5 Reasons To Eat More Oatmeal

There’s nothing quite as fulfilling as waking up to a bowl full of steaming hot oats. Have it for breakfast or pair it with a plate of gorgeous cookies in the evening: You’d be surprised to know how much oats have to offer. Not only are they considerably low in calories and great for weight management, but can also help combat diseases like breast cancer, type-2 diabetes, heart diseases and blood pressure.

Adding to the list of benefits, a new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that including oats in your diet can reduce high cholesterol significantly. According to experts at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, all forms of oats – oat bran, oatmeal or other oat-containing foods are beneficial. They act as a gateway to overall well-being and a healthy lifestyle.

Oats are packed with magnesium, fiber, protein and dietary fiber which makes them easy to digest and also leave you feeling full. Plant lignans present in oats have anti-cancer properties and help boost metabolism and maintain good immunity. The higher viscosity of the beta-glucan fibre in oatmeal enhances satiety and boosts beneficial gut bacteria.

According to Frank Thies, lead author of the research from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland said, “Eating a 60 gram serving of oatmeal might lower cholesterol significantly.”

A review of the most recent and compelling studies on oats, oat bran and cardiovascular disease risk factors concluded that oats and oat bran lower total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or bad cholesterol by 2 and 19 percent and 4 and 23 percent respectively. An LDL-C reduction of 4-6 percent is estimated to reduce coronary heart disease risk by 6-18 percent.  A review of 29 studies concluded that oats and oat bran might provide benefits in some cases of bowel disease (one of two studies on ulcerative colitis) and constipation (14 studies).