Oat flakes are rolled from oat grains into flat pieces, roughly the diameter of a soybean, retaining their original shape. Hulled oats can be ground into flakes of varying coarseness or softened and flattened into oat rolls. Instant oat flakes processed for quick cooking may appear slightly crumbly but still retain their original form.When cooked, oats become highly viscous due to their beta-glucan content. This viscous substance is closely linked to oats' health benefits: lowering blood lipids and blood sugar while promoting satiety. Generally, the thicker the cooked oatmeal, the greater its health benefits.
【Benefits of Oatmeal】
1. Oats effectively lower cholesterol levels in the body. Regular consumption helps prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, major threats to middle-aged and elderly individuals;
2. Frequent oat intake offers significant blood sugar-lowering and weight-management benefits for diabetics;
3. Oatmeal porridge promotes bowel regularity. Many elderly individuals suffer from constipation, which can increase the risk of cerebrovascular accidents. Oats alleviate this concern;
4. It improves blood circulation and relieves stress from daily life and work. The minerals it contains—calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc—help prevent osteoporosis, promote wound healing, and guard against anemia, making it an excellent calcium supplement;
5. Oats are exceptionally rich in linoleic acid, offering auxiliary benefits for fatty liver, diabetes, edema, and constipation. They also significantly enhance physical strength and promote longevity in the elderly.
【Does Oatmeal Help with Weight Loss?】
Consuming oatmeal appropriately can indeed aid weight loss. This is because oat bran, the most effective lipid-lowering component in oats, inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis and absorption in the human body. After one month of oat consumption, the average serum cholesterol level decreases by 37.6 mg/100 ml in most individuals.
This is also related to the abundant unsaturated fatty acids and fiber in oats. Oat protein is highly nutritious, being a high-quality protein containing 18 amino acids. It provides all eight essential amino acids required by the human body, with lysine—crucial for children's cognitive development and bone growth—present at twice the level found in rice or wheat flour.