7 Healthy Reasons Why Oats Should Be Added To Your Diet

Oats is a cereal that is commonly eaten as a breakfast option comes packed with nutrients.

The dietary fiber (beta-glucan being the most important of that) and minerals present in oats help avert numerous dangerous conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. They also enhance and promote skin health.  

Below are some health benefits of oats:

1. Very high in fibre

Oats are high in both types of fiber, soluble, and insoluble fiber, so you get the best of both worlds.

Insoluble fiber moves along our digestive tract, grabbing water from our intestines to add weight to waste material and ease its passing through our system and eventually out of our bodies.

Soluble fiber turns into a gel-like consistency that slows digestion and makes us feel full.

One key soluble fiber special to oats is beta-glucan, which slows down the food we eat so it takes our bodies longer to digest it. This means we feel fuller longer.

2. Lowers cholesterol

Fiber is not only crucial for a healthy digestive system, it’s also directly linked to heart health.

Beta-glucans are indigestible so they have to go through the entire digestive tract. These molecules are associated with a lowering of bad cholesterol numbers.

Beta-glucan is a food component that may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

3. Helps with weight loss

Because there’s so much fiber in oats, they actually promote the feeling of having a full belly. When we feel full, our satiety hormones trigger and we don’t have the constant urge to snack and overeat which has to do wiith a hormone that makes one feel full and satisfied.

If you’re trying to lose weight and restrict your calories a bit, oatmeal is the perfect snack to help get you through those times of hunger. It will quell your hunger pangs and keep you satisfied until your next meal, a win-win superfood to help your weight loss.

4. Helps to reduce constipation

Since oatmeal is rich in fiber, it also can help relieve constipation. Oats were also found to increase stool weight, thereby treating constipation. They can even play a protective role against colorectal cancer.

5. Helps induce sleep

The amino acids and other nutrients in oats help produce melatonin, the chemical that induces sleep. And when mixed with milk or honey, oats become a wonderful bedtime snack.

Whole grain oats also promote insulin production, which helps the neural pathways receive tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that acts as a sedative to the brain.

Oats are also rich in vitamin B6, which helps reduce stress (one major cause of sleeplessness). Combining oats with milk and bananas can further help your body relax.

6. Boost Energy

Since carbs are the body’s primary source of energy, and since oats are rich in carbs, they offer an energy boost when consumed right in the morning. But there is no cause for worry,  oats are absorbed much slower in the body, and this gives you a longer-lasting boost.

7. Helps to reduce acne

Oatmeal can soak up the excess oil on your skin and help treat acne. You just need to boil half a cup of oatmeal in one-third cup of water and allow it to cool. Apply the thick paste on the affected areas on your face. Leave it on for about 20 minutes, post which you can rinse with warm water. You can also make this mask with tomatoes or egg whites or onions.

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