Eating more whole grains is beneficial to health, a well-known concept in healthy eating. Even though you know so much about food, you might still have overlooked the uncrowned king of grains—oats. It can help control blood sugar, lower cholesterol, prevent constipation, control weight, and even reduce the risk of colorectal cancer... Below, we introduce the health benefits of oats and teach you the correct way to eat them.
Oat Nutrition Analysis:
1. Oats can effectively lower cholesterol in the human body. Regular consumption can play a certain preventive role in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, the main threats to middle-aged and elderly people.
2. Regular consumption of oats is also very beneficial for diabetic patients, with effects of lowering blood sugar and losing weight.
3. Oatmeal has the effect of promoting bowel movements. Many elderly people suffer from dry stools, which can easily lead to cerebrovascular accidents. Oats can relieve this worry of constipation.
4. It can also improve blood circulation and relieve stress from life and work. The minerals it contains, such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc, have the effects of preventing osteoporosis, promoting wound healing, and preventing anemia. It is an excellent source of calcium.
5. Oats contain extremely rich linoleic acid, which also has auxiliary therapeutic effects on fatty liver, diabetes, edema, and constipation. It is also greatly beneficial for the elderly to enhance their physical strength and prolong their life.
Top 10 Health Benefits of Oats:
Improve the immune system. The rich beta-glucan in oats can improve the immune system, effectively fighting viruses, bacteria, and parasites, thereby enhancing human immunity.
Beneficial for weight loss. Oatmeal is rich in dietary fiber, which can keep you feeling full for a long time, preventing the intake of too much greasy and salty food, achieving the effect of weight loss.
Prevent constipation. Oatmeal is like a "natural intestinal scrubber" that helps prevent constipation.
Improve blood sugar. Oats have a minimal impact on blood sugar and can reduce insulin dependence and improve insulin sensitivity.
Lower blood pressure and lipids. Eating oats daily helps lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Oats are rich in soluble fiber, which can absorb a large amount of cholesterol in the human body and excrete it, lowering the level of "bad cholesterol."
Reduce childhood asthma. Multiple studies have shown that children who often eat foods containing oatmeal may help reduce the risk of asthma.
Cancer prevention. Research has found that regular consumption of oatmeal can reduce the risk of developing colon and breast cancer.
Increase libido. Research has found that oatmeal can help balance the levels of androgens and estrogens in the human body, enhance sexual drive, and improve the quality of sex.
Relieve hangovers. Eating a bowl of oatmeal porridge after getting drunk can effectively sober you up. The reason is that oatmeal helps absorb alcohol in the blood and reduce its acidity.
Improve mood. The rich vitamin B6 in oatmeal helps increase the body's serotonin levels, which in turn improves mood and relaxes the mind.
Oat Cookies
Tips for Buying Oats
1. Check the product label
Oatmeal comes in many varieties, and many merchants play tricks on the product labels. When buying, be sure to check the label carefully. Do not buy wheat flakes or cereal, as a single character difference can mean a world of difference in the contents. Oats contain a lot of protein and dietary fiber, while cereal often contains more added sugar, additives, and a richer taste. Therefore, it is best to check the label and choose oatmeal.
2. Check the ingredient list
When choosing a product, it is advisable to take a look at the ingredient list. If you want to buy pure oats, check whether the ingredient list contains any other substances. Sometimes when faced with a choice between high-calcium cereal and regular cereal, check the ingredient list. If they have the same oat content, choose the high-calcium one. Otherwise, it is best to choose regular cereal directly.
3. Try to choose raw oats
Oats are highly nutritious, but to meet people's needs, oats undergo a series of processing to produce instant oats, quick-cooking oats, etc. However, many nutrients are lost during this processing. If possible, it is best to buy raw oats and cook them for half an hour. You can also choose oatmeal that has added natural foods like nuts.
4. Look at the color of the oatmeal
When buying bulk or packaged oats, you can observe the color of the oats. The normal color of oats is white with a slight yellow or brownish tint. If it appears dark or black, it may have storage problems, and it is best not to buy it.
How to Eat Oats
1. Take two to three tablespoons of oatmeal and pour in boiling milk. Let it sit for three to five minutes until it becomes slightly thick (the texture will improve), then eat.
2. Use boiling water to cook an egg or make egg flower soup (salty or sweet), then add an appropriate amount of oatmeal. Let it sit for a moment before eating.
3. Add a small amount of oatmeal to cooked rice porridge to increase its thickness and make it more nutritious.
4. Add an appropriate amount of sesame paste, fruit drink powder, or coffee to the oatmeal, then brew with hot water above 80°C for a unique flavor.
5. Add a small amount of oatmeal (about half a spoonful) to various cooked meat or vegetable soups.
6. You can also add a small amount of oatmeal to some sweet puddings.
7. Adding a small amount of oatmeal to some instant drinks like lotus root starch or lotus seed powder is also a tasty option.
oatmeal cookies