Oats are a great option for breakfast, but they’re also versatile enough to be an important part of any meal. Oats are an excellent source of fiber, which can help keep you feeling full longer. They’re also rich in B vitamins, which play a role in energy metabolism.
These benefits are just the beginning. Here are some amazing health benefits of oats:
- Weight loss. Oats can help you lose weight because they are high in soluble fiber, which helps reduce appetite. Soluble fiber also slows down digestion and absorption of food, making you feel full longer. This can make it easier to avoid overeating at meals throughout the day.
- Oats contain a type of starch called beta-glucan that may help lower cholesterol by binding with bile acids in the digestive tract and preventing them from being absorbed back into the body through the intestines. This helps keep cholesterol levels down, thereby reducing your risk for heart disease or stroke.
- Oats also contain lignans which are phytoestrogens that have been shown to have hormone balancing effects on both men and women by mimicking estrogen in our bodies. This may be one reason why oats have been used for centuries as part of fertility treatments for both men and women!
- Oats contain avenanthramides, which have anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce pain from arthritis and osteoporosis.
- In addition to their beneficial nutrients, oats have been shown to have significant antioxidant activity compared to other grains. Antioxidants help protect the body from free radical damage which can lead to chronic disease such as cancer and heart disease.
- Oats are also rich in antioxidants like vitamin E and beta-carotene, which may help protect against certain types of cancer. Oats also have a rich supply of antioxidants called avenanthramides, which have been linked to cancer prevention.
