Many medical experts recommend oatmeal as a healthy breakfast—and for good reason. There's so much you can do with a container of oats. You can enjoy them warm, soak them overnight, bake them into bars or muffins, or even blend them into a waffle batter.
Besides such delicious versatility, why exactly do health experts recommend oatmeal as a go-to morning meal? How does a simple bowl of oats affect your long-term health? Is it healthy to eat every day? Here's what the science says about consuming oatmeal regularly.
Oats are a great source of fiber, a carbohydrate that the body cannot digest. Because fiber slows down digestion, you won't feel as hungry for a longer period. Eating fiber-rich foods helps avoid spikes and dips in your blood sugar levels while reducing feelings of hunger.
"Having oats for breakfast or incorporated into different foods as meals and snacks is a great way to give the meal more staying power and help you feel fuller for longer," says Maggie Michalczyk, RDN. According to the USDA, 1 cup of cooked oatmeal contains 4 grams of fiber, which is 16% of the recommended daily value.
You'll Have an Easier Time in the Bathroom
"Oats contain a special type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan," says Michalczyk. "Beta-glucan forms a gel-like consistency in the gut and helps to keep things moving in your digestive tract and keep you regular."
This helps with bulking up your stool, making it easier for your bowel movement later. Plus, pairing your oatmeal with sources of insoluble fiber—like unpeeled sliced apples, nuts or blackberries—can also help keep things moving in your digestive tract and make things easier in the bathroom later.
Starting your morning with a bowl of oats can benefit your heart health in more ways than one. Because of the fiber content, oatmeal can help lower your "bad" LDL cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar levels and even lower high blood pressure—all of which play a significant role in minimizing risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Your Gut Bacteria Will Thrive
Oatmeal is also a prebiotic food, which feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Maintaining healthy gut bacteria—also known as your gut microbiome—will benefit your body's immune system, improve your mood and digestion, and help to ward off diseases.
A 2021 systematic review published in the Journal of Nutrition found a link between oat consumption and increasing beneficial bacterial groups within one's gut, making it a gut-friendly and heart-healthy breakfast.
"Incorporating a wide variety of plant foods like oats is also beneficial for gut diversity, which is another important aspect of gut health," says Michalczyk.
You'll Manage Your Weight Easier
Along with these positive benefits, research shows this popular breakfast can even support weight-loss and weight-management efforts.
According to a 2021 review published in Foods, oat beta-glucan has positive effects on hyperglycemia, lowering blood lipid levels and reducing weight.
"The fiber content of oatmeal is filling and satiating, which in turn can help with eating fewer calories throughout the day and managing your weight," says Michalczyk. "Beta-glucan may also promote the release of peptide YY, a hormone produced in the gut that helps with satiety."
The Bottom Line
Oatmeal's high fiber content and prebiotic qualities may benefit your body in more ways than one. Making oatmeal a regular part of your menu can potentially lower your disease risk, help your gut health thrive, make bowel movements easier and keep you feeling fuller for longer. If you're ready to start your morning with oats, you can go the traditional route with a simple bowl of oatmeal and your favorite toppings, or make overnight oats, baked oatmeal, breakfast cookies—the possibilities are endless.
Oatmeal's high fiber content and prebiotic qualities may benefit your body in more ways than one. Making oatmeal a regular part of your menu can potentially lower your disease risk, help your gut health thrive, make bowel movements easier and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Studies show that oats and oatmeal have many health benefits. These include weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, and a reduced risk of heart disease. Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. They're a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
This amounts to about one cup of cooked oatmeal. Eating a serving of oatmeal regularly is one way to help increase your fiber intake. Fiber has been linked to better digestion, heart health, and weight management. While it's OK to eat a serving of oatmeal every day, it is best to stick to rolled or steel-cut oats.
The standard serving size of oats is 40 grams, or ½ cup, so eating just one serving of oats per day is enough to potentially ward off diabetes. Lastly, oats are a good source of fiber, which is vital for staying regular and preventing constipation. Fiber intake is also necessary for good gut health.
Oats can cause gas and bloating. To minimize side effects, start with a low dose and increase slowly to the desired amount. Your body will get used to oat bran and the side effects will likely go away.
Whatever you do, steer clear of the worst offenders: dried fruit with added sugars, like Craisins or dried pineapple. "These are almost always made with added sugar, if not also an artificial sweetener, says Pennsylvania-based RD Gina Consalvo. "Always choose a fresh fruit instead." Need hard proof?
To follow this 7-day diet, people start off with eating just oatmeal for all three meals of the day for the first two days, followed by eating oatmeal for at least two meals of the day for the next two days. Finally, dieters consume oatmeal for just one meal of the day for the remaining three days.
Just like rolled oats and steel cut oats, instant oatmeal is a nutrient-dense whole grain with many health benefits. Instant oats are a good source of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They also deliver a good amount of protein and fat.
Steel-cut oats, also called Irish oatmeal, are the whole oat kernel that has been cut into two or three pieces using steel disks. This type of oats contains the highest amount of fiber, as it is least processed. Steel-cut oats take a little longer to cook, and result in a creamy and chewy porridge.
Oatmeal is a great breakfast choice if you have high blood pressure, but oat bran can provide even more health benefits, since it's higher in fiber, which can help to lower blood pressure and improve digestive health. Oatmeal also contains soluble fiber, which has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels.
Oatmeal has soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream.
Now the scale looked a lot less menacing. A cup of oats delivered 4 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber to help lower body weight, improve cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. It also provided health-building minerals such as phosphorus and magnesium.
“Adding sugar or syrup to an already carbohydrate-rich breakfast can cause it to become imbalanced, as it's high in carbs but low in fat and protein,” says Hultin. Make sure you're using dairy milk, unsweetened nondairy milks, and unsweetened nut butters to restrain added sugar.
Ground oatmeal can work as an exfoliant, sloughing away dirt, oil, and dead skin cells. It can moisturize, and reduce inflammation, meaning people often use it as a home remedy for dry, itchy, or irritated skin. Doctors typically recommend that people use colloidal oatmeal for their skin.
There is no particular time to eat oats. You can consume the oats at lunch and dinner too. This cereal, however, is consumed in breakfast mostly. It contains fiber, magnesium, complex carbohydrates, etc, which help in keeping your tummy full for a longer time, thus, reducing overeating.
If you want to lose weight, Steel oats are better as they are least processed and have comparatively higher fibre content. They are also best suited for diabetic patients as the glycemic index is lower and does not spike up sugar levels. Steel-cut oats take longer to digest and thus keep you fuller for longer.
Oat milk may cause side effects like gas and bloat. Additionally, it may also interact with medications used for diabetes and may cause the blood sugar levels to go too low.
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