Does Oats Control Blood Sugar Level? Read to Know More

Oat is considered one of the most nutrient-rich cereal grains. The cereal is full of health benefits and all its portions are edible- the inner seeds of the cereal or oats, the outer layer of oat bran and leaves and stem called oat straw. Studies have shown that oats have a couple of health benefits that include preventing risks of heart attacks, strokes to reducing blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and even cancer.

Know About Oats:

Oats are healthy, natural whole grains that are rich in fiber and essential nutrients. People prefer having oatmeal in breakfast with oats and milk, or sometimes water. This delicious cereal food is packed with high-quality nutrition and delicious flavor into breakfast for ages. This is simple, healthy, and easy to have and one of the most important comfort foods that are very much effective for your health.

Here are some of the nutrition contents of Oats:

Oat is a powerhouse of essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and some cereal plant compounds and has a high-profile nutrient composition. Almost 78 grams or half a bowl of oats contains the following:

• Manganese: 191% of the RDI

• Magnesium: 34% of the RDI

• Copper: 24% of the RDI

• Iron: 20% of the RDI

• Zinc: 20% of the RDI

• Phosphorus : 41% of the RDI

• Vitamin B1 (thiamin): 39% of the RDI

• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 10% of the RDI

• Folate: 11% of the RDI

• Calories: 303

• Carbohydrate: 51 grams

• Protein: 13 grams

• Fat: 5 grams

• Fiber: 8 grams

• Some portions of calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and vitamin B3 (niacin)

This nutrient profile of oats shows that this is the most nutrient-dense food to include in your breakfast.

Listed are some of the health benefits of having oats in your diet every day:

1. Keeps Healthy Heart:

Heart disease is a major concern in today’s world. People nowadays are developing heart diseases, risks of heart attacks or strokes at a very early age and this may even sometimes lead to death. Having oats regularly in your diet can lower the risks of developing heart diseases and can prevent chances of cardiac arrests in aged individuals. Oats are rich in soluble fibers like beta-glucan that get dissolved with water and form a thick, gel-like solution in the gut. This helps to reduce the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol in your heart. Studies have shown that nutrients in oats can increase the excretion of cholesterol-rich bile and thus improve heart health by regulating proper blood circulation through the heart. It produces inflammation in arteries, damages tissues, and can raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes. (1Trusted Source)

Moreover, the high levels of antioxidants, like polyphenols and avenanthramides present in oats combine with vitamin C to prevent LDL oxidation by preventing the reaction of LDL with disease-causing free radicals and preventing the occurrences of heart diseases. These compounds in oats also help to lower the levels of high blood pressure by increasing the production of nitric oxide gas, the molecules of which help to dilate blood vessels and promote the easier flow of blood (2 Trusted Source).

2. Controls Blood Sugar Level:

The second common disease today is type 2 diabetes when the blood sugar levels are significantly high among patients due to the lack of production of a hormone called insulin. Consumption of a high number of whole grains every day can help control diabetes, lowers high blood sugar levels, and improve insulin response and insulin sensitivity. The thick gel formed by beta-glucan helps to delay the emptying of the stomach and absorption of glucose into the blood (3 Trusted Source).

3. Reduces Body Weight:

If you are planning to reduce your weight within three months, include oats or oatmeal in the form of porridge in your breakfast food today. Oats is just not delicious, but healthy too because it keeps you full. Eating filling foods may help you eat fewer calories and lose weight. The high fiber and the beta-glucan present in oats help to increase your feeling of fullness and regulate the production of YY (PYY), a peptide hormone produced in the gut in response to eating. Experts say that this variety of satiety hormone has been shown to help in the reduction of calorie intake and also decreases the risk of obesity. Moreover, oat is low in calories, and having foods with low-calorie content can help you to reduce your weight quickly. (4 Trusted Source)

4. Treats Cancer:

Oats are rich in fiber and plant properties from cereals, which often help to fight cancer, particularly Stomach cancer, Colon cancer, rectal cancer, and cervical cancer.

5. Maintains Skin Health:

We find various beauty products are now containing health extracts from oats- they tend to use ground oats that are popularly known as “colloidal oatmeal.”

The FDA had approved colloidal oatmeal as an essential component for protection and enhancement substance for skin back in early 2003. Oats have a long history of use in the treatment of itch and irritation in various skin conditions. For example, skin products containing oats are found to have improved a number of uncomfortable symptoms like eczema. It must be considered that skincare benefits pertain only to oats applied to the skin, not those that are eaten. (5 Trusted Source)

6. Relieves Constipation:

Adults, particularly aged people are often found to have constipation, with infrequent, irregular bowel movements that are difficult to pass. This happens when the bowel finds it difficult to move through the gastrointestinal tract of your body. Laxatives are often recommended by health care experts to relieve constipation among aged individuals. Though such laxatives are effective, they can also cause unnecessary weight loss and are often responsible for reducing the quality of life. Recent experiments have found that oat bran, the fiber-rich outer layer of the oat cereal, can help to relieve constipation significantly in older people. One new study has found that well-being and constipation problems improved for 30 elderly patients who consumed a soup or breakfast containing oat bran (porridge) daily for 12 weeks (about 3 months). Moreover, 59% of those patients were able to stop using laxatives after the 3-month study, while overall laxative use increased by 8% in the control group.

7. Reduces Asthma:

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that is most commonly found among children. It is a common inflammatory disorder that is mostly caused through the air and results in breathing problems by choking the bronchioles — the tubes that carry air to and from a person’s lungs. Though symptoms are not the same in all children, many experience frequent coughing, wheezing, sneezing, and shortness of breath or breathlessness. Some medical practitioners tend to advise that early introduction of solid foods to children may increase the child’s risk of developing asthma and similar allergic diseases (6 Trusted Source).

However, studies reveal that feeding oats to children before the age of 6 months can reduce the chances of developing asthma or related diseases in the later years (7 Trusted Source).

How To Include Oats in Your Diet?

Oat can be taken in several ways, and it is easy to prepare at home. The most popular and healthy way to have oats is through porridge:

• Add 1/2 cup of rolled oats into a bowl
• Add 1 cup (250 ml) of water or milk into the oats
• A pinch of salt into it.

Some Concerns About Oats:

Though a regular intake of oats is considered extremely nutritious and healthy, there are some health concerns in this case; some of these are listed below:

When taken by mouth: Oat bran and whole oats are considered mostly safe for the majority of people when eaten in foods, but in some cases, oats can cause gas and bloat in your stomach. To prevent such side effects, you need to include oats in a low dose first and then increase the intake slowly to the desired amount. Your body will get used to oat bran and the side effects will likely go away.

When applied to the skin: Lotion and beauty products containing oat extracts are possibly safe when applied to the skin. But in some cases, putting oat-containing products on the skin can cause a rash.

Bottom Line:

Regular intake of oats in your diet is highly nutritious and delicious too. It not only helps to lose weight but provides several benefits like protecting your heart, lungs, skin, preventing diabetes, and asthma. So, it is a great idea to start having oats for breakfast today.