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Which Type Of Oatmeal Can Better Prevent Heart Disease?
 

Oatmeal is good for the heart! This statement has been advocated since 1980s. Many of us could have already included it in the breakfast menu. Those, who have not done so, either are skeptical about the statement or simply do not like oatmeal at all.

As the name suggests, oatmeal naturally comes from oat, which has a hard inedible outer husk that must be removed before the grain can be eaten. After the removal of the outer husk, the remainder of the oat grains is called oat groats. Oatmeal is the ground oat groats or porridge made from ground oat groats (also known as oatmeal cereal). Oatmeal can be made from steel-cut oats, or rolled oats.

Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats that have been chopped into 2 or 3 pieces and retain bits of the bran layer. They are often steam-treated to soften them for a quick cooking time (quick oat) and to prolong its shelf life. This is because the bran layer, though nutritious, makes the grains difficult to chew and it also contains an enzyme that can cause the oats to go rancid.

Rolled oats are oat groats that have been rolled into flat flakes under heavy rollers. This kind of oats, when sold as oatmeal, usually (not always) has the bran layer removed, and has often (again not always) been lightly baked or pressure-cooked or ‘processed’. The processed rolled oats can absorb water more easily to achieve faster cooking. Hence, they are sometimes being termed as ‘quick’ or ‘instant’ oatmeal. Of course, unprocessed rolled oat can be cooked and eaten as ‘old-fashioned’ oatmeal.

Whole oats contain beta-glucan, a water-soluble fiber that can reduce bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein or LDL in short) and total cholesterol. According to a study published in 1992 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 2 servings of oats daily could reduce cholesterol by 2 to 3 percent than what was achieved with a low-fat diet alone.

Beta-glucan encourages slow digestion and stabilizes blood-glucose levels. This can help people with Type-2 diabetes control their blood sugar level and help stimulate the immune system to fight off bacterial infections. In addition, whole oats are also the only source of antioxidant compounds known as avenanthramides that can help protect the circulatory system from arteriosclerosis.

Many of the disorders mentioned are actually known risk factors for heart disease. If people can manage these risk factors appropriately, they can lower the risk of developing heart disease. In fact, there is a claim that 3g of soluble fiber daily from oatmeal, in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, could reduce the risk of heart disease.

Now, among the 3 types of oatmeal, which is a better choice? It seems that quick and instant oatmeal are more popular than the regular one. But as claimed by those favoring regular oatmeal, eating instant or quick oatmeal is less effective. Is this true?

In reality, there is insignificant nutritional difference between the 3 types of oatmeal. According to the Nutrient Data Laboratory for the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), there is only one analysis for all 3 kinds of oatmeal. They contain the same amount of fiber and the same amount of cholesterol-lowering compounds. However, the small packets of instant oatmeal might contain slightly smaller serving than the standard serving of regular oatmeal. As such, people might get a slightly smaller amount of fiber from instant oatmeal. Besides this, the possible difference could be the tastes and texture. The regular oatmeal is definitely a little chewier than the other 2.

It is important to note that cooked oatmeal has a lower GI (glycemic index) value than the uncooked. This is because cooking releases water-soluble fiber from the grain and these fibers release glucose very slowly.

There are also many other things that people can do to reduce the risk for heart disease. For example, maintain weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure at healthy levels; do not smoke; exercise regularly. Meanwhile, adopting a healthy diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains is equally important. Nevertheless, if you do not like the taste of oatmeal, do not force yourself. There are many other dietary sources of soluble fiber available to improve the heart health.

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