus Pauling Institute: Fiber
- C.Health: 7 Reasons Why Oats Are Awesome
Nadia Haris is a registered radiation therapist who has been writing about nutrition for more than six years. She is completing her Master of Science in nutrition with a focus on the dietary needs of oncology patients.