Oats 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

Experts attribute oats with a wide variety of health benefits, including lower blood pressure and reduced risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. This grain’s main benefits are listed below (39, 40, 41, 42, 43).

Can lower cholesterol

Studies have repeatedly confirmed that oats can lower cholesterol levels, which may reduce your risk of heart disease (44, 45, 46, 47).

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Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and high cholesterol is a major risk factor — especially oxidized LDL (bad) cholesterol (48, 49).

Oats’ ability to lower cholesterol is mainly attributed to their beta glucan content (50, 51, 52, 53, 54).

Beta glucan may slow your absorption of fats and cholesterol by increasing the viscosity of the food you’ve eaten (55).

Once in your gut, it binds to cholesterol-rich bile acids, which your liver produces to aid digestion. Beta glucan then carries these acids down your digestive tract and eventually out of your body.

Normally, bile acids are reabsorbed into your digestive system, but beta glucan inhibits this process, leading to reduced cholesterol levels (56).

Authorities have determined that foods containing at least 3 grams of beta glucan per day may lower your risk of heart disease (57).

May prevent type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes has become much more common in recent years.

This disease is characterized by the abnormal regulation of blood sugar, usually as a result of decreased sensitivity to the hormone insulin.

Beta glucans, the soluble fibers from oats, have demonstrated benefits for blood sugar control (58, 59).

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Modest amounts of beta glucans from oats have been found to moderate both glucose and insulin responses after carb-rich meals (60, 61, 62).

In people with type 2 diabetes and severe insulin resistance, a 4-week dietary intervention with oatmeal resulted in a 40% reduction in the insulin dosage needed for stabilizing blood sugar levels (63).

Studies suggest that beta glucans may improve insulin sensitivity, delaying or preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes, but a review study concluded that the evidence is inconsistent (53, 64, 65, 66, 67).

Boiled whole oats cause low glucose and insulin responses, but the responses increase significantly if the oats are ground into flour before cooking (68, 69, 70).

May boost fullness

Fullness plays an important role in energy balance, as it stops you from eating until hunger returns (71).

Altered fullness signaling is associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes (72, 73).

In a study ranking the fullness effect of 38 common foods, oatmeal ranked third overall and first among breakfast foods (74).

Water-soluble fibers, such as beta glucans, may increase fullness by delaying stomach emptying and promoting the release of fullness hormones (75, 7, 76).

Human studies reveal that oatmeal may boost fullness and reduce appetite more than ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and other types of dietary fiber (13, 14, 77, 78).

Plus, oats are low in calories and high in fiber and other healthy nutrients, making them an excellent addition to an effective weight loss diet.

Largely gluten-free

A gluten-free diet is the only solution for individuals who suffer from celiac disease, as well as for many individuals with gluten sensitivity.

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Oats are not glutenous but contain a similar type of protein called avenin.

Clinical studies indicate that moderate or even large amounts of pure oats can be tolerated by most people with celiac disease (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84).

Oats have been shown to enhance the nutritional value of gluten-free diets, increasing both mineral and fiber intakes (85, 86).

However, oats may be contaminated with wheat because they’re often processed in the same facilities (87, 88).

Therefore, it is important for people with celiac disease to only eat oats that have been certified gluten-free.

Other health benefits

Oats have a few other potential benefits.

Feeding oats to young infants under six months of age is associated with a decreased risk of childhood asthma (89).

Additionally, a few studies indicate that oats may boost your immune system, enhancing your ability to fight bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites (90).

In older adults, eating oat bran fiber may improve overall well-being and decrease the need for laxatives (91, 92, 93).

SUMMARY

Oats offer a number of potential benefits, including reduced cholesterol and blood sugar levels. What’s more, they’re very filling and naturally gluten-free — but may be contaminated with glutenous grains.

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