The Benefits and Risks of Eating Oats: Separating Fact from Fiction in the Health Food Debate

2023-06-06 13:16:28

Many social media pioneers focus on a specific issue they hear about on those sites. To promote or defame it, in an attempt to draw attention and attract more likes and followers on these platforms.

And between pages claiming to be specialized in medicine and science, and between people who are rumored to be involved in health and medical affairs; Most of the audience is lost, and facts based on long studies and research are turned into nothingness. All this in the quest to get the largest number of followers on social media platforms, which have become a double-edged sword, that should be paid attention to.

One of the issues that has become popular recently is the claim of many who are said to be “specialists” in the health issue that oats are not suitable for health, especially for people who seek to lose excess weight or maintain an ideal weight. Noting that oats are harmful and prevent the body from absorbing the necessary minerals found in various other foods. It also prevents weight loss. Some of them even claimed that oats are not a human food, but are mainly intended as fodder for horses and other animals.

While others rushed to defend OatsPointing to its many health benefits, and stressing at the same time that there is no food that is mainly fattening or slimming, but rather the method of preparing oats and adding sweeteners and dates to it, which makes it not conducive to slimming. And that oats, like other foods, can be adopted in a healthy way within a healthy diet that secures one’s nutritional needs It helps to lose weight gradually.

Nutritionist Ghina Sandid

In order to clarify the correct from the incorrect in this issue, we spoke to Ghina Sandid; A dietitian from Beirut to find out more about the benefits and harms of oats; Can oats be eaten in healthy ways, and what are they?

First, let’s get to know the benefits of oats and their nutritional content.

What is oats

According to the site HealthlineOats (or Avena sativa) It is a whole grain, grown mainly in North America and Europe. Oats are a good source of fiber, especially beta-glucans. It is also rich in vitamins, minerals and unique plant compounds. In addition to antioxidants, oats are the only dietary source of avenanthramides, a unique group of antioxidants believed to protect against heart disease..

These grains offer many potential health benefits. Including lowering cholesterol and improving sensitivity insulin blood sugar levels; Which made it gain great attention as a health food.

Whole grain oats are called oatmeal; It is commonly rolled or crushed into flat flakes that absorb water more easily and thus can be cooked faster, and lightly roasted to produce oatmeal that can be consumed as a porridge. Porridge Or use it in baked goods, granola, and more.

Contains one cup of raw oats Raw Oats on me:

• 307 calories.
• 8.7 grams of water.
• 10.7 grams of protein.
• 0.8 grams of sugar.
• 8.1 grams of fiber.
• 5.3 grams of fat.
• 54.8 grams of carbohydrates, which are carbohydrates 66% of oats by dry weight.

Perhaps because oatmeal’s high carbohydrate content is what made some people put him under suspicion and accuse him of being involved in weight gain. Also, the misuse of oats in cooking may contribute to weight gain instead of losing it. It may also pose a threat to the health of diabetics, which we learn about in the following.

Is oatmeal harmful to health?

Before answering this question, it is necessary to distinguish between the different types of oatmeal; There are steel cut oats, rolled oats, and quick and instant cooking oats. . All of these terms refer to different ways of preparing rolled oats for cooking.

Transfer newspaper website Time american about “You can’t eat unprocessed oats straight from the field,” says Joanne Slavin, a professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota; She added that harvested oats come wrapped in a hard shell that must be removed before cooking and consumption. When the husk is removed, what’s left is the oatmeal – the whole bran, endosperm and germ, the three ingredients that make up a whole grain of oats. Whole grain oats can be bought and cooked; But all other types of oatmeal include some form of processing to make cooking easier.

Oatmeal is a versatile food that many of us love to eat for breakfast, a snack, or even as a tasty side dish. And while it’s a great example of a whole grain recommended by doctors and nutritionists, oatmeal can be problematic if you have stomach issues. Especially individuals who suffer from some digestive problems such as irritable bowel disease. One cup of oats contains just over 8 grams of fiber.

The many additives on oats are what makes it harmful to health

Roxanne Ehsani, a registered dietitian nutritionist and media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells WebMD Eat This Not That: “If you have a sensitive stomach, the fiber in oatmeal may make you bloated and gassy.”

Also, if you have celiac disease, be sure to look for oats that are certified gluten-free; Whereas, the regular oats that are found in the cereal shelves in the supermarkets, may be rich in gluten, adds Ehsani..

Does oatmeal raise blood sugar

In the end, it’s what you put in your oatmeal that can lead to the biggest problems. And“If you eat your oatmeal with some sweetness added to it like brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup, you increase your total calorie intake and you increase your total carbohydrate intake as well,” Ehsani says. People with prediabetes and diabetes may need to be careful with this. The issue, because these additives may cause your blood sugar to rise dramatically.”

There can also be a big problem with prepackaged oatmeal, Ehsani explains: “Be wary of packaged oatmeal flavored (such as prepackaged or sweetened instant oatmeal) with maple syrup, brown oatmeal, strawberry oatmeal, or oatmeal. Creamy, and these varieties usually have a lot of added ingredients and sugar.” She added that this type of grain is not nutritious, and it is best to “buy plain oatmeal and add nutritious additions to it, such as fresh fruit, nuts and seeds or your own nut butter and spices, such as cinnamon and cardamom, to add flavor to the oatmeal dish.”

But added sugar isn’t the only thing that can make oatmeal unhealthy. Whole milk or cream with oatmeal doesn’t make it as heart-healthy as it would like. “Instead, you increase your intake of saturated fat, which is directly linked to increased levels of bad cholesterol. So keep your oatmeal bowl heart-healthy by adding skim milk, almond milk, or water to your oatmeal when you make it.”

How oats are good for health

To take advantage of the important nutritional properties of oats, Ghina Sunaid, a nutritionist, stresses the need to differentiate between whole oats and oatmeal. Noting that oatmeal has many health benefits, as it is rich in fiber that enhances the feeling of fullness, is beneficial for gut health, fights constipation and helps lower harmful cholesterol and blood sugar, thus reducing insulin resistance.

In addition to the high oatmeal content of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants necessary to maintain health and prevent cell aging in the body.

Sundid agrees with Ihsani in the way oatmeal is prepared, which can turn its advantages into disadvantages. As many companies took raw oatmeal, added to it many improvers and flavorings such as sugar and others, and produced envelopes instant oatmeal Which can only add water to it, to prepare and eat it, while it contains high amounts of sugar.

Regarding the issue of insulin resistance and high blood sugar due to oats, which are raised by skeptics of the effectiveness of oats as food that is not suitable for diabetics; Sundid indicated that these skeptics did not inform the public of the fact that oats are not the reason for raising blood sugar and increasing insulin resistance, but rather the many additives that are added to oats that we mentioned above, such as sugar and others. Nor did they talk about the results of many studies conducted on the oatmeal, which revealed a lot of health benefits that can be reaped from this grain.

Eating oats correctly contributes to its many benefits

On the other hand, Sundid confirmed that she does not promote oats as a “superfood” that should be consumed constantly by diabetics to lower blood sugar and give up medication. or contribute to it Cholesterol lowering without making any change in lifestyle. Rather, it is a food that may increase weight if many other ingredients are added to it, such as dried fruits, peanut butter, milk, nuts, bananas, honey, berries and other delicious additions that make one plate of oats exceed 1000 calories.

So, the simple matter is to choose the correct types of oatmeal for each person; Taking into account the preparation of this flour in a healthy manner and in appropriate quantities for each person according to his weight and health condition, which can be determined with a nutritionist or a specialist doctor.

So, dear reader, do not listen to people who give you the “half-truth” about any food source you eat in your daily system, and search for the “whole truth” by reading and asking your nutritionist or your doctor; So that you can eat oats and other items in a healthy and harmless way.