Product Introduction:
Oatmeal is ground oat groats or a porridge made from this product (also called oatmeal cereal or stirabout, in Ireland). Oatmeal can also be steel-cut oats, crushed oats, or rolled oats.
Whole Oat Goodness. A hot steaming bowl of oats not only warms a person to the core, it's also good for you! Oats provide the benefits of a soluble fiber. Researches have found that the soluble fiber in oats may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by affecting blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood lipids. Some preliminary research indicates that moderate exercise and the consumption of oats may have a positive effect on the immune system.
Breakfast Cereal Health Benefits:
There has been increasing interest in oatmeal in recent years due to its beneficial health effects. Daily consumption of a bowl of oatmeal can lower blood cholesterol, due to its soluble fiber content. After reports found that oats can help lower cholesterol, an "oat bran craze" swept the U.S. in the late 1980s, peaking in 1989. The food fad was short-lived and faded by the early 1990s. The popularity of oatmeal and other oat products again increased after the January 1997 decision by the Food and Drug Administration that food with a lot of oat bran or rolled oats can carry a label claiming it may reduce the risk of heart disease, when combined with a low-fat diet. This is because of the beta-glucan in the oats. Rolled oats have also long been a staple of many athletes' diets, especially weight trainers; given oatmeal's high content of complex carbohydrates and water-soluble fiber which encourages slow digestion and stabilizes blood-glucose levels. Oatmeal porridge also contains more B vitamins and calories than other kinds of porridges. Cooked oatmeal has a lower GI value (glycemic index) than has uncooked, because cooking releases water-soluble fiber from the grain. [citation needed] These fibers release glucose very slowly.