Stay Healthy: With Oatmeal - Nutritional Values

Oats are a type of gluten-free whole grain and is a very good source of important vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. It also contributes many benefits to your health like helping with weight loss, lowering your blood sugar levels and a reduced risk of heart disease.
Oatmeal is made by boiling oats in water or milk. Here are some proven benefits of eating oatmeal.

1. Oatmeal May Help You Lose Weight

Oatmeal can help you lose weight by causing you to eat less. Beta-glucan helps increase the time it takes your stomach to empty itself of food, causing you to feel full longer. It promotes the production and release of peptide YY, a satiety hormone.

2. It Is Very Nutritious

Oats serve as a great source of healthy carbs and fiber and contain more proteins and fats than most other grains. It’s also contains very essential minerals, vitamins and several plant compounds. Some of these include manganese, zinc, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B5 and copper etc.

3. High In Antioxidants

Oats cantain several antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds called polyphenols. An example is avenanthramides, an antioxidant group, found almost exclusively in oats. It helps lower blood pressure levels by causing an increase in your body’s production of nitric oxide. This nitric oxide helps dilate blood vessels, causing better blood flow. Oats also contain substantial amounts of ferulic acid.

4. It Contains Beta-Glucan

Oats contain beta-glucan, a type of soluble fibre. Beta-glucan helps reduce blood sugar and insulin response, and also helps feed the good bacteria in your gut and increase your feeling of fullness.

5. Can Help Lower Cholesterol

Beta-glucan in oats can help reduce both total and LDL cholesterol levels. It also boosts the excretion of cholesterol-rich bile, lowering circulating levels of cholesterol in your blood. when they’re not lowered, LDL can lead to heart disease when they come in contact with free radicals, causing it’s oxidation.

6. Helps Improve Blood Sugar Control

Oats help insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels, especially in people who are overweight or have type 2 diabetes. This effect occurs because of the positive effects of beta-glucan on your stomach.