What is the effect of eating Oatmeal daily on your body?

What is the effect of eating Oatmeal daily on your body?

What is the effect of eating Oatmeal daily on your body?

these days everybody loves oatmeal. That’s not just our opinion, either; it’s a certifiable fact. Don’t believe us? Well, according to Zion Market Research, in 2016 the international oatmeal industry was worth approximately $2 billion – and will be valued at $2.5 billion in 2022. Part of the reason for this, the experts argue, is people’s current desire to lead healthy lifestyles. And when we think of oatmeal, we seemingly automatically equate it with good nutrition. But we should ask if  this delicious breakfast staple really that good for you ?

it certainly seems that the question is worth consideration – particularly as consumers in the U.S. are buying oats in droves. In fact, data released via Information Resources, Inc. stated that Americans forked out over $1.3 billion on oatmeal or hot cereal over the course of 2018. This figure also represents a 1.3 percent increase from the previous year. And that’s almost double the amount that was spent two decades ago.

yet anybody who’s traveled up the aisles of grocery stores knows that there are a number of different oatmeal varieties available from which to choose. The most common names that you’re likely to see in your local shop are, then, oat groats, rolled oats, steel-cut oats, instant oats and Scottish oats. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, each type serves a different purpose.

but don’t worry too much about the names. After all, each type comes from the same basic hulled oats. So why the different types? Well, it actually comes down to how much the grain has been processed. And the various health benefits or side effects will differ, of course, depending on which sort is your preference.

it’s worth pointing out, though, that all kinds of oats need at least some form of processing. This is because you simply cannot consume them as they are when they’ve just been plucked from a farmer’s field. And the reason for this is fairly self-evident: unprocessed oats are surrounded by tough outer shells. That’s why the husks need to be removed prior to eating.

once the shells have been taken away, then, you’re left with your oat groats. You can, of course, purchase whole oat groats from the grocery store to make your oatmeal in the morning. There’s a chance you won’t do that, however, as this variety takes longer to cook and can still maintain a notable fibrous consistency.

and that extra cooking time is why other varieties of oats are subject to further processing. Take steel-cut oats, for example. As the name suggests, steel-cut oats have been – you guessed it – sliced into small sizes with a steel instrument. This procedure obviously makes the grains smaller and therefore easier to turn into oatmeal.

another kind of processing, meanwhile, results in rolled oats. These are steamed and then squashed until level. And the rolled – or old-fashioned – oats are subsequently left to dry so that they can happily sit in your cupboard for extended periods of time. Again, this process also means that they don’t take as long to cook.

there are, of course, two other kinds of oats: Scottish and instant. For the former, the oats are simply reduced to meal. And for the latter, you likely won’t be surprised to hear, the groats are put through a longer steaming and leveling process. In addition, they’re potentially even cooked a little, so that you can get oatmeal in a flash at home.

yet while this level of understanding is certainly interesting, you shouldn’t be put off any one of kind of oats based on the processing that goes into it. After all, no matter which variety you choose, you’ll still be consuming whole grains. And on the balance of things, this means that the nutritional aspects of the oats are in fact roughly the same.

you can also use any of these oat varieties to make your breakfast. Typically, this would involve cooking the oats in milk or water until you get the kind of consistency that you like. You can obviously also add all sorts of flavors and toppings to your oatmeal, including fruit, yogurt and nut butters. But we’re only concerned with the actual oatmeal here.

so, let’s deal with the good stuff first. After all, in 2018 Professor Shengmin Sang of A & T State University in North Carolina told Time magazine, “Based on the existing evidence, eating whole grain oats is without doubt good for our health. And Specifically because oats can help keep cholesterol and diabetes levels normal.

but why are oats so good for these particular health issues? Well, it’s partly down to beta-glucan fiber – something that the grain has in abundance. “throughout the digestive tract, Fiber is great for lot of things” Professor Joanne Slavin - Minnesota University, an expert in food science and nutrition,

in fact, oats have significantly more beta-glucan fiber than many other grains. Which could explain why they are considered to be so beneficial for your gut. But how does it work? Well, according to Harvard’s The Nutrition Source website, this soluble fiber attracts cholesterol-stuffed bile acids and helps us to pass them.

of course, this has led to the consumption of oats being associated with lowering cholesterol levels. The Nutrition Source does state, however, that the evidence to support this is not so clear-cut. That’s because while some studies have indeed concluded that eating beta-glucan can decrease cholesterol, others have not declared particularly significant results.

yet, as we’ve heard, beta-glucan is useful for a number of other reasons. For one thing, it helps to prevent your digestive system from working so quickly. This in turn means that the speed with which nutrients are processed by the body is also decreased. And so, eating oats won’t provide a quick hit of energy followed by a slump – like, say, snacking on a chocolate bar might.

plus, this wonderful fiber slows down digestion because it absorbs water on its way through your gut. This then makes the food that you’ve eaten thicker and more voluminous. And as well as resulting in the slow release of energy, the process can also allow you to feel fuller for longer.

it’s no doubt for this reason that oatmeal is often suggested as a good breakfast for those seeking to lose weight. In fact, there’s even a quick-fix fad out there known as the “oatmeal diet.” Practitioners are initially encouraged to eat nothing but oatmeal three times a day. But such a low-calorie, restrictive diet is not actually advised by experts – and could even be harmful.

in any case, the point is that if oatmeal – as part of a healthy, balanced diet – slows down your digestion, it could leave you feeling more satisfied. This, in turn, makes you less likely to eat unhealthy snacks throughout the day. And that’s why the grain can be helpful in controlling waist lines across the world.

there are other healthy benefits to consuming oatmeal as well. First and foremost among these is its ability to aid in the fight against diabetes. This could be particularly good news, considering that the CDC announced in 2017 that over 100 million U.S. citizens could currently have diabetes or be pre-diabetic.

the CDC also advised that of the 30 million people in the U.S. with diabetes, around 27 million of them suffer with type 2 diabetes. And that particular form of the condition means that the sufferer’s body can’t cope well with glucose, which is a kind of sugar. So, someone with type 2 diabetes needs to be wary of foods that could quickly increase their blood sugar levels.

of course, some foods with large amounts of sugar are easy to spot. These could include, say, white chocolate, candy, cakes or desserts. But sufferers may also need to watch out for the naturally occurring sugars in dairy, veg and fruit. And then there is also the possibility of having to watch out for carbohydrate-rich foods that have high glycemic loads.

what is a glycemic load, you ask? Essentially, it lets you know how fast the portion of carbohydrates in your food will spike your blood sugar levels. So foods with high glycemic loads will boost those levels very quickly, while foods with low glycemic loads will be more gentle. And this is where oats come in.

so while all kinds of oats are packed with carbohydrates, steel-cut oats have a relatively low glycemic load. This means that even those suffering from diabetes can likely consume them because the beta-glucan fiber just might stop those spikes in blood glucose levels. The Nutrition Source website, however, advises against eating instant oats.

this could be particularly welcome news for those with type 2 diabetes. That’s because the condition – which can be extremely serious – can in some cases be reversible through careful diet and work out regimes. It’s always worth consulting a medical professional before undertaking any lifestyle changes, mind you.

there are a couple of other noteworthy oat-related benefits, too. And the first is likely evident for anyone who has been paying attention. That is to say that oats are good for your gut. In fact, The Nutrition Source states that consuming oats regularly will probably help you to poop easier than ever before.

this is due to the oats’ high fiber content, which is reportedly even better than that found in vegetables or fruit. And what’s more, oats’ beta-glucans could improve the microbial population of your digestive system – which, believe it or not, is very a good thing. But it’s not just the inside of your body that can be improved by the consumption of oats.

you see, the final benefit that we’ll discuss here concerns a pair of chemicals that are found within the oats. These are known as phytoestrogens and phenolic compounds. And while these words seem pretty science-y and hard to pronounce, they may actually help you to improve the appearance of your skin.

specifically, these plant chemicals may work to decrease organ inflammation that could reoccur due to conditions such as diabetes. And according to SFGate, a 2013 study suggested that oats may also fight the signs of aging on the skin. So, as you can see, consuming oats has a wealth of potential health benefits. But is the food purely a force for good?

well, as you can probably tell, the evidence is all for a resounding yes to this question. But it’s worth bearing in mind that there are a few provisos to the above advice. So before you head down to the oats aisle of your local grocery store, read on for some sage oatmeal-perfection suggestions.

of particular concern to those who are sensitive to gluten is the possibility of the substance contaminating their oats. On their own, the whole grains are, of course, naturally free from gluten. But as researcher Ronald Fritz told Time magazine, there is always the chance that they could be befouled with the substance during the journey from field to spoon.

fritz clarified, “Oats can be contaminated with gluten containing kernels of wheat, barley and rye at the field during storage or during transportation.” Why should this matter? Well, for the 1 percent of people suffering from celiac disease, consumption of gluten is very bad news for their guts. But those with gluten sensitivities could also be affected.

that’s because those with non-celiac sensitivities can still suffer from grievances of the gut immediately after eating gluten. It seems as though scientists don’t truly understand how this works, but it is clear that it can be uncomfortable for those with the condition. There’s also one other thing to take into consideration when selecting oats.

and that is how you prepare them prior to consumption. It sounds obvious, but the health benefits outlined previously will all come to nothing if you then pile your oatmeal high with sugars or various other additives. And for the experts, it seems to be the instant-oat varieties that are the worst culprits.

for instance, The Independent reported a shocking statistic in 2017. It said that a single pot of Quaker Oats So Simple’s golden syrup instant porridge – available in the U.K. – contained more than four teaspoons of added sugar. Unbelievably, that equates to over 50 percent of an adult’s recommended day-to-day quota of sugar intake.

as we’ve seen, too, this increased sugar would certainly not be a good thing for anyone suffering with, or predisposed to, type 2 diabetes. But being cautious with your choices can combat this easily. For instance, the “original” flavor of Quaker’s instant oatmeal range contains no added sugar at all.

another method of keeping your sugar consumption in check is simply preparing your oatmeal at home from scratch. This is normally quick and pretty straight-forward, and there is no shortage of oatmeal ideas available online. So here we’ll just outline two popular ways of making healthy, balanced breakfasts with everyday ingredients.

the first is using the instructions on the packet of your chosen (sugar-free) oats to prepare the oatmeal, usually using milk or water or a combination of the two. And then, once the oats are done, you can incorporate healthy extras such as fruit, seeds or nuts. For rolled oats, this will take around five minutes. Steel-cuts oats will take longer and instant oats will be done in no time at all.

but if this still sounds like too much work, you can always go down the overnight oats route. This involves simply popping your oats, chosen liquid and additional extras together in a jar, bowl or other container the night before you want to eat your oatmeal. Then mix and cover your serving and pop it into the fridge until morning. Just be aware that you can’t use instant oats for this method.

so is oatmeal a good breakfast that you can eat every day? The short answer is, of course, yes. Whether you choose instant, steel-cut or rolled, oats offer a myriad of health benefits that are difficult to argue against. The only things to be wary of are gluten contamination and added sugar.

but what of other everyday foods with secret health benefits? Well, according to experts, pickles are hiding some unexpected advantageous qualities. So as with oatmeal, you may want to add these little vegetables to your daily diet. In fact, they may even change the way your brain works.

back in the summer of 2015, the journal Psychiatry Research published an intriguing study on fermented foods. And the paper, which was compiled following some in-depth research at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, had some rather stunning findings – especially for those who love the taste of pickles. In fact, even if you’re not a pickle fan, it may just be worth you holding your nose and chowing down on the sweet and sour vegetables, as it turns out that they could have startling benefits for your health.

and perhaps you could begin by adding a pickle to a meal or two. After all, just as certain foods are a little bland without some seasoning or sides to liven them up, a pickle’s tartness could provide just the kick you’re looking for to take a dish to the next level.

that said, thanks to their incredibly strong taste, pickles are often a rather love-or-hate food. Yet even if you fall down firmly on the hate side, you may just have to acquire an appreciation. You see, in August 2015, fans of fermented foods received some good news that could just be a game-changer.

that month, the latest issue of Psychiatry Research hit the shelves. And the medical journal contained details of an interesting research project covering fermented foods’ health benefits – of which, it seems, there could be several. Yes, as it turns out, products such as pickles may have a significant effect on our brains.

as a result, then, pickles may be a good option for a handy go-to snack when you’re feeling peckish. But, of course, they’re not the only food said to boost our well-being. And while fruit and vegetables are naturally among the healthiest options out there to nibble on between meals, nuts are pretty beneficial, too.

yes, certain types of nuts – such as Brazil nuts and almonds – are loaded with vitamins. Brazil nuts, for example, contain zinc and magnesium as well as an important mineral called selenium that aids in the good functioning of the thyroid gland.

almonds, meanwhile, are a great source of fiber, iron and calcium – but that’s not all. Back in 2011, a research paper published in the journal Nutrition Reviews suggested that the tree nut can also play an important role in keeping cholesterol levels down..

I ndeed, the medical study revealed, “Consumption of tree nuts has been shown to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) – a primary target for coronary disease prevention – by 3 to 19 percent.

the research paper suggested, too, that this revelation needed to be shared on a wider scale, adding, “The message that almonds in and of themselves are a heart-healthy snack should be emphasized to consumers. Moreover, when we do a healthy, balanced diet, the benefits of almonds are even greater.”

But when it comes to talking about healthy-eating options, you naturally can’t forget about vegetables. Take broccoli, for example; the cruciferous green is loaded with nutrients that can help us maintain our wellbeing. The phytonutrients within broccoli can even play a vital role in staving off serious medical issues such as diabetes and heart disease.

the vegetable boasts high levels of vitamin C, too, which is handy when we need a boost. In fact, it’s believed that a regular portion of broccoli could cover our daily intake of the important vitamin quite comfortably. And, of course, there are plenty of benefits to be had in fruit as well.

blueberries, for instance, are not only full of phytonutrients and fiber, but they can also keep our blood pressure down. And that’s certainly not all; researchers at Texas Woman’s University discovered that consumption of the small, round fruit can actually help tackle obesity as well. But don’t entirely write off meat in the bid to become healthier.

Indeed, both fish and chicken are fine choices if you’re looking to improve your diet. White meat contains a lot of protein, for example, while fish such as herring, salmon, sardines and trout boast omega-3 fatty acids that can be very beneficial for the heart.

In amongst the usual suspects, however, there are a whole host of other foods that are similarly good for health. And, yes, fermented items such as sauerkraut, yogurt and pickles are among their number, as nutrition expert Casey Seidenberg explained in a 2012 article for The Washington Post.

Seidenberg explained, “Fermented foods aid in digestion and thus support the immune system. When milk is fermented and becomes yogurt or kefir, [however], the lactose is partially broken down so it becomes more digestible.” But there was more.

The nutrition specialist revealed in her Washington Post piece, “When our digestion is functioning properly and we are absorbing and assimilating all the nutrients we need, our immune system become happy.

The study in question was headed up by a trio of researchers: the University of Maryland’s Jordan DeVylder and Catherine Forestell and Matthew Hilimire from the College of William & Mary. And their close examination of fermented foods found that they have the potential to bolster more than just people’s physical health.

Yes, crucially DeVylder, Forestell and Hilimire looked to see if mental health – in particular, any experience of neuroticism and social anxiety – could also be improved by eating such foods. And there was already some scientific basis for the study, as similar experiments involving animals had previously taken place – with some incredibly interesting results.

On William & Mary’s official website, Hilimire explained, “These studies with animal models showed that if you give them certain kinds of bacteria, which we call probiotics – the beneficial microorganisms that help our health like lactobacilli – these animals is less anxious or less depressed.”

Now, as probiotics can be found in fermented food, Hilimire, DeVylder and Forestell were curious to see if the same results could be reached with humans. But before their test got under way, Hilimire reflected on the previous figures – particularly the GABA levels on show.

In essence, gamma aminobutyric acid – or GABA – is a neurotransmitter that helps keep our anxieties in check. And while there are medicines out there that replicate its effects, it turned out that levels of GABA may well be able to be boosted naturally – at least, according to the findings of the animal experiments.

Hilimire went on to explain, “Giving these animals these probiotics increased GABA. their own bodies producing this GABA. So, your own body is increasing this neurotransmitter that reduces anxiety.” There would be a key difference, however, in the approach that the assistant professor and his colleagues would take for their assessment.

In fact, DeVylder, Forestell and Hilimire opted to interrogate more than 700 people at the College of William & Mary. Fortuitously, these students were already about to take a “mass testing” survey – which included elements on personality types and anxieties – at the start of their respective degree courses. In addition, then, the trio threw in a questionnaire of their own.

And Forestell later explained how she and her fellow researchers had come to the conclusion to do this, telling the college’s website, “It was an ideal situation to get a good cross-section of the students at William & Mary, because many students take [the] Introduction to Psychology [module]. They werN’t selected based on the types of foods that they ate or their social anxiety.”

So, the survey from the research trio not only included questions about diet and exercise, but it also queried whether members of the group had eaten any fermented food – such as pickles – in the previous month. Then, once the results had come in, they were subsequently measured against the answers from the mass testing survey.

And after the data had been compiled, Hilimire divulged exactly what it had revealed. He told the William & Mary website, “The main finding was that individuals who had consumed more fermented foods had reduced social anxiety, but that was qualified by an interaction by neuroticism.”

Hilimire went on, “What that means is that that relationship was strongest amongst people that were high in neuroticism [tendency to be anxious or negative]. The people that benefited the most from fermented foods were high in neuroticism.

Those intriguing results were subsequently included in the August 2015 edition of the Psychiatry Research journal, after which they were covered by a number of media outlets. And in an attempt to sum up his and his colleagues’ work, Hilimire revealed why the findings excited him so much.

As the assistant professor went on to explain, “It is likely that the probiotics in the fermented foods are favorably changing the environment in the gut.

However, the trio’s work didn’t come to an end after the report was submitted. You see, DeVylder, Forestell and Hilimire intended to run yet another experiment in an attempt to clarify the findings from the study – although, on this occasion, their sole focus would be on fermented food and social anxiety.

And while the results from the previous study suggested that there was a connection between fermented foods and mental health, a practical experiment was also needed to further determine any links. Yet in Hilimire’s mind, the past tests involving the animals suggested that he and his fellow researchers were already on the right track.

Traditionally, drugs such as benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants are utilized to help battle anxiety. According to Hilimire, though, introducing fermented foods as part of a mental health treatment plan could potentially do away with a number of the side effects of such medication – including, in some cases, addiction.

Yet while Hilimire and his colleagues were working hard to make the connection between fermented foods and anxiety, there’s apparently still some way to go before such a link is accepted by the scientific community at large. Nevertheless, the associate professor had faith that more people would start to listen in the near future.

Indeed, Hilimire concluded, “I think there is some skepticism that there can be such a profound influence [between fermented foods and anxiety], but the data is quite substantial now.