Oats are great to eat. Whether you use them in porridge or oatmeal, put them in some of your favorite baked goods, or make your own energy bars that have them in it, there is no denying that oats add a flavor and texture all their own. But there are also many health benefits of eating oats. Here are a few:
- They can lower your cholesterol levels. According to Heart UK, more than half of the people in the United Kingdom currently have blood cholesterol levels that aren’t what they should be. Fortunately, eating oats is one way to get these levels in check as a study published in Nutrition Reviews has found that just 3 grams of oat β-glucan each day can lower your “bad” cholesterol by as much as 10 percent.
- They are good for your heart. A 2014 press release by The Quaker Oats Company reported that the avenanthramide (AVE) compound in oats “may play an important role in protecting the heart.” This finding came from an assessment of a variety of studies on the subject, most of which had previously highlighted the positive effects of oat’s high fiber and nutrient content.
- Oats can potentially improve your body’s immune response. If you’re the person who always seems to catch whatever bug is going around, eating oats may just change that. At least, that is what one study conducted on mice found, causing researchers to conclude that adding oats to a regular exercise routine was a good way to possibly stave off illness and disease.
- They can positively impact your blood sugar. In a WebMD article titled “Diabetic Diet: 6 Foods That May Help Control Blood Sugar,” oatmeal is the top item on the list because it is slow to digest. The key is to not buy sweetened oatmeal and to choose plain old oats instead.
Add oats to your diet and enjoy these benefits and more. If you’ve already added oats to your diet and are experiencing it’s advantages, please share them below. I’d love to hear what they are doing for you!
