{"id":9327,"date":"2025-04-11T00:00:14","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T00:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/?p=9327"},"modified":"2025-04-11T14:28:17","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T14:28:17","slug":"7-scientific-health-benefits-of-oatmeal-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/7-scientific-health-benefits-of-oatmeal-2\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Scientific Health Benefits of Oatmeal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Who knew that a single bowl of this go-to easy breakfast may help lower your cholesterol, encourage weight loss, and keep your gut healthy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tossing seasonal fruits into your oatmeal is a great way to add color and nutrients to your bowl.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oatmeal seems so innocent, but it\u2019s actually one of the more polarizing breakfasts. On one hand, it\u2019s gained a reputation as this uninteresting, gluey plain slop sprinkled with raisins. On the other, social media has raised up\u00a0oatmeal\u00a0as something drool-worthy, piled high with pretty toppings. (Go search #oatmeal on Instagram right now.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you haven\u2019t been on team oatmeal, it\u2019s time to give it another shot. Oatmeal is a healthy breakfast that’s packed with\u00a0complex carbohydrates\u00a0(including\u00a0fiber), vitamins, and minerals, and it can be an excellent vehicle for nutritious toppings like nuts, seeds, and fruit, says Seattle-based registered dietitian nutritionist Ginger Hultin, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner of\u00a0Champagne Nutrition<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, oats are naturally\u00a0gluten-free, making them a good source of carbs for people with specific dietary needs (such as those with\u00a0celiac disease<\/a>), says Hultin. (Some oats\u00a0can still contain traces of gluten, however<\/a>, so always check the brand you\u2019re buying.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another thing to pay attention to is the type of oats you\u2019re eating. For the most health benefits, opt for steel cut, old-fashioned, or rolled oats instead of instant or quick oats. That\u2019s because the latter are relatively lower in fiber, says Hultin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next time you\u2019re planning breakfast and considering oatmeal, keep these seven potential perks in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.\u00a0Oatmeal Provides a Stellar Source of Fiber<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A bowl of oats can help you consume the recommended amount of fiber per day. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, men under 50 years old should aim for at least 38 grams (g) per day, while women under 50 should eat 25 g or more per day, though most Americans are eating just half of that, points out the\u00a0International Food Information Council Foundation<\/a>. With 4 g of fiber per cup, cooked oatmeal covers about 14 percent of the daily value (DV) of this nutrient, making it a good source, according to the\u00a0U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/a>. Eating a diet rich in whole grains and other food sources of fiber has been shown to be protective against\u00a0cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and\u00a0breast<\/a>,\u00a0colon, and rectal cancers, according to a\u00a0study published in February 2019 in\u00a0The Lancet<\/em><\/a><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.\u00a0Oatmeal Is a Blank Canvas for Nutritious Toppings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A bowl of oats is rich in carbs, so to make your morning meal more balanced, you can add toppings that are packed with protein and\u00a0healthy fat, says Hultin. Try\u00a0nuts\u00a0like walnuts<\/strong>,\u00a0almonds<\/strong>, or pecans<\/strong>; nut butter like almond <\/strong>or peanut butter<\/strong>; or seeds like\u00a0chia, hemp, or ground\u00a0flax<\/strong>. \u201cThese add protein, unsaturated fats, and even more fiber,\u201d she says. Fresh fruit is another option \u2014 try sliced strawberries,\u00a0blueberries<\/a>, or raspberries for additional nutrients and fiber, per the\u00a0National Institute on Aging<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.\u00a0Oatmeal Can Bolster Digestive Health<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The fiber in oats is good for your overall health, but it\u2019s particularly important for a well-functioning digestive system, points out the\u00a0National Institutes of Health (NIH)<\/a>. Not only do\u00a0oats<\/a>\u00a0provide insoluble\u00a0fiber<\/a>, which promotes regularity, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, but also\u00a0soluble fiber, according to the Mayo Clinic. Sources of soluble fiber have prebiotic properties, per\u00a0Oregon State University<\/a>. \u201cThis can help feed the good bacteria living in the gut for a healthier microbiome,\u201d says Hultin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.\u00a0Oatmeal Can Help Lower Cholesterol<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Oats pack a particular soluble fiber called beta-glucan, notes a\u00a0review published in November 2019 in\u00a0Frontiers in Nutrition<\/em><\/a>. \u201cThe soluble fiber in oats has been shown to decrease cholesterol. It acts like a Roto-Rooter to clear out cholesterol that may be building up in arterial walls,\u201d explains\u00a0Jessica Crandall Snyder, RDN<\/a>, CEO of Vital RD in Centennial, Colorado. Daily intake of beta-glucan was found to lower\u00a0LDL (\u201cbad\u201d) cholesterol\u00a0compared to control groups, according to a review and meta-analysis of 58 trials that was published in October 2016\u00a0in the\u00a0British Journal of Nutrition<\/em><\/a>. An\u00a0elevated LDL cholesterol\u00a0level raises your\u00a0risk of heart disease, notes the\u00a0American Heart Association (AHA)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a05.\u00a0A Bowl of Oatmeal\u00a0May Help Reduce Belly Fat<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another win for oatmeal\u2019s soluble fiber: It may help reduce visceral fat, the type of fat in your midsection that hugs your organs and raises your risk of heart disease and stroke \u2014 even if your\u00a0body mass index\u00a0is deemed normal, notes the AHA. According to a\u00a0study published in September 2016 in the journal\u00a0Nutrients<\/em><\/a><\/a>, which looked at adults who have type 2 diabetes, oats helped reduce blood sugar, blood lipids, and weight better than a control group that ate a healthy diet but no oats. Snyder points to\u00a0research<\/a>\u00a0that looked at a variety of lifestyle factors that lead to a reduction in visceral fat and prevented its accumulation over the years: \u201cThey found soluble fiber was one of the biggest things that helped clear out fat stores in this area,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6.\u00a0Oats Can Help Energize Your Body and May Boost Its Immunity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you belly up to a bowl in the morning, you\u2019re serving up B vitamins, plus minerals including manganese, iron, magnesium, and zinc, says Hultin. For example,\u00a01 cup of cooked oats<\/a>\u00a0has about 2 milligrams (mg) of iron, or 11 percent of your DV. As the\u00a0NIH<\/a>\u00a0points out, iron energizes the body and helps trigger the process of carrying oxygen through your body from your lungs. Oats also provide 1.5 mg of\u00a0zinc, a nutrient necessary for\u00a0immune function, according to the\u00a0NIH<\/a>, which is 14 percent of your daily need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Oats Are Packed With Antioxidants to Help Protect Against Disease<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Often, you think about fruits and veggies offering disease-fighting\u00a0antioxidants, but your bowl of oatmeal is brimming with them, too. Hultin points out that oats contain a specific antioxidant called avenanthramides. According to a\u00a0study published in September 2019 in the\u00a0International Journal of Molecular Sciences<\/em><\/a><\/a>, this oat antioxidant is a promising\u00a0cancer fighter\u00a0\u2014 though more studies are needed. But did you really need another reason to grab a spoon?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Who knew that a single bowl of this go-to easy breakfast may help lower your cholesterol, encourage weight loss, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[202,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-benefits","category-health"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.0","language":"na","enabled_languages":["en","es","de","fr","ru","hi","ar","tr","it","pt","na"],"languages":{"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"es":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"de":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"fr":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"hi":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ar":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"tr":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"it":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"pt":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"na":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"featured_img":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/health-benefits-of-oatmeal-1440x810-1.jpg","categories_details":[{"id":202,"name":"Benefits","count":166,"parent":0},{"id":17,"name":"Health","count":264,"parent":0}],"tags_details":[],"comment_count":0,"author_name":"Staff","author_img":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0770ff71d5267ad67c1cefbf36008dc2a2753c332616ff451380094010b0d281?s=96&d=mm&r=g","post_views":19956,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9327"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17081,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9327\/revisions\/17081"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitolympia.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}