John Myers
Rolled oats have many good properties: they provide energy, have a positive effect on cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and contain iron, minerals, and vitamins. They can be found in a wide variety of dishes and variations. But how should you eat oatmeal – raw or cooked?
Eat oatmeal properly
Eat oatmeal raw or cooked? There is actually no such thing as ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ here, it depends on your individual metabolism and your other diet.
Are the oats really raw?
The majority of the oat flakes available in shops are no longer completely raw anyway – after being mined and before being sold, they were already de-husked, steamed, kilned (90-minute heat treatment, 100 degrees Celsius), then moist heat-treated, and finally pressed. These processes ensure a reduction in the high starch content that affects digestion, less moisture, and thus a longer shelf life.
Note: Look carefully at the package when you shop—sweetened oatmeal contains tons of sugar, flavor enhancers, and too much salt.
Eat oatmeal raw
Eating raw oat flakes, for example in your breakfast muesli, stabilizes or strengthens the bowel movement due to the roughage. However, there is also a major disadvantage: raw oatmeal contains phytic acid, which binds the nutrients contained in oats. This inhibits the absorption of these healthy ingredients in the body. However, if you eat a balanced diet otherwise, consuming raw oatmeal is safe, so you can eat oatmeal raw or cooked, depending on your appetite. Raw foodists, for example, should pay a little more attention because they are very dependent on the nutrients.
Soaking the flakes in water, milk, or liquid of your choice for 30 minutes breaks down the phytic acid: This means that the important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in oats are less bound and easier for our bodies to absorb.
Eat cooked oatmeal
In contrast to soaking, cooking has no effect on the phytic acid, on the contrary – important vitamins and nutrients are lost when heating. This doesn’t make the oatmeal unhealthy, but less nutrient dense for our bodies. You can also pimp your porridge with some fruit or nuts. Cooked oatmeal helps with stomach problems because the porridge promotes a soft stool.
Note: Oat flakes can actually help you with gastrointestinal diseases: the fiber contained in the flakes protects your mucous membrane from the acidic, aggressive gastric juice with a kind of layer.
