Oats – Properties, Benefits, Recipes and Contraindications

The oat ( A. sativa, A. sterilis ) is a very healthy cereal and recommended by many health experts. It is rich in essential nutrients and very useful in weight loss diets. You can take it in flakes, with water, or make an oat bran, to enjoy its properties as you like.

Before starting with this extensive article, it should be said that this food is almost millenary, as it has been consumed for centuries as a source of energy, nutrients and components to lose weight that are praised so much today. Oats have a series of properties that have been used by many civilizations before ours. Today it enjoys the popularity it deserves. Both the flakes and the bran or water have been subjected to studies to demonstrate its effectiveness and even the FDA urges it as an essential food in our diet.

Therefore, in this long post we want to tell you all the benefits that oatmeal provides, the different forms of preparation, some frequently asked questions and, of course, the side effects that an inappropriate intake can cause, as well as its contraindications.

Properties of oat bran to lose weight

The oat bran is characterized as a very beneficial asset and natural nutrient, why so many people consume daily. Its properties are more than remarkable, among which are:

• Increases the feeling of satiety. One of the main uses of oat bran is to lose weight, since it reduces the urge to eat, especially between meals.
• Regulates the level of cholesterol in the blood when it is high.
• It is good for preventing diabetes, according to some media.
• Being rich in fiber, bran improves digestion and prevents discomfort related to constipation.
• Reduces fluid retention, as it is a diuretic.

It highlights its slimming benefits in particular, since most people who consume oat bran is due to its property in the loss of excess kilos from our hips. In fact, Dr. Pierre Dukan proposes it as an essential nutrient in his nutritional program.

Nutritional information

Regarding the nutritional value, the oat bran content is, for every 100 g:

• 15 grams of protein.
• 8-9 fat.
• 15 grams of fiber.
• 60 of carbohydrates or carbohydrates.
• It is rich in vitamins (especially vitamin B) and minerals.
• Note: these values ​​may change depending on the product.

What are oat flakes?

There are many ways to enjoy this beneficial food. Apart from the bran and others that you will know below, there are the oat flakes, which are the cereal itself, and the most common way of taking it. They are composed of a glume (outer shell that is not eaten) and the grain or flake, which is intended for human consumption. The bran mentioned above is another layer that remains visible when the glume is removed.

Some of the properties of flakes are their high fiber content and their ability to regulate cholesterol, as we have already seen. Its mineral content such as phosphorus make its extract useful for the world of beauty.

1. One way to integrate it into the daily diet is to take a couple of tablespoons a day, which represents a contribution of about 90-100 calories. You can combine it with multiple ingredients for flavor such as kefir, sesame seeds, or yogurt. Here is another recipe to enjoy them, which consists of making oat milk (or smoothie). Boil about 80 grams of rolled oats in a liter of natural mineral water or skimmed milk.
2. Add a little olive oil.
3. Mix well and wait for a few minutes to boil (between 4 and 6).
4. Wait for it to cool down for a few minutes (between 8 and 10).
5. Mix well in a blender until smooth.
6. Strain the product to remove any lumps.
7. If you want to lose weight with this recipe, do not add sugar or other sweeteners. You can add ginger or cinnamon sticks.

Oatmeal water for weight loss, what are its benefits?

The oatmeal water is another of preparations can help your weight loss diet. Preparing it at home is very simple, so we are going to show you some recipes so you can make it yourself. There are numerous healthy foods in our life, and this water is one of them. Multiple studies have been carried out that affirm its involvement in improving our metabolism. In addition, it serves to supply nutritional deficiencies that can alter our health, and purifies the body of impurities.

The North American Agency known as FDA (in English Food and Drug Administration ) affirms that it is convenient to include oat water in our usual diet, that it is part of a diet rich in nutrients and healthy. In addition, you have the numerous opinions of consumers who claim to have lost kilos with this almost thousand-year-old drink.

Why is it effective for weight loss?

• First of all, it has a high concentration of fiber, antioxidant vitamins and minerals essential for health.
• Additionally, there are studies that demonstrate its ability to cause satiety, decrease appetite.
• It is diuretic, favoring the elimination of retained fluids in the body.
• It contributes to the purification and elimination of toxins.

Recipe for its preparation

Here is the recipe for the oatmeal water preparation. The first thing is the ingredients

• Two liters of water.
• A glass of oatmeal and a little cinnamon stick to lose weight.

Now the procedure for crafting.

1. Put some water in a blender.
2. Add the oatmeal and beat well until completely mixed.
3. Add the rest of the water and the cinnamon.
4. If your purpose is to lose weight quickly, do not add sweeteners, as they provide calories that we do not want to introduce into our body.
5. When you have mixed well, strain the drink to make it thin.
6. Store in the refrigerator.

To increase the effect of satiety, it is recommended to drink oatmeal water on an empty stomach and before eating. The most common among specialists is that you take it on an empty stomach. You can also combine it with other slimming drinks such as green tea. If you have doubts about the way of consumption, or before starting any diet, consult your family doctor.

Other types

Oatmeal with apple

The apple is an ideal fruit to combine with oats. It gives a very pleasant flavor and has even more benefits. If you haven’t tried it, now is the time for you to do it. Multiple dietitians and nutritionists recommend this recipe for calorie control, and as part of a balanced diet. The best way to take it is at breakfast.

In the following list we explain the ways in which you can find oats.

• When it is an integral product, it has not been exposed, as we have been able to read, to certain fertilizers and insecticides or poisons. The greatest property of consuming it in this way is its higher fiber content, ideal for promoting intestinal transit and regulating excess cholesterol in the blood.
• In flakes.
• Cooked
• Raw
• Rolled up.
• Colloidal
• When boiled, it has numerous therapeutic uses. It produces the secretion of a mucilaginous compound ideal to protect the walls of our stomach and intestines.

And then there are the brands, among which Quaker, Xeracalm or Mercadona’s own stand out.

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Oats for face?

It is not only a food. Containing high amounts of phosphorus, other minerals and vitamins, the extract of oat flakes are used in the beauty industry to make anti-wrinkle cosmetics and hydrate the skin.

Contraindications and side effects

• If you have gastrointestinal problems. Avoid eating oat bran if you have Crohn’s disease, colitis, or similar problems.
• If you have diverculitis, ask your GP.
• During a stage of diarrhea.

Are oats fattening?

It may happen that if it is not consumed moderately it causes the opposite effects to those desired. That is, if you exceed your intake and do not exercise constantly, or if your metabolism is somewhat slower than normal, it can increase the glucose in your body that will be stored in the form of fat, in adipocytes.

To avoid this, mix the oatmeal with other natural products like sesame seeds, raisins, or low-fat yogurt.

Is it suitable for celiacs due to gluten?

In the past, oats were fully recommended for those who had to eliminate gluten from their diet. Currently, it has been seen in various studies that some proteins present can cause reactions in celiac or gluten intolerant patients. Therefore, if you suffer from this condition, it is convenient that you first consult your doctor and do not trust what they say anywhere else.

Suggested Scientific Articles

1. Kim IS, Hwang CW, Yang WS, Kim CH. Multiple Antioxidative and Bioactive Molecules of Oats ( Avena sativa L.) in Human Health. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Sep 13;10(9):1454. PMID: 34573086, PMCID: PMC8471765, DOI: 10.3390/antiox10091454
2. Spector Cohen I, Day AS, Shaoul R. To Be Oats or Not to Be? An Update on the Ongoing Debate on Oats for Patients With Celiac Disease. Front Pediatr. 2019 Sep 26;7:384. doi: 10.3389/fped.2019.00384. eCollection 2019.PMID: 31616650
3. Smulders MJM, van de Wiel CCM, van den Broeck HC, van der Meer IM, Israel-Hoevelaken TPM, Timmer RD, van Dinter BJ, Braun S, Gilissen LJWJ. Oats in healthy gluten-free and regular diets: A perspective. Food Res Int. 2018 Aug;110:3-10. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2017.11.031. Epub 2017 Nov 21.PMID: 30029703
4. Grundy MM, Fardet A, Tosh SM, Rich GT, Wilde PJ. Processing of oat: the impact on oat’s cholesterol lowering effect. Food Funct. 2018 Mar 1;9(3):1328-1343. doi: 10.1039/c7fo02006f. Epub 2018 Feb 12.PMID: 29431835
5. Zhu F. Structures, properties, modifications, and uses of oat starch. Food Chem. 2017 Aug 15;229:329-340. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.02.064. Epub 2017 Feb 16.PMID: 28372181