The Benefits of oats In flakes for health are numerous: accelerates recovery after exercise, prevents constipation, prevents breast cancer, slows aging, controls appetite, helps to lose weight, improves heart health and appearance of the skin And others that I will explain later.
Oatmeal is a cereal that we usually use to eat. It can be used in raw or cooked in the preparation of cakes and other dishes. We can also find it in commercial products such as cereal bars, bread, cereal boxes, granola, etc.
On the other hand, it is considered for the use of cosmetic treatments, for example, in soaps, creams, so-called colloidal oats, etc.
Properties and benefits of oats in health flakes
1- Speed recovery after exercise
In a publication in 2016, researchers from the University of Wisconsin in collaboration with the University of Minnesota conducted an experiment with women who Performed strenuous exercise for several days.
They found that oats had an anti-inflammatory effect. This can be said that oats favors recovery in people who exercise (the exercise generates inflammation by the effort of tissues such as joints).
On the other hand, a study in the laboratories of PepsiCo R & D Nutrition revealed that the whole oats is able to inhibit the Cytokine Inflammatory Tumor-alpha Necrosis Factor (TNF-α), a molecule involved in inflammatory processes.
2- Avoid constipation
Due to its high content of soluble fiber, oats are ideal for better disposal of what is harmful to our gut. In this way it relieves the intestinal transit avoiding the constipation.
In fact, oats have both types of dietary fiber - soluble and insoluble - in a similar proportion, making it ideal for digestion.
It should be mentioned that one of the negative effects of chronic constipation is hemorrhoids , So the consumption of oats can help you prevent this disease.
3- Protects against breast cancer
The University of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England studied pre-menopausal patients who consumed more than 30g of fiber daily.
They concluded that they had a 52% lower risk of suffering Breast cancer Than patients who ate less than 20g, so consuming oats is beneficial in reducing the chances of acquiring this type of cancer.
4- Delay aging
The Antioxidants Which can be found in various foods slow and prevent some types of cellular damage. So by consuming them regularly you can keep your body young.
At the University of Uppsala, it was shown that oat extract contained in oat flakes, especially forms 2c, 2p and 2f have a strong antioxidant capacity.
5- It controls the appetite
Human appetite is controlled by central and peripheral mechanisms that interact with the environment generated by the nutrients provided by food.
Since there is great variety in the nutritional contribution of each food, each one is capable of exerting different physiological effects, such as satiety.
The Fiber rich foods Are capable of producing this effect, just as oats do. As confirmed by researchers at the University of Oxford, high-fiber oats, specifically beta-glucan, will satisfy your hunger for longer.
It is important to note that when a food is cooked, dietary fiber tends to increase. So it can be ideal to prepare in soups or other dishes, and if you like cakes, it is advisable not to sweeten them too much.
6- Helps to lose weight
It sounds logical that if oats have a positive effect on satiety, make sure your mind does not constantly focus on food. This is why oats are great for weight loss.
A review by the University of Wollongong in Australia found that cereal breakfast, such as oats, favors weight loss and decreases the risk of overweight. obesity .
Even an analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Survey in the United States concluded that consumption of oatmeal (cooked anyway) helps to reduce body mass index, weight as well as waist circumference.
Beyond weight loss for"aesthetics", it is important that you do it for health, as you not only put more weight on your bones, but also can develop diseases derived from a state of chronic inflammation.
Although you only believe that the problem has to do with fat, it also has to do with the correct function of your body from the cellular level.
7- Improve heart health
Cardiovascular diseases are common in the present, due to our sedentary habits and high carbohydrate and fat intake.
These molecules raise the amount of LDL cholesterol (Low density lipoprotein) in our body. When cholesterol is deposited in the walls of the arteries increases the risk of suffering a heart attack.
Scientists at Boston University endorse studies presented for more than a decade that have shown that Beta-glucan Of oats (soluble dietary fiber) is able to lower plasma cholesterol. They report that the daily dose of at least 3 g beta-glucan can lower cholesterol levels.
The oat flake can contain between 2.2 g and 8 g of fiber, so to have a faster effect it may be preferable to consume the oat bran (the outer husk), which contains more beta-glucan, not less than 5.5 g Per 100 g. In this way it would be advisable to consume about 75 g a day to reduce cholesterol.
8- It reduces the levels of insulin in blood
A study by the University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil, showed that in a group of people between 22 and 60 years of age, the consumption of 40g of oats per day significantly reduces insulin In blood.
This positive effect, for which beta-glucan is again responsible, implies that there is a significant decrease in blood glucose. There is also a tendency to reduce insulin resistance in individuals Type 2 diabetics .
It is important to note that research conducted at the University of Toronto, Canada, showed that the consumption of snack bars to which beta-glucan was added was not effective in reducing participants' blood glucose.
Therefore, it is important to consume oats or oat bran in its natural form, either cooked or raw.
9- It improves the appearance of the skin
Acne vulgaris, or acne, is a chronic disease that affects the sebaceous glands. It has been found that it also increases desquamation of epithelial cells such as keratinocytes within the sebaceous follicles, so that these conditions are favorable for the proliferation of bacteria Propionibacterium acnes , Which will worsen acne.
Researchers at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy have shown that oat seedlings (Rhealba (®)) have cosmetic properties, capable of enhancing the cellular functions of the skin.
One important property is its ability to Reduce inflammation caused by acne, also inhibits the adhesion of bacteria Propionibacterium acnes.
10- They act like an immunomodulator; Reduces inflammation
We had been talking about the consumption of the flake and oat bran, however, consuming other parts of Avena sativa Can be beneficial.
In a study from the University of Punjabi in India, it was shown in mice that the extract of the leaves and seeds of oats can be an immunomodulator. This ability could reduce the levels of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS), an enzyme involved in the production of inflammatory molecules.
Although the inflammation is beneficial because it is microbicidal, when it is chronic is harmful to the body, as it can impair cellular functions.
Obesity generates a state of chronic inflammation, so it may also be advisable to consume the plant by people with excess weight.
11- Improves the immune system
Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, found in mice that the administration of beta-glucan extracted from oats can increase resistance to pathogens as Staphylococcus aureus Y Eimeria vermiformis .
In addition, it is able to increase the number of secretory cells of Interferon gamma , The cytokine with microbicidal function.
What is oats?
Oats is a herbaceous plant belonging to the grass family. Although there are a large number of species of the genus Avena sp. , The species that is widely cultivated is Avena sativa, Colloquially known as forage oats.
Although it is likely to be a plant from Asia, its production has now spread to Europe and North America. Its cultivation is limited to places cool and humid, being little resistant to the cold.
A good part of the production of oats is used as fodder for consumption in animals.
The human regularly eats the part of the endosperm or leaflet (tissue surrounding the embryo in the seed) of the oats, being less common the intake of bran (which involves the seed).
Among a wide variety of cereals, oats are considered the most nutritious because it contains a high variety of molecules such as proteins, fats, vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals.
Oatmeal is an important protein source, since for every 100 g, 17 g are protein, therefore we can find a large variety of amino acids in this cereal.
It is especially noteworthy that oats include most of the amino acids necessary for the body (essential amino acids), being deficient only in lysine and threonine.
This feature makes it an excellent complement to the synthesis of proteins in our body, without forgetting that it is necessary to include other foods to complete the range of essential amino acids.
It should be noted that oats are substantially rich in the essential amino acid Methionine , Which is a natural antioxidant.
Other nutrients that can be found in oats are the B-complex vitamins, with the exception of vitamin B12. It also has an important amount of vitamin K which plays a very important role in blood clotting.
To a lesser extent, but not less important, we can find vitamin E. In addition to having calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium and potassium.
Oatmeal is an important energy source, since for every 100 grams (g), 66 g are carbohydrates of which 11 g are dietary fiber. Other molecules involved in the energy supply are fats, but not so-called"bad"because it contains no cholesterol.
There are molecules found only in oats, are avenantramidas or also called AVAs, which are polyphenols that include conjugated amides. So far, 25 different forms of avenithramids have been found.
AVAs are of particular importance as they have different bioactivities involved in several of the benefits awarded to oats.
Curiosities of oats
- Due to its almost tasteless flavor, it is regularly sweetened and accompanied with nuts, as in the case of the Muesli.
- Baths with colloidal oats have been used to soothe itching in conditions such as chickenpox.
- The oat plant is capable of producing toxic substances such as avenazine, which helps it kill fungi that can damage it.
- Although we can not ensure that it has an aphrodisiac effect as some claim, by its energy contribution will help improve your sexual performance.
conclusion
Oats contain a wide variety of nutrients as antioxidants that can help reduce your chances of getting cancer.
It is also a great source of dietary fiber. Especially their contribution of soluble fiber is very important as it helps to reduce lipids like blood cholesterol.
References
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