Brands
Why Oats are Still the Backbone of a Healthy Cereal
By: admin On: 2 June 2023
Oats The Heart of a Healthy Cereal. Most great breakfast cereals have one thing in common. Oats.
What with keto, and the controversial avenin/gluten content debate, oats have begun to get as much bad press as wheat. Yet the truth is that its very low in gluten and unless you have clearly identified that avenin causes you problems, then you should strongly consider including oats as a regular part of your diet.
The Heart of a Healthy Cereal
At Opera Foods we take our breakfast pretty seriously. We spent a long time considering 'what makes a healthy breakfast' and reached the conclusion that wholegrain cereal is the healthiest breakfast of them all.
So what does that mean? Certainly not all wholegrain cereals are equal. Staying away from the big commercial brands, especially those marketed towards children, is probably a good start. When choosing a healthy cereal, muesli, granola, and porridge, are at the top of most people's lists.
Speciality blends (such as keto or Paleo ) aside, most of these breakfast cereals have one thing in common. And that is oats. If wholegrains are truly the heart of a healthy cereal, then oats are most definitely the backbone.
Oats in Granola
The entire point of granola is those crunchy, possibly even chewy, clusters. It is one of the things that sets granola apart from muesli. Btw, which side are you on? This may help; muesli vs granola.
We have lots of lovely oat based granola blends for you to try. As well as a few that aren't.
Oats in Muesli
When Mr Bircher first created his restorative recipe, he didn't reach for the buckwheat or the quinoa. He choose to base his easily digestible breakfast around the restorative power of oats.
Have you tried our premium muesli blends?
Oats in Porridge
Likewise, generations of Scots have started their day on a warming bowl of porridge oats, which are a staple ingredient in Scotland. Granted, this is largely because they grow really well there and traditional foods do tend to evolve through availability. Yet oats behave in a certain way when cooked in liquid that makes porridge so appealing. They have a certain creaminess, even when cooked in water, that is inherently easy to eat. A bowl of porridge at breakfast will certainly see you through to lunch, and possibly all the way though to dinner. It is just that good.
Our five grain porridge blend is based on organic jumbo oats.
The Health Benefits of Oats
Oats have a ton of beneficial properties and can be considered a true superfood. Which is why we recommend that you only eliminate them from your diet if the downsides outweigh the good.
In short, oats can...
- help lower cholesterol
- help control insulin secretion
- help lower anxiety
- prevent blood sugar spikes
- soothe your gut
- supercharge your skin
Which is quite a lot for an unassuming and often misunderstood little grain. So how do oats manage to provide all these benefits. What supercharges this super grain?
Beta - glucan; heart healthy fibre
Beta-glucan is a soluble fibre found in many grains, yet is particularly abundant in oats.
Soluble fibre dissolves in water to form a gel, unlike insoluble fibre that passes straight through. Although both are types of fibre, they actually have the opposite effect on the body. Together they provide powerful protection for your gut.
The mucus-like gel coats and lubricates the gut lining, slowing down digestion and keeping you fuller for longer. This, in turn slows down the absorption of sugar and helps to stabilise blood sugar levels as well as improve overall blood sugar regulation.
Beta-glucan has been shown to to drastically lower LDL (unhealthy) cholesterol levels, leading to a marked improvement in total cholesterol.
Essential mineral magnesium
Things rarely work in isolation, especially when it comes to health and nutrition. Oats are known to be one of the best foods for helping to control blood sugar levels. Not only does the beta glucan help with blood sugar regulation, but oats are also a rich source of magnesium that helps to regulate insulin secretion. A diabetic double whammy, if you like.
Gramine; nature's sedative
Oats are a traditional remedy for insomnia, depression and anxiety. We now know that they contain the alkaloid gramine, that acts as a natural sedative.
Water loving polysaccharides
Oats are also well known for their skin softening properties, and again feature highly in traditional beauty remedies. Their excellent moisturising properties are down to the sugars that they contain, which attract and hold water to lubricate the skin.
Silica; skin care's best kept secret
The mineral silica is involved in the making of collagen and elastin, which provides the structure for firm youthful looking skin. It is also found in hyaluronic acid (yes, that one) which helps to keep the skin matrix supple.
Tocotrienol; skin soothing vitamin E
Oats are very soothing for the skin. They contain a compound known as tocotrienol, which is actually a member of the vitamin E family. As well as its skin soothing properties, it is thought to offer some protection against UV damage too.
Zinc; for problem skin and hair
As if all of this were not enough, oats also contain zinc, which is helpful in controlling sebum production. Greasy hair and breakout skin are often caused by out of control sebum production, and zinc can certainly help with this.
So that's the lowdown on why oats are such a valuable part of a healthy diet, unless of course you do have issues with avenin sensitivity. And Oats are very low in Gluten. In the USA they allow it to be called Gluten Free. Including them in your diet may reap more rewards than excluding them so we believe it is well worth serious consideration.
As always, feel free to explore our range of premium healthy cereals, available to buy online in bulk today.