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.
It Can Help You To Feel Full
Oatmeal is a whole grain that is high in fiber, especially soluble fiber, says Emily Danckers, MS, RD. When you eat soluble fiber, your digestion is slowed down which can also increase feelings of fullness.
Consistently eating a high fiber breakfast food like oatmeal, especially when pairing it with a protein and/or fat like some nuts, often keeps people full for hours, says Rachel Paul, PhD, RD, CDN. They can then concentrate on their work and other items, before thinking about the next meal. Having a go-to, filling breakfast option like oatmeal creates consistency in ones life.
Oat milk is basically just oats diluted in water but this could be highly beneficial to the body and also a great alternative to dairy milk, it contains fewer calories a lower level of nutrients and this is a sensible milk option for those dietary restrictions.
Oat milk is a vegan drink that you can decide to buy or have it made yourself and according to nutritionists store-bought oat milk contains similar vitamins and minerals as traditional cows milk and one cup of oat milk is fortifies with vitamin B12, calcium and riboflavin.
The is a popular alternative to dairy milk as it is packed with essential nutrients and can be really delicious as well.
Is oat milk good for you? Oat milk is a plant-based beverage that is loved for its creamy texture which has made it a favourite of latte making baristas and it is also gluten-free.
Nutrition News Whats The Deal With Steel
You have probably heard of steel-cut oats and wondered if they are just another foodie trend, a much-hyped product soon to go the way of acai berries. But hot or cold, these oats are truly a cut above some other oat forms for their nutrition and staying power.
Oats are whole grains with both bran and germ intact. As such, they are a good source of soluble fiber, the fiber that helps lower your bodys cholesterol and appears to reduce your risk of heart disease. The way oats are processed influences their nutritional value and benefits.
Instant oats are the most processed oats. They have been cooked, dried and rolled after harvesting, making them convenient to cook quickly. Unfortunately, they are lower in fiber than other versions and often have added sugar and salt. A quick glance at the label shows 3 teaspoons of sugar and 260 mg of sodium in just one packet, or a half-cup serving.
Quick cooking oats are not pre-cooked they are rolled oats cut into small pieces, so they also retain their nutrient value while cooking fairly quickly.
Rolled oats, also called old fashioned oats, have been flattened and steamed, then dried or toasted after harvest. They are easy to cook and bake with, and when prepared with milk or water, they offer a soft, creamy texture.
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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. However, because these forms are made into very thin flakes that are quicker to digest, they have more of an effect on raising your blood glucose level. To prevent a rapid rise in your blood glucose, it’s wise to have some lean protein or healthy fat with your instant oatmeal, such as low-fat milk or chopped nuts.
You must also be careful when buying packaged flavored instant oatmeal to note the ingredients. These forms often include sugar and flavorings which you may not want.
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.
Here are some of the best morning foods for improving your numbers.
How To Reduce Cholesterol Quickly
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How To Make Oatmeal In The Slow Cooker
- Combine the oats, water, and cinnamon sticks in a slow cooker. Give the oats a quick stir and then cover and set to low and cook on low for eight hours.
- Go to bed or walk away and avoid stirring while it cooks.
- Do not add milk or sugar to oatmeal in the slow cooker. Instead, serve with nonfat or low-fat milk, honey to sweeten as a natural option if necessary, and garnish with dried fruits .
- Sprinkle with nuts and chia or flax seeds to add crunch and even more fiber.
Oat Structure And Composition
A food matrix can be described as the structure and hierarchical organisation of the components of a food product. The spatial arrangement and the relationship between the components constitutive of the plant food matrix can occur naturally or result from processing . The oat grain is a complex matrix containing the protective hull and the groat , the latter being composed of the bran, germ and starchy endosperm . The bran is a coarse outer layer rich in minerals, vitamins, and cell wall polysaccharides, mainly cellulose, arabinoxylan and -glucan. Below the pericarp and seed coat of the bran, there are the aleurone and subaleurone layers joined to the endosperm. The aleurone and subaleurone cells are surrounded by thick cell walls resistant to digestion, whereas the endosperm cells have thinner cell walls, rich in -glucan. The oat protein and lipid increase in concentration from the interior to the periphery of the groat, while starch increases from the subaleurone region to the centre of the endosperm. The structure and composition of the proteins and glutelins) differ depending on the part of the grain in which they are located. Two types of starch granules exist in the endosperm: compound and single granules. The proportions of amylose and amylopectin, and the size of the granules vary between oat varieties.
Structural representation of the oat grain presenting different oat tissues and the nutrient distribution/organisation within these tissues.
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Your Metabolism Will Speed Up If You Eat Oats
If youve been feeling like your metabolism could use a makeover, steel-cut oatmeal may be the ticket. When speaking with She Finds, Jennifer Stagg, a naturopathic physician and author of Unzip Your Genes: 5 Choices to Reveal a Radically Radiant You, recommended readers make steel-cut oats their go-to breakfast.
When eating a complex carbohydrate like oatmeal, your metabolism has the opportunity to run like its supposed to like a well-oiled machine. People who eat good carbs like oatmeal have more energy and reduced sugar cravings, Stagg explained when speaking to the publication.
Although you may correlate a fast metabolism with feeling hungry all the time, you dont have to worry about being hangryonce your metabolism improves. As highlighted above, oatmeal is still going to keep you full even the steel-cut kind. Just as the fiber in instant oatmeal will help you stay satiated, the texture of steel-cut oats can actually work to do the same. Because it takes longer to chew, and therefore eat, your body has time to realize when its full. Who knew oatmeal was this magical?
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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Eating More Oats Can Help You Lower Your Cholesterol Significantly
One systematic review found that oat consumption can lead to 3 percent to 6 percent reductions in total cholesterol and 4 percent to 8 percent reductions in LDL-cholesterol. The researchers estimate that these reductions translate into a 6 percent to 18 percent lower risk for cardiovascular disease.
People with high cholesterol already, or conditions like diabetes, likely benefit even more from adding oats to their diet.
How Oatmeal Lowers Cholesterol For Heart Health
A morning bowl of oatmeal can give you benefits towards heart health, including lowering your cholesterol. Oatmeal is made of ground oats that can be made into a variety of foods, including porridges, cookies, and snacks. Studies also have shown that oatmeal has some heart-healthy benefits. This is mainly due to the rich source of water-soluble dietary fibers, particularly beta-glucan, that are found in oatmeal.
Over the years, there have been many research studies that have proven the benefits of oatmeal in lowering cholesterol levels. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is convinced. Oatmeal was one of the first foods to carry the heart healthy distinction on its label because of promising research findings.
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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.
Synergistic Action Of Oat Constituents
Several compounds in oat may participate in improving lipemia, especially cholesterolemia. Thus, the potential oat lipid-lowering package includes -glucan, arabinoxylans, polyphenols, phytic acid, phytosterols, policosanol, betaine, choline, inositols, tocopherols and resistant starch. Besides the lipid-lowering package, a group of bioactive compounds with other benefits to health may be found in oat-based products, such as antioxidants, anticarcinogenic and/or anti-inflammatory compounds.
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Good News Oatmeal Actually Helps Lower Cholesterol
People all over the United States have confirmed in a real-life setting what more than 40 scientific studies have shown that Oatmeal actually works to help lower LDL “bad” cholesterol without lowering the good cholesterol your body needs. Oats were the first whole grain recognized by the FDA to help reduce cholesterol. In fact, the FDA approved the first-ever food specific health claim for oatmeal because of its heart-healthy benefits in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
What Other Foods Are Effective For Lowering Cholesterol
Despite its benefits for our digestion, oats is rejected by a lot of people who do not like the way it tastes. Should you are one of these, you do not have to be concerned, since some other foods might replace oats in lowering high cholesterol level. Foods loaded with omega-3 fatty acid, such as fish are highly advised. Banana is also rich of soluble fiber and tastes way better than oats. You might want to consider some other vegetables and fruits which are loaded with vitamin E and B to maintain cholesterol level.
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Does Oatmeal Really Lower Cholesterol
Oatmeal contains soluble fiber which is beneficial in lowering cholesterol level in our bloodstream. Cholesterol is actually needed by our body to support proper digestion, although increasing number of it that we got from our diet intakes might be harmful for the entire health. Oats contain a substance called beta-glucan, which is a water soluble fiber. This fiber will prevent the body from absorbing excessive amount of dietary cholesterol and thus, reduce the level of LDL. Therefore, regular consumption of oats balanced with other healthy diets will help our body maintain the healthy level of LDL. Although oats does not seem to increase the amount of HDL, this does not matter, as it is able to lower the amount of total cholesterol of the body.
Oats Are Among The Best Foods To Lower Cholesterol Learn How They Can Help Your Heart Health
Oats are a real health food. They are full of protein, nutritious fiber, antioxidants like vitamin E, and plant sterols.
One of my favorite breakfast options is a bowl of oatmeal. There are lots of ways to mix it up when it comes to oatmeal, and my latest favorite, just in time for fall, is oatmeal with bite-sized pieces of apple cooked in, topped with some chopped walnuts. It is one of the best foods to lower cholesterol. I love oats in all forms: whether theyre made into oatmeal, granola, energy bars, or muffins. It makes me very happy, therefore, to know that oats are a real health food. They are full of protein, nutritious fiber, antioxidants like vitamin E, and plant sterols. And they can help you to keep your cholesterol in the healthy range, too.
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How To Incorporate Oats Into Your Diet
You can add oats to your diet in many ways.
Although they are most commonly consumed at breakfast, they can be a healthy carb choice at lunch and dinner as well.
Here are some ideas about how to make oats a part of your day:
- Add raw oats to your smoothie for a fiber boost.
- Top cooked oats with sliced avocado, peppers, black beans, salsa and eggs for a savory twist on traditional sweet oatmeal.
- Add raw oats to homemade bread, cookies and muffins.
- Combine them with Greek yogurt and cinnamon to make overnight oats in the fridge.
- Make a homemade granola by combining them with coconut oil, cinnamon, nuts and dried fruit, then baking at a low temperature.
- Use them in place of breadcrumbs to coat fish or chicken.
- Incorporate oats into your favorite pancake recipe.
- Use them in place of rice when making risotto.
- Top cooked oats with grilled vegetables, chicken and tahini for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
- Add them to soups to create creaminess without adding a lot of fat.
- Mix oats with nut butter and dried fruit, form into balls and refrigerate for delicious, healthy energy bites.
- Stuff peppers, tomatoes or zucchinis with a mix of oats, onion, egg and cheese and bake in the oven for a delicious snack.
Summary
Oats are a versatile food that can be eaten at any time of day and added to both sweet and savory dishes.
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How The Fiber In Oatmeal Helps With Cholesterol Levels
As Ben-Asher mentions, consuming soluble fiber can help with lowering the amount of LDL bad cholesterol in your blood. Soluble fiber comes from plant-based foods and when consumed, it can combine with cholesterol and flush it out of your system. The National Lipid Association recommends eating 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day, and oatmeal is one of the best sources of soluble fiber you can have.
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Oatmeal provides a great volume to our stomach because of the high fiber and water content, keeping us satiated and full over a long period of time, says Ben-Asher. This staying power staves off hunger, thus potentially helping us stay away from the amount of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol foods normally consumed as part of the typical Standard American Diet that can increase our cholesterol levels.
Along with oatmealwhich has 2 grams of soluble fiberother great sources of soluble fiber include lean plant-based proteins , healthy fats , vegetables , starchy vegetables , and fruits .
However, if you are looking for one specific breakfast food to eat to lower your cholesterol, oatmeal is the best option. You could even mix in some chia seeds and add some berries on top for an extra cholesterol-fighting boost!
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