Oatmeal Nutrition - Hype Or Fact?
We hear a lot about oatmeal nutrition, and all the good things the grain can do for you. Many of us were raised with a breakfast of Quaker Oats, rolled oats and milk (healthy) with a spoonful or so of sugar added (not so healthy), and on occasion, instant oatmeal. We see cereals containing oats advertised as being good for our heart, and while eating a big cookie can be viewed as being slightly sinful, eating a big oatmeal cookie is generally regarded as being healthy, and tasty to boot.
Not Hype At All, Oats Are Good For You - As it turns out, much of what is claimed in the name of oatmeal nutrition is true. Oats are a very healthy grain, and the oatmeal produced from oats is a very healthy food, good for us in many ways. Curiously, aside from packaged rolled oats, baby foods, and cereals, not a lot of people eat oats. Many more eat wheat, rye, even barley, even though oats in many regions, are easier to grow. To many, oats are thought of as primarily a grain given to horses. Oats are indeed very good for horses, and they are very good for us as well.
From the standpoint of oats as a foodstuff, an oat grain is comprised of two major parts, the outer husk, and the inner grain. The outer husk is basically inedible due to its hardness, and it is the inner grain that we eat, either raw, processed, or cooked. The inner grain is itself composed of two parts, the kernel and a thin bran covering. This inner grain is referred to as the oak groat, or simply the groat.
Getting From Oats To Oatmeal - The groat is usually processed to remove the bran which, while very nutritious, is also hard to chew. In one process, the oat groats are cut into tiny pieces and the bran is retained. These "steel-cut oats" are very nutritious, but the presence of bran has the disadvantage of making the groats go rancid after a period of storage. Steam treatment however will eliminate the enzymes in the bran that cause this condition, and the resulting product, called "quick oats" have a longer shelf life, and are perhaps the best example of what true oatmeal nutrition means. The other way oat groats are processed is by a process of rolling and partial cooking, in which the bran is removed. This gives us the familiar "rolled oats".
Basics Of Oatmeal Nutrition - Just what is it in oats that lend truth to various claims of high oatmeal nutrition? For one thing, of all the common grains, oats contains the highest amount of soluble fiber per unit volume. At least two benefits arise from this, although we are aware that soluble fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet. For one thing, certain types of soluble fiber, including that found in oats, have been proven cholesterol fighters, that is, the soluble fiber helps our body eliminate excess cholesterol, including the bad cholesterol which contributes to clogged arteries and heart disease.
Oatmeal in fact contains zero cholesterol to begin with. Cholesterol is sometimes presented as a very bad substance, which we do not want in our bodies. Cholesterol performs needed functions within our bodies, we could not get along without it, in fact our liver produces it for use within the body. It is a very fatty and somewhat sticky substance however, and too much of it can cause problems in our arteries. So the problem is not the presence of cholesterol, but the presence of too much, and of the wrong kind. We tend to get too much from foods that we eat, especially meats and fatty foods. Fast foods and deep fried foods are excellent sources of the extra cholesterol that we don't need or don't want.
The other benefit from soluble fiber is that they are slow to digest, leaving us with a feeling of fullness longer. When we feel full, we are not apt to eat more than is necessary so we could have a tendency to lose weight over time. The claims that products containing oats, breakfast cereals for example, can help you lose weight indeed have some truth to them. It's almost the case of the more oatmeal you eat the faster you'll lose weight. That hasn't necessarily been proven, and we don't hear much about oatmeal diets, but it would seem to make sense. Unlike other diets, having oatmeal as one of basic ingredients would make up a diet that is quite nutritious and probably safe as well, plus one you could continue with in part once you get down to your desired weight. (continued...)