Florentina Lewis
Oats have a somewhat conservative reputation – completely wrong. According to nutrition researchers, oats are the healthiest type of grain. What’s so healthy about oats? And how can you use it for anything other than morning cereal?
What are oats?
Oats are a very robust grain. A lot of rain or sunshine, wind or calm, none of that bothers the oat particularly. It did not become native to us in Germany until the middle of the 18th century. Previously, its distribution area was in Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean countries. It is mostly used for animal feed. Only a fraction of the annual harvest ends up on our breakfast table as oatmeal.
Oats against stomach problems
Oats contain a lot of dietary fiber. They are not only good for digestion, but also the stomach. Oats bind the bile acid. A tablespoon chewed slowly and swallowed in small portions and unpleasant heartburn disappears. The oats form a kind of mucus layer in the stomach, which protectively covers the stomach wall. In the intestine, oats improve metabolism.
Oats for reddened skin
Oats are rich in zinc and manganese. This is good for the skin and fingernails. If you take it, it strengthens it accordingly. But oats can also be used when dissolved in water. It soothes stressed skin and reduces irritation and redness. It is enough to add one or two teaspoons of oats to the bath water. So that the oats do not spread mushy over the water, it is advisable to fill them in a tea net or tea egg beforehand.
Oats for type 2 diabetes
Oats can reduce the risk of diabetes. For this, experts recommend a three-day oat cure several times a year. The dietary fiber beta-glucan makes our body more sensitive to insulin, which lowers the blood sugar level. In addition, oats have a lot of energy in long molecular chains. These are gradually broken down by the body. This allows the blood sugar level to rise slowly. So oats are also good for people who already have type 2 diabetes.
Oats lower cholesterol levels
Beta-glucan has another positive effect. It lowers cholesterol levels. Because oats bind the bile acid in the intestine. This lowers the cholesterol in the blood. This protects the vessels from harmful deposits and strengthens the heart. In addition, there is folic acid in oats, which also gets the heart into shape.
How many oats a day?
For optimal utilization, around 200 grams of oats should be eaten a day. This can be done in the morning for breakfast, or it can be added to vegetables or ground up to thicken sauces. The positive elements remain. Incidentally, there is nothing wrong with upgrading the morning bowl of oatmeal with fruit. But on the contrary. The vitamins in the fruit transport the active ingredients in the oats more quickly to their destinations.
By the way: Crunchy oat flakes are more nutritious than melted oat flakes. Oats hardly contain any gluten and can at least be tried as a substitute by people with gluten intolerance.
