What Does The Science Say About Oats And Diabetes
The science is all in favor of people living with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes eating oatmeal. However, there is very little research available when it comes to type 1 diabetes and oatmeal.
A large study including 75,000 adults for 14 years found that eating soluble fiber, such as oats, may help lower blood sugars and potentially reducing the risk of developing diabetes.
A comprehensive review of studies focused on how oats can benefit people living with diabetes found that oatmeal significantly reduced the spike in blood sugars after meals, and even reduced the amount of insulin needed.
And according to the National Library of Medicine, eating oats for 4-8 weeks can possibly improve fasting blood sugars and insulin levels in people living with type 2 diabetes.
Oats Are Incredibly Nutritious
The nutrient composition of oats is well-balanced.
They are a good source of carbs and fiber, including the powerful fiber beta-glucan (
4 ).
Oats are loaded with important vitamins, minerals and antioxidant plant compounds. Half a cup of dry oats contains :
- Manganese: 191% of the RDI
- Phosphorus: 41% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 34% of the RDI
- Copper: 24% of the RDI
- Iron: 20% of the RDI
- Zinc: 20% of the RDI
- Folate: 11% of the RDI
- Vitamin B1 : 39% of the RDI
- Vitamin B5 : 10% of the RDI
- Smaller amounts of calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin B3
This is coming with 51 grams of carbs, 13 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat and 8 grams of fiber, but only 303 calories.
This means that oats are among the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat.
Bottom Line:
Oats are rich in carbs and fiber, but also higher in protein and fat than most other grains. They are very high in many vitamins and minerals.
Instant Oatmeal: Good Or Bad
Oats are definitely healthy eats, but instant oatmeal often gets a bad wrap. A bowl of classic oatmeal packs a hearty dose of vitamins, protein and cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. So, what about the packets? We’ve got the facts on this convenience food.
Instant Whole Grain Goodness
Instant oatmeal is partially cooked and dried for fast preparation. Contrary to popular belief, instant oats have the same nutritional benefits of regular oats. The biggest problem with instant varieties? All those flavored options bursting with sugar! Your typical flavored brand will set you back at least 3 to 4 teaspoons of added sweeteners. Some brands may also add sodium as a preservative, but there are brands out there without it.
Shopping for Instant Oats
Priority number one: choose plain instant oats. Check ingredient labels carefully, and get a brand with minimal ingredients and the least amount preservatives. Arrowhead Mills is a smart choice.
Its fine if you want to sweeten up your plain oats. Add 2 teaspoons maple syrup, honey, brown sugar or agave for a sweet breakfast with half the sugar. A little fresh fruit will also up the fiber content.
Rolled Vs. Instant
The packets can come in handy, though. When Im traveling, a few pouches, some trail mix, and a piece of fresh fruit means an easy and healthy breakfast in the hotel room.
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How Much Oatmeal Is Needed To Reduce Cholesterol
Some of the simplest foods are the most healthful. Thats the case with oatmeal, a whole grain that requires hot water to produce a quick, filling, heart-healthy breakfast. A bowl of oatmeal made with ½ cup of rolled oats provides 4 g of fiber along with 150 calories, 2.5 g of fat, 27 g of carbohydrates and no sugar. The fiber can benefit your cardiovascular health by helping to reduce your cholesterol.
The Best Oats For Diabetes
While most oatmeal is a great food to eat if you have diabetes, there are some exceptions. As mentioned above, pre-packaged oatmeal with flavor added in is made with the most processed type of oats, instant oats, and often contains large amounts of added sugars. While its convenient and delicious, you should look elsewhere for your morning bowl of oatmeal. The very best type of oatmeal for people with Type 2 diabetes is steel-cut oats. Because they are the least processed and are full of fiber, they actually have the lowest glycemic load, making it easier for your body to digest, and preventing blood sugar spikes. If you dont love or have time to cook steel cut oats, try rolled oats or overnight oats. These are also much less processed than instant oats, have a low glycemic load, and are still full of fiber.
Just make sure not to add too many extra carbs to your healthy bowl of oatmeal. Thats where people with diabetes can really get in trouble. While oatmeal itself has a low glycemic load, adding spoonfuls of brown sugar or dried nuts can make your carb count skyrocket, and your blood sugar wont be far behind.
Disclaimer: Each new type of food can have a different effect on your body and blood sugar levels. When adding something new to your diet, make sure to test your blood sugar right before eating, and then again two hours later. Ensure that your body responds well to a new type of food before making it a regular part of your diet.
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How Effective Is Oatmeal In Lowering Cholesterol
August 22, 2015 by Cholesterol Guardian
Oatmeal has become a very popular choice for breakfast. This food is believed to contain various beneficial nutrition which is useful in supporting proper digestion. Oatmeal is resulted from slow-cooked oat grains which can be reheated without decreasing its nutrition benefits. Oatmeal can also be combined with lean protein diets, such as nuts. People with health issues, such is having high cholesterol, having hypertension, and are diabetic are advised to take some oatmeal every day to help lowering this level of bad substances in blood. Studies have shown that oatmeal is effective in performing good digestion process which contributes to further health.
Diabetes Breakfast Mistakes To Avoid
I once went to see a friend who has diabetes. Her table was laid out with a wonderful breakfast for the both of us. However, it didnt look too much like a breakfast a diabetic should be eating. There were carbs, carbs, and more carbs. To me it was a dream, but my thought for her was, oh geeze, her blood sugar!
It seems innocent enough that we were having croissants, jam, fruit, and array of fresh juices. For most people, this is a very healthy start. For diabetics, it is missing one key item that will help stall the burn of all those carbs protein!
Here you will see biggest diabetes breakfast mistakes youre probably making and you didnt know you were doing it. Dont make these breakfast mistakes to keep your blood sugar stable. At the end I have also included list of some commonly asked questions about diabetes breakfast.
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Blueberries & Cream Instant Oatmeal
Per 1 packet : 130 calories, 2 g fat , 170 mg sodium, 26 g carbs , 3 g protein
The only reason this oatmeal ranks higher than the other fruit and cream flavors is because it has one fewer gram of sugar. Otherwise, it’s still the same artificially-colored, artificially-flavored, and oil-coated mess as those packets above.
Is Oatmeal Healthy Here’s What The Experts Say
Oatmeal is a near-universally beloved breakfast. While it has historically been enjoyed across Europe, Russia and the U.S., oatmeal is rapidly gaining popularity in developing countries because of its affordability and its perceived health properties. But is oatmeal really good for you?
To answer that question, its first important to differentiate among all the different types of oatmeal. Theres steel-cut and rolled, quick-cooking and instant. But all of these terms refer to different methods of preparing hulled oats for cooking.
You cant eat an unprocessed oat straight from the field, says Joanne Slavin, a professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota. Harvested oats are wrapped in a hard husk that must be removed before cooking and consumption, Slavin says. When that husk removal is done, whats left is the oats groatwhich is its entire bran, endosperm and germ, the three components that constitute a whole grain. You can buy and cook whole oat groats. But all other types of oatmeal involve some type of processing to facilitate cooking.
In other words, all kinds of oatmeal are healthy, experts saywith some caveats.
And unlike wheat and most other grains, oats contain large amounts of a specific type of fiber called beta glucan, which studies have consistently linked to healthier cholesterol scores and a reduced risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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Can You Gain Weight From Oatmeal
While oatmeal with a lot of high calorie add-ons like peanut butter or chocolate chips may promote weight gain, oatmeal made with water, fruit, and minimal sugar is an excellent meal for those trying to lose weight. Thats because its packed with fiber and numerous nutrients, such as magnesium, vitamin B1, and iron.
Foods That Help You Control Your Cholesterol
You can reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat by switching from butter to margarine, choosing reduced-fat dairy products and trimming visible fat from meat. Also, eating mainly plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits and legumes , and grain-based foods like oats, bread, pasta, noodles and rice helps keep cholesterol levels lower.
Consume moderate amounts of lean meats, poultry and fish, and small amounts of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils and margarines.
In addition to eating a healthy diet thats low in saturated fat and includes good fats, some foods which have been shown to help lower cholesterol reabsorption in people with raised blood cholesterol levels. These include:
- Oats rich in beta-glucan, found in the outermost oat bran layer of the oat grain
- Barley and psyllium both are natural sources of soluble fibres which can also help lower cholesterol reabsorption
- Plant sterols found in special margarines, milks and yogurts which have been enriched with these natural plant ingredients. Consuming around 2g plant sterols a day, equivalent to spreading margarine on around 4 slices of bread, can help reduce cholesterol absorption in your intestines.
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Lower Risk For Heart Disease And High Cholesterol
The study in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research also noted a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes who ate oats. Heart disease is a known complication of type 2 diabetes because high blood glucose levels can damage nerves and blood vessels connected to your heart, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases . While eating oatmeal alone wont prevent your risk of heart disease, fiber-rich, anti-inflammatory foods like oats can help lower the chances of heart problems over the long term.
Theres also evidence that oats can decrease high cholesterol levels, another risk factor for heart disease. A review of studies published in December 2015 in the journal Nutrients examined trials in which people with type 2 diabetes ate oatmeal for breakfast versus control groups that ate nonoat containing foods, such as white bread. Researchers noted that fiber from the oats not only helped regulate glucose levels, but study participants also saw reduced levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The authors added that people with type 2 diabetes who ate oats had lower total cholesterol levels.
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Your Body Produces Cholesterol Too
Dietary cholesterol from foods only a small effect on your blood cholesterol, especially compared with the much greater increase caused by saturated fat. Your body makes its own cholesterol, so its best to avoid foods that may lead to high blood cholesterol levels. Visit your GP to have your cholesterol tested with a detailed blood lipid test, which requires you to fast for 12 hours prior. The test will measure your total cholesterol levels, good HDL and bad LDL cholesterol levels, and a type of blood fat called triglycerides. Adults aged 45 years and older are at greater risk of high cholesterol, so its particularly important to be regularly tested if you’re in this age bracket.
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Effect Of Processing On Oat Grain Structure And Constituents
Oat grains have to undergo some form of processing before their nutrients become digestible. Overall technological treatments may be classified into the following main groups: mechanical, thermal, enzymatic and chemical treatments as well as refining and fermentation. In emerging and developing countries, malting, pre-soaking and pre-germination are also often used in traditional foods. First, the grain has to go through cleaning, grading and dehulling. The bran and germ remain on the groat after the dehulling process because the aleurone layer does not separate from the endosperm as easily in oat as it does in other cereals such as wheat. Consequently, the dehulled oat groat retains a concentrated amount of dietary fibres and other phytochemicals . Naked oats, a hull free variety, have a different nutritional profile compared to dehulled oats. In general, the former contains a smaller amount of fibres but larger amounts of proteins, lipids and certain phenolic compounds than the latter., The absence of hull presents the advantage of reducing the cost for the food processing industry., During kilning, a steaming process takes place as a part of oat milling. Here, Maillard reactions occur that improve the taste of the product while promoting stability of lipid and antioxidant compounds by deactivating endogenous enzymes.
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Does Quaker Oats Lower Cholesterol
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. Likewise, which Oatmeal is best for lowering cholesterol?
Oats. Of all the whole grains, oats sport the highest amount of soluble fiber. And studies show that just five to 10 grams of this soluble fiber can lower both total cholesterol and LDL or badcholesterol.
Likewise, how much oatmeal do you need to lower cholesterol? And here’s the other beautiful thing about oatmeal: If you eat one-and-a-half cups of it each day, you can lower your cholesterol by 5 to 8 percent. It contains soluble and insoluble fiber, two types that your body needs. Insoluble fiber, which is also found in the skins of many fruits, helps keep us regular.
Also question is, is Quaker Instant Oatmeal good for lowering cholesterol?
Instant Oatmeal Also Lowers Cholesterol. If you are looking for the cholesterol–lowering effects, instant oatmeal or quick-cooking oats do the job as well as steel-cut oats or rolled oats. They are still considered to be a whole grain.
What is the best drink to lower cholesterol?
Drinks That Can Help You Lower High Cholesterol
- Tart cherry juice. PR Newswire notes a study published in Food & Function found tart cherry juice may help cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health in general.
- Cranberry juice.
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The Best Fruity Oatmeal: Purely Elizabeth Cranberry Pumpkin Seed Superfood Oats
This morning bowl of plant-based goodness proves that you can get a delightful hint of sweetness naturally without all those added sugars. And not only is this oatmeal vegan, but it is loaded with good superfoods like cranberries. Cranberries are a potent source of polyphenols and may be beneficial in the prevention of obesity and related disorders.
Beyond the dried cranberries, this oatmeal is also made with five other simple, 100 percent real, organic and non-GMO ingredients: gluten-free oats, raw pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, puffed amaranth and quinoa flakes. The combination results in a much-appreciated texture instead of the typical oatmeal mushiness.
Another option we adore from this brand? Purely Elizabeth Vibrant Oat Cups that are flavored with golden turmeric, blue spirulina and pink pitaya. Theyre slightly higher in calories and do have some added coconut sugar, but theyre also loaded with antioxidants.
Nutritional Info: Each serving of this oatmeal provides 160 calories, zero milligrams of sodium, five grams of dietary fiber, two grams of total sugars and seven grams of protein.
Is Uncooked Oatmeal Good For Lowering Cholesterol
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Whole-grain oats: Best bet for lowering cholesterol.
Similarly, are Steel cut oats better for lowering cholesterol? Oats. Of all the whole grains, oats sport the highest amount of soluble fiber. And studies show that just five to 10 grams of this soluble fiber can lower both total cholesterol and LDL or badcholesterol. But steel cut oats have the lowest glycemic index because theyre processed the least.
Similarly, how quickly does oatmeal lower cholesterol?
And heres the other beautiful thing about oatmeal: If you eat one-and-a-half cups of it each day, you can lower your cholesterol by 5 to 8 percent. It contains soluble and insoluble fiber, two types that your body needs. Insoluble fiber, which is also found in the skins of many fruits, helps keep us regular.
Is raw oatmeal better for you than cooked?
The primary reason for eating oats is their high soluble dietary fibre content which is beneficial to heart health. Thus eating raw oats is probably even more beneficial than eating cooked oats. In addition raw oat bran has a low glycaemic index , while cooked oat bran has a high GI.
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Oats May Help Relieve Constipation
Elderly people often experience constipation, with infrequent, irregular bowel movements that are difficult to pass.
Laxatives are often used to relieve constipation in the elderly. However, while theyre effective, theyre also associated with weight loss and reduced quality of life .
Studies indicate that oat bran, the fiber-rich outer layer of the grain, may help relieve constipation in older people .
One trial found that well-being improved for 30 elderly patients who consumed a soup or dessert containing oat bran daily for 12 weeks .
Whats more, 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.
Bottom Line:
Studies indicate that oat bran can help reduce constipation in elderly individuals, significantly reducing the need to use laxatives.