What makes oatmeal the ideal breakfast for heart health and weight loss?

by Mayo Clinic News Network

oatmeal Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Oatmeal is a nutritious, inexpensive and versatile way to incorporate whole grains into the diet. Oats made history when they became the first food with a Food and Drug Administration health claim label in 1997. This claim was related to heart health and showed that intake of whole oat products decreased blood cholesterol levels.

What makes oats so healthy?

Oats contain a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which lowers blood glucose and cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Beta-glucan also promotes healthy gut bacteria and intestinal health.

Eating oatmeal regularly can have weight management benefits, too. One-half cup of rolled oats cooked in a cup of water has 165 calories, 4 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.

Oats’ fiber and protein content contribute to feeling full longer and slowing the release of blood glucose. They’re also an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, copper, thiamine and zinc.

Know the different kinds of oats

You can find different kinds of oats in the grocery store, including steel-cut, rolled, quick and instant.

Steel-cut oats

Also called Irish oatmeal, whole oat kernels are cut into two or three pieces with steel disks. Because these oats are the least processed, they contain the highest amount of fiber. Steel-cut oats take longer to cook, resulting in a creamy and chewy porridge. They also can be made in a slow cooker.

Rolled oats

These oats are rolled flat to make them easier to cook. Most of the bran is removed, so they have slightly less fiber than steel-cut oats but take less time to cook.

Quick oats

This variation of rolled oats is rolled thinner and cut into small pieces, so they cook even faster.

Instant oats

These are the oats found in single-serve packets. They’re typically flavored and can be added to hot water or cooked in the microwave for a few minutes. While instant oats cook the fastest, they usually have more added sugar and less fiber than other types of oats.

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