Oatmeal - everything you need to know about this product

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The healing properties of oats were known at the dawn of medicine. Hippocrates recommended drinking oatmeal broth for general health. True, modern people are more accustomed to eating oatmeal rather than whole grain cereals. They cook much faster and are included in many popular dishes. In this article we will tell you what benefits oatmeal brings to the body. Let’s also look at who should treat it with caution or remove it from the menu altogether.

Useful properties of oatmeal

Oatmeal contains substances that are involved in hematopoiesis and can have a positive effect on the nervous, bone, endocrine and excretory systems. When used correctly and if well tolerated, the product can:

• cleanse the intestines. This is facilitated by the presence of coarse plant fiber. It accelerates peristalsis, absorbs and removes harmful substances, the dish can be used to treat and prevent constipation;
• good to satisfy hunger. Especially if you supplement your bowl of porridge with proteins. Porridge made from high-quality cereals is a slow carbohydrate, it requires effort to process and lingers in the stomach for a long time, creating a feeling of fullness;
• stimulate digestion. Despite the presence of coarse fibers, the product does not overload the stomach and can be used for various gastrointestinal diseases;
• improve brain function, intelligence, and have a beneficial effect on memory. Porridge can be useful during high mental stress;
• increase endurance and give tone, it is a good source of energy;
• reduce cholesterol levels, which helps cleanse blood vessels.

Important!
All these properties apply only to properly prepared porridge. If you generously season a dish with butter, sugar or honey, or pour syrups on it, then the beneficial effects on the body are called into question.

Precautionary measures

Excessive fiber intake from oatmeal can cause gas in the intestines . Fiber also slows the absorption of medications, so they should not be taken together.

Oats contain many phytic acid salts , which bind minerals in food, making them unsuitable for digestion in the digestive tract.

With a high concentration of salts, this can cause discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract. To avoid this, the oatmeal must be well boiled or ground into flour .

Do women need oatmeal?

Women, as a rule, more often suffer from diseases of the blood vessels, heart, nervous system, and are susceptible to atherosclerosis and hormonal imbalances. And oatmeal can help cope with this. The flakes also contain plant estrogens. Why oatmeal is good for women:

• can have a positive effect on the skin, improve complexion, give smoothness, maintain moisture balance and normalize the secretion of the sebaceous glands;
• increase the stability of the nervous system;
• improve metabolic processes in the body;
• remove excess water, toxins, relieve swelling;
• reduce unpleasant symptoms of menopause and painful menstruation.

Oatmeal is beneficial when consumed internally, but is also actively used externally. The flakes are used to make wraps, masks, scrubs, baths, and are used to cleanse and rejuvenate the skin.

Fact!
Oatmeal can lead to weight gain if consumed in large quantities or in the evening.

A real treasure trove, or Everything about the chemical composition

The benefits of oatmeal are explained by its composition. The grain is rich in fiber. The amount of insoluble fiber can reach 6–8 g per 100 g, depending on the type of flake. The product also contains the following amino acids: arginine, isoleucine, histidine, valine, lysine, tryptophan.

The second important point is the natural origin and gentle methods of grain processing. A product with GMOs, flavor enhancers, artificial additives, grown using a variety of fertilizers cannot be of value to the human body. For this reason, many people are wary of prepared foods, including muesli. They are easy to make yourself, and the benefits of such a product will certainly be many times greater.

Calorie content of oatmeal and ready-made porridge

All cereals are high in calories, and oatmeal is no exception. Per 100 g there are about 342 kcal. Of these, 59.5 g are carbohydrates, 6.1 g fat, 12.3 g protein. The energy value is high, but do not forget about the product’s ability to absorb water and increase in volume. Thus, the calorie content of porridge with water of medium consistency is only 80–85 kcal per 100 g, but if the dish is prepared with milk, it will increase to 100–110 kcal. The worst thing is to season it with sugar and butter, sprinkle with nuts and dried fruits. These ingredients reduce the benefits of oatmeal, and the calorie content increases to 140 and even 170–200 kcal, depending on the amount and fat content of additional ingredients.

Little trick!
Additives can not only increase, but also reduce the calorie content of porridge. We are talking about unsweetened fruits and berries. And some components, such as protein blends from Herbalife Nutrition, enrich the composition of a regular dish.

Goodies

We will be talking about oatmeal pancakes. You can cook them with or without sugar. If this ingredient is not used, the delicacy can be served with salad as a side dish.

The cooking process is as follows:

• The egg is beaten. If you are on a diet, then take only protein.
• Add cereal (preferably soft).
• Add some kefir or yogurt.
• Whisk everything thoroughly.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan.
• Don't add oil. Pour the dough into the frying pan.
• Fry over medium heat. First on one side, then on the other.

Pancakes with sugar:

• Mix oatmeal with water. Salt and add sugar.
• The resulting mixture is infused for fifteen minutes.
• Add flour and bake pancakes.

Here are two delicious oatmeal recipes. Now there’s another one for those who are watching their weight.

Which oatmeal to choose

Cereals that are useless to humans are instant cereals or those that do not require cooking. During the manufacturing process, oats undergo many treatments and are cleared of an important element - plant fiber. She's off. As a result, a complex carbohydrate turns into a simple one, is quickly digested by the body, provokes surges in blood glucose levels and sudden attacks of hunger. Such a product gives the body nothing but extra calories.

This is interesting!
Healthy oatmeal is considered to be the one that needs to be cooked!

The table below shows the main characteristics of useful species. The cooking time is approximate; it depends on the liquid used and the type of oats; it may vary. The exact parameters are usually indicated on the manufacturer's packaging.

This is interesting!
Man intensively searched for ways to purify and refine products. This improved their taste, speeded up the cooking time, but deprived them of the main thing - insoluble fiber and the benefits that they have on the body. But now it’s not a problem to buy additional fiber, such as a dietary fiber complex from Herbalife Nutrition*. It may be the best option for people who cannot eat properly, prepare porridge daily from high-quality cereals, or eat large amounts of raw vegetables.

Harm

Despite the information indicating which vitamins in oatmeal determine its benefits, there are special rules for its use. Failure to comply with them can lead to the development of pathological conditions in the human body. Thus, daily consumption of oatmeal porridge is not recommended. One of the reasons for this ban is the fact that cereals contain phytic acid, which prevents the body from absorbing calcium and promotes its leaching from bone tissue.

Moreover, oatmeal, offered in almost every hypermarket and small stores, contains a sufficient amount of starch, which, when accumulated in the human body, becomes sugar. This leads to an increase in sugar levels in a person’s genetic material, which, in turn, can cause the onset of diabetes mellitus.

Before eating oatmeal, it is extremely important to know whether a person has gluten intolerance, which is usually inherited. If it is present in the body, you should not prepare porridge from oats, wheat, barley and rye. It is especially important to prevent the consumption of such cereals by children under one year of age. Against the background of gluten intolerance, a person may develop an even more serious disease, the treatment of which may take a long time.

Is oatmeal harmful?

Often they consider not only the benefits, but also the harm of oatmeal for the body. In fact, there can be negative aspects when using quick-cooking cereals: they sharply raise the sugar level, are quickly digested, and all the calories are stored in fat. Long-cooked flakes do not have such properties, but are contraindicated for people with gluten intolerance, also known as gluten. If you are prone to celiac disease or have this disease, you should avoid the product.

Fact!
Labels on the package “organic” or “fitness” do not mean that such oatmeal is the healthiest. Often this is just a marketing ploy.

Proper oatmeal, the benefits and harms of which we are considering, can be consumed at any time of the day.

On a note!
Porridge can serve not only as a separate dish, but also as a side dish. It would be nice to enrich it with herbs, spices, and vegetables. But it is important not to make too large portions; 100 g for one serving is enough.

The benefits of porridge on water

When people talk about dietary nutrition, they immediately think of oatmeal with water. This is a simple, low-calorie option that can be used in the diet of even vegetarians. Oatmeal on water:

• contains ¼ ​​of the daily requirement of fiber (in 100 g of long-cooked cereal porridge);
• can be consumed in salty and sweet form;
• can reduce acidity in the stomach, promote alkalization of the body;
• can have a positive effect on water-salt balance.

And such a dish can have different consistencies and tastes. It all depends on the amount of liquid and additives. Today you can prepare a light oatmeal soup, and tomorrow - a full-fledged porridge with interesting and healthy additives.

Types of cereals

The main problem that arises during grain processing is obtaining whole grains. In order to reduce the amount of crushed grain, special equipment and hydrothermal treatment are used. The latter includes several stages:

• preheating;
• steaming and drying.

Thanks to this process, the grain becomes strong and maintains its integrity.

There are only two types of oat cereals:

• Uncrushed. The grain is steamed, shelled and polished. There are three grades of this type of cereal: highest, first, second.
• Flakes. The groats are flattened by passing through rollers.

If we talk about “Hercules”, it is produced as follows: the grains are cleaned, separated from the germ, steamed, flattened and passed through rollers.

We’ll find out later how Hercules oatmeal differs from just oatmeal.