Oatmeal with water benefits. The benefits and harms of oatmeal: how to get the best from the product

Oatmeal included in the system healthy eating. It contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Oatmeal lowers blood sugar and cholesterol, protects skin from irritation, reduces constipation and helps you lose weight.

Oatmeal is prepared from oatmeal on water or milk. Whole grains take a long time to cook, so many people eat cereal or porridge for breakfast. instant cooking.

Composition and calorie content of oatmeal

Oatmeal is a source important vitamins, minerals and fibers. It is rich in antioxidants, omega-3 and folic acid. Unlike other grains, oats do not contain gluten.

As a percentage of the daily value:

The calorie content of one serving of porridge on water is 68 kcal.

The health benefits of oatmeal include helping you lose weight, lowering blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of heart disease.

The benefits of oatmeal with milk are great for bones due to the calcium and phosphorus content. The product is recommended for children and elderly people.

Oatmeal is rich in polyphenols and fiber, which lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Oats reduce risk factors for heart disease.

The introduction of oatmeal into the diet of children under 6 months reduced the risk of developing asthma.

The benefits of oatmeal for digestion are due to its fiber content. They cause a feeling of satiety and increase growth beneficial bacteria V digestive tract and relieve constipation.

For balanced nutrition People with diabetes need to eat foods with a low glycemic index. Oatmeal contains B-glucans, which help maintain glycemic control. Porridge lowers blood sugar levels, especially in people with overweight and type 2 diabetes. It reduces the need for insulin injections.

In patients with type 2 diabetes and severe insulin sensitivity, a 4-week oatmeal diet resulted in a 40% reduction in insulin dosage.

Oatmeal contains aventramides, which relieve itching and inflammation. Oat-based products relieve symptoms of eczema.

Oatmeal takes about 3 hours to digest in the body and releases energy during the digestion process. The feeling of fullness remains for 3-4 hours.

This doesn’t happen to everyone: half an hour after a bowl of oatmeal, you feel even more hungry. This effect explains Ugolev A.M. in theory adequate nutrition" The academician described that raw oatmeal contains enzymes necessary for absorption. But many of the cereals sold in the store have undergone preliminary testing. heat treatment because of which all the enzymes in them were destroyed. Once in the stomach, the porridge is not able to be digested and the body has to spend a lot of energy on its absorption: and this is half of the value of the porridge.

Oatmeal during pregnancy

Oatmeal is an indispensable product for the body of pregnant women. It serves as a source of vitamins and minerals that you need future mommy and her child.

Eating oatmeal normalizes digestion, relieves constipation and allows you to maintain normal weight. Oatmeal improves the condition of skin, nails, and hair during pregnancy and reduces anxiety attacks.

Oatmeal for weight loss

Eating oatmeal will reduce your calorie intake and lower your risk of obesity. Healthy breakfast contains nutritious foods that provide energy and make you feel full. The study found that people who ate oatmeal for breakfast felt fuller and ate less at lunch than people who ate cereal for breakfast.

Data were analyzed between oatmeal consumption and physiological parameters in people over 19 years of age. Oatmeal consumers experienced decreased waist circumference and body mass index. The benefits of oatmeal with water for weight loss will appear faster than those cooked with milk.

There is a diet whose main component is oatmeal. Oat diet - low calorie diet. It is better to consult a doctor before starting it.

Harm and contraindications of oatmeal

Testing of oat products, including infant oatmeal, found glyphosate. There is a lot of it in fast food products with additives. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has clarified that glyphosate is a carcinogen and causes cancer.

Pure oats contain a protein called avenin, which is similar to gluten. Most people who are sensitive to gluten do not react to it. It may cause a reaction in a small percentage of people with celiac disease.

When Soviet scientists studied oat flakes, they had high-quality, environmentally friendly pure product free from impurities and foreign particles. In December 2016, the consumer union Roskontrol learned that unscrupulous manufacturers also include other components in the chemical composition of oatmeal:

• metal particles;
• mold;
• pesticides;
• organic impurity: parts of other plants, grain films.

Ingredients can get into the flakes if grain processing rules, production technologies and product storage rules are violated. In addition to inorganic elements, the package may contain “living” creatures that got into the cereal in the store. If the supermarket warehouse is unsanitary and storage requirements are not met, then meal moths, mites and weevils will nestle comfortably in a pack of oatmeal.

Oatmeal is a favorite treat for many people who care about their health. This dish is considered one of the healthiest. It would seem that if you eat oatmeal for breakfast you will be healthy. But everything is not as simple as it seems. The harm of oatmeal may be no less than the benefits of it.

Oats are a very nutritious and healthy product. It contains many vitamins and microelements, organic acids. Oatmeal is widely used in folk medicine:

• improves digestion;
• strengthens hair;
• eliminates muscle pain;
• strengthens blood vessels;
• reduces cholesterol;
• increases the tone of the body.

However, it is worth noting that not every oatmeal is healthy: the harm to health of cereals is due to the way it is processed in an industrial environment.

The most beneficial are whole oat grains. This is how the porridge is served in the UK. In Scotland, where oatmeal is considered a national dish, exclusively whole grains are cooked. They contain a lot of fiber and mucous substances.

However, this dish has a number of disadvantages. Foremost - long time preparations. It takes 40 minutes to cook the porridge. In today's time crunch, this is becoming too much of a luxury. In this regard, many people choose oatmeal, which just needs to be poured with boiling water to be ready. But such a mess carries as much harm as good. Why is instant oatmeal harmful to humans?

“Extra” flakes are obtained from crushed oat grains. Due to industrial processing, oats lose their structure. The flakes are characterized increased content starch and a small amount of fiber. If you consume them for breakfast every day, you can easily become obese.

The most acceptable raw material option for preparing porridge is Hercules flakes. They are not as delicate in taste as “Extra”, but they retain the integrity of the grain structure. Another advantage is the relatively short cooking time - 20-25 minutes. However, Hercules still cannot be compared with fresh oats in terms of its beneficial properties.

Contrary to popular belief, daily use oatmeal for breakfast is not able to improve the health of the body, but can lead to serious consequences. The harm of oatmeal every day is explained by some of its properties and chemical composition.

• Oatmeal contains phytin, or phytic acid. It leaches calcium from bones. Despite quite high content calcium in the oatmeal itself, it will not be absorbed in the body: phytin will prevent this. The harm of eating oatmeal every day in the morning is explained by the fact that you can easily cause osteoporosis.
• Oatmeal contains gluten, a gluten that can cause allergic reaction. For this reason, oat porridge is contraindicated for babies under 11 months. The harm of daily oatmeal for breakfast will be that gluten sticks together the villi in the intestines and impairs digestion. As a result, celiac disease develops, a disease in which the intestinal villi become incapacitated and stop absorbing nutrients.
• The calorie content of oatmeal makes it difficult to consume it every day. 100 g of Hercules flakes contain 350 kcal, and Extra - 380 kcal. In this regard, overeating and, as a result, obesity are possible.
• Oatmeal threatens the development of diabetes. The starch they contain in large quantities is converted into sugar and increases blood glucose levels.

Many people believe that oatmeal is... the best option for breakfast. However, nutritionists have long rejected this opinion. Why is morning oatmeal harmful to humans?

The main role of breakfast is to charge the body with energy for the whole day and speed up metabolism. This means that meals eaten in the morning should not be digested immediately and maintain a feeling of fullness for a long time. These are the properties that protein foods have (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products).

Oatmeal, even cooked with milk, will give the body 300-400 kcal, which completely covers the calorie content of breakfast. However, the effect of satiety will not last long, and after a couple of hours the person will want to eat again. At the same time, he has already taken his calorie quota. It turns out that oatmeal provokes unnecessary snacking and contributes to overeating. At the same time, it is also unable to provide our body with energy for the whole day, since it does not contain protein in large quantities.

Once in the body, porridge provokes the release of insulin due to its high carbohydrate content. A sharp feeling of hunger develops: a person eats, but is not satisfied.

Listed harmful properties oatmeal does not mean that you have to give up the traditional dish. Moderate consumption of a properly selected and prepared product will only benefit the body. Those who prefer oatmeal should remember a few simple rules:

• eat no more than 2-3 servings per week;
• To prepare porridge, choose either whole oat grains or Hercules flakes. Instant “Extra” oat flakes will be delivered more harm, than the benefits;
• Do not cook porridge with milk, as this combination of products worsens digestion.

The French prefer a croissant and coffee for breakfast, Americans make do with a glass orange juice and a couple of toasted breads with jam, and the Germans love high-calorie sausages with a side dish. It’s hard to imagine residents of Great Britain without a morning bowl of oatmeal, and in this regard, our traditions are somewhat similar.

Porridge (semolina, millet, buckwheat and others) has been the main dish for breakfast since ancient times. It gives energy and strength for the day, has positive impact on the body. Oatmeal is considered the recognized “queen”. Benefits and harms, opinions of nutritionists and the most delicious recipes you will find in our review.

Benefits of oatmeal

The benefits and harms of oatmeal are the subject of eternal debate, but we know one undeniable argument. The “pro” of oatmeal is its rich composition, which we will dwell on in more detail.

1. Vitamins (B 1, B 6, A, K, E, PP).
2. Fiber, fats and protein compounds.
3. Minerals (manganese, fluorine, iron, iodine, potassium, phosphorus and others).

So unique combination useful components gives oatmeal truly magical properties.

Oatmeal works wonders

The benefits and harms of oatmeal - which outweighs? Anyone who has already included oatmeal in their diet only confirms the conclusions of experts. This amazing product has a positive effect on almost the entire human body:

• Antioxidants in oatmeal take care of the beauty of nails, hair and skin, and also give youth.
• Vitamin K, for a long time overshadowed by more well-known vitamins, it improves blood clotting, normalizes kidney function and serves to prevent osteoporosis.
• Biotin improves general health and strengthens the body.
• Oatmeal is indispensable for athletes who want to build up muscle mass.

Reduce cholesterol levels, prevent blood clots and improve health of cardio-vascular system Regular consumption of oatmeal will help.

Nothing extra

“Oatmeal: benefits and harm”, “oatmeal: calorie content”, “oatmeal for weight loss” - these are the most popular topics for discussion regarding the favorite dish of prim Englishmen.

Achieve maximum benefit from huge amount useful substances and minimal calorie content is possible when preparing oatmeal in water. This method will please your stomach and intestines the most.

Porridge coats the walls of the stomach in a special way and facilitates the digestion process. For the intestines, oatmeal makes another important work- they are like a brush, removing accumulations of harmful formations.

Water oatmeal recipe

It takes very little time to prepare morning porridge. Some of us prefer to use a multicooker, with which everything necessary ingredients You can load it in the evening, and in the morning the aromatic dish will be ready by the appointed time. But even without such a smart device, a novice “cook” can do it in no time.

1. Bring two glasses of water to a boil.
2. Add three quarters of a glass of oatmeal and cook over low heat. In terms of time, we focus on the manufacturer’s recommendations.
3. If desired, add salt and a few spoons butter.
4. You can improve the taste of oatmeal with a small amount of honey, nuts, candied fruits, or frozen and fresh berries.

For those who are used to drinking only coffee in the morning, such a breakfast may seem too filling. But once you try it, you will notice the boost of cheerfulness and good mood that oatmeal gives. The benefits and harms of this simple recipe There is no need for additional comments, because even with water, porridge can be very tasty.

With milk

Another cooking option is with milk. Many people will like this oatmeal. The calorie content, benefits and harms of milk oatmeal cause a lot of controversy. Nutritionists say that this breakfast is most suitable for small children and athletes. These two categories are united by one goal - to gain weight.

In other cases, it is better to avoid eating porridge with milk. As a compromise, you can significantly dilute the milk with water and omit the butter and sugar. Then the declared calorie content (100 grams contains more than 110 kcal) will be slightly reduced.

It is worth noting that even milk porridge for breakfast will be much healthier than a sausage sandwich or strong coffee. Therefore, those who are not worried about their figure can eat as much oatmeal with butter as they want.

Baby food

The World Health Organization recommends that new mothers maintain breastfeeding for as long as possible. But babies often have problems with nutrition, and as a result, constipation, colic and bloating appear. If the child’s age is already ready for complementary feeding, then pediatricians advise starting with buckwheat or oatmeal.

Ten years ago, the main porridge for children was semolina, but today its benefits are questioned. Frequent use seduction by babies under one year old can lead to serious illnesses intestines, so it’s not worth the risk.

The benefits and harms of oatmeal for the body infant also worry every mother, but after reading the opinions of experts, you will easily accept correct solution. Modern baby food manufacturers offer instant dry cereals. The choice is really great, and at first you can take advantage finished products. However, as your baby gets older, it is better to switch to regular oatmeal.

Depending on the desired consistency, you can use a coffee grinder to grind them into flour or a little coarser. Thus, the child’s diet will contain healthy breakfast, which will also train chewing skills.

Problems start in childhood

It is impossible to answer the question of what are the benefits and harms of oatmeal. How to choose without complete information about the danger that awaits oatmeal lovers? Let's talk about celiac disease.

Few of us know about a similar disease, in which eating the famous British dish is contraindicated. Celiac disease, or celiac disease, is inherited.

Substances hordein, gluten, avenin in cereals (oats, wheat, barley) disrupt the digestion process, damaging the villi small intestine. As a result, intestinal absorption is impaired, which, in turn, leads to malnutrition and the manifestation of rickets-like syndrome. Unfortunately, the consequence of such a failure is food allergy, polyhypovitaminosis and other health problems. Obviously, the benefit of oatmeal for breakfast for the intestines of a patient with celiac enteropathy is reduced to zero.

Most often, celiac disease is diagnosed in infants. After introducing porridge into your baby’s diet, it is very important to monitor changes in stool. Weight loss, belly enlargement and frequent loose stool should become grayish in color alarm signal for parents. Without proper treatment and monitoring, the child may lag behind in psychomotor development.

Oatmeal, sir!

The benefits and harms of oatmeal for breakfast are directly related to the type of cereal. The most correct and long way preparation requires purchasing whole or crushed oat grains.

If you choose this option, then be sure to use the original Scottish recipe. Oatmeal, or porridge, is beloved by residents of this part of the UK. Traditionally, porridge is prepared without adding salt, milk, butter or sugar, so that the additional ingredients do not overpower the original taste.

The grains are poured into boiling water and cooked over low heat, stirring constantly, for about half an hour. As a result, oatmeal acquires an unusual nutty aroma, which the Scots are so afraid of missing out on. While eating, you can add salt to the porridge.

Traditionally, the dish is cooked for the whole week at once. The finished oatmeal is cooled, cut into portions and consumed as needed. For residents of Great Britain, it is very important to observe centuries-old rituals, so they are not particularly concerned about the benefits and harms of oatmeal.

How to choose oatmeal?

IN modern world time is valued even more than money. Many of us do everything on the go, including breakfast. To prepare yourself the right oatmeal you need at least 20-30 minutes, which sometimes there is simply nowhere to get it. However, there is an easy way to organize a healthy breakfast in a matter of minutes - instant porridge. Let's figure out what this oatmeal is.

Benefits and harms, beneficial properties, composition, cooking time - these are the main points that we will focus on.

“Quick” porridges can be divided into two types according to the duration of preparation: instant readiness and the need to cook for several minutes.

The first option dissolves in a plate in a matter of seconds. Empty the contents of the bag, pour hot milk (less often water) - and hearty breakfast on your table. But how many nutrients are lost during the cereal production process? Answer: almost everything.

At the first stage, the husks are separated from the grains, and at the second, they are crushed. The less time you need to cook the porridge, the finer the flakes. Such a product instantly absorbs liquid, and our body absorbs the starch inside it at an incredible speed. In addition, information about additives in the form of fruits, nuts or honey once again confirms the harm, because we're talking about about flavorings and flavor concentrates. Regular consumption of the wrong oatmeal can lead to serious consequences: from weight gain to diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Such oatmeal, the benefits and harms of which are so obvious, should not appear in the diet of adults and children.

Instant porridge

The beneficial and harmful properties of instant oatmeal are the subject of constant debate. The processing process is very similar to what we described earlier for instant porridges. The difference is in the degree of grinding of the flakes, and this affects the cooking time.

Nutritionists have concluded that the presence minerals in instant cereals outweighs the harm from starch. Therefore, you can still afford such a breakfast several times a week. Choose instant oatmeal without flavoring - it is better to add pieces of fruit or nuts before eating.

It turns out that the healthiest oatmeal cereals are those that are packaged in large, nondescript boxes. They do not need additional advertising or colorful packaging. As a rule, the cooking time for such oatmeal is from 10 to 20 minutes.

Oatmeal diet

In pursuit of a beautiful figure, representatives of the fair sex are ready to make sacrifices. Unfortunately, few people prioritize physical activity and proper nutrition.

It’s easier to stay on a diet for a couple of weeks than to completely rebuild your lifestyle. Such experiments very often end badly for health, and even such a healthy product as oatmeal can cause irreparable harm. But first things first.

A two-week oatmeal diet consists of eating porridge several times a day - this way you maintain a feeling of fullness. Many believe that since oatmeal, the benefits and harms of which have long been proven, is rich in all kinds of microelements, then it can be consumed in any quantity.

Hazardous components

A mono-diet, the main role of which is oatmeal, is unacceptable for one very reason. important reason. Besides everyone useful vitamins and minerals contained in oatmeal, scientists have identified the presence of phytic acid.

This substance is the main enemy of calcium. Phytic acid prevents its absorption in the intestines, and also actively rids our body of this required element. Therefore, a diet based on oatmeal should be agreed with a nutritionist. The doctor will certainly advise you to take an additional vitamin complex, including calcium.

Without fanaticism

Oatmeal, like many foods, has its pros and cons. Positive properties, of course, outweigh.

The best solution is to eat oatmeal for breakfast about three or four times a week. This is enough to improve digestion and not harm the body. Masks made from oatmeal with the addition of sour cream, honey and other delicious products will help to refresh your complexion or make the skin on your hands softer.

Everyone has heard since childhood: if you eat oatmeal in the morning, you will be healthy. Oatmeal is one of the sacred foods for the Slavs and the official breakfast in Great Britain. In this article we will tell you about the benefits and harms of oatmeal. .

Oatmeal is a cereal, oats. Oatmeal and Hercules should be separated. Our usual cereals, which are prepared within a few minutes, have commercial name Hercules. They are prepared using a special technology: first, the grain is polished, steamed, and a special press gives it the usual flake shape.

Natural oatmeal is grains that have been practically unprocessed. Outwardly, this cereal resembles rice. It takes about 40 minutes to cook, and the finished product tastes and consistency is somewhat different from Hercules.

The following types of oatmeal are available on the market:

• - Instant Hercules;
• - Hercules 1st grade;
• - Hercules 2 grades;
• - Hercules 3 grades;
• - shelled cereal;
• - whole grain;
• - unprocessed cereal.

What we eat every day is Hercules. As a rule, our people buy Hercules 2 and 2 grades; instant Hercules (premium class) is designed for consumers with above-average income.

History of oatmeal

People began to consume oats a very long time ago. There is information that people were the first to try the sprouts of this cereal, and then moved on to processing it.

However, there is another theory. Wild oats differ significantly from domesticated oats (which we eat). Question abouthow to a short time the cereal has transformed radically and remains open. Nevertheless, thanks to its unpretentiousness, high yield and undoubted benefits, oats are widely used in cooking.

Even in ancient times, flat cakes, desserts, and porridges were prepared from oats. In the Middle Ages, oats served mainly healthy food for horses, people mainly used it as a grain for flour (bread, confectionery, soups) and grains from which porridge was made.

Now I bought oats wide use thanks to the proven benefits of this cereal. It is consumed in the form of porridges, bread, confectionery products are made from it, nutritional supplements. Oat sprouts are widely used in nutrition healthy image life and Ayurvedic medicine as a mandatory food product.

Composition of oatmeal

The composition of oats is typical for cereals:

• - complex carbohydrates – a source of energy;
• - vegetable fiber;
• - high quality vegetable protein;
• - unsaturated fatty acid;
• - calcium;
• - phosphorus;
• - B vitamins;
• - vitamins A, E, D;
• - potassium;
• - magnesium;
• - iodine;
• - substances from the group of antioxidants.

Oats also contain a number of biologically active substances which are necessary for the human body.

Benefits of oatmeal

Due to the high content of proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, vegetable oil, macro and microelements, oats are complete food product. It can be an independent food (provides the body with all necessary substances), and the basis for various dishes. Oatmeal perfectly satisfies hunger and gives you energy.

Benefits of oatmeal for the digestive system

Oatmeal is considered food - medicine for sick people; it is recommended to eat oatmeal for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, exhaustion and poisoning. It gently envelops the walls of the gastrointestinal tract intestinal tract, prevents putrefactive processes. Fiber promotes good intestinal function, restoration of its microflora and removal of waste products.

Beauty benefits of oatmeal

High nutritional value, the content of beauty vitamins and powerful cleansing properties have made oatmeal a favorite product of beauties. It gives radiance to the skin and volume to the hair. The beauty is always in a good mood, active, and bursting with health.

Benefits of oatmeal for the nervous system

No wonder oatmeal is a traditional breakfast for the Anglo-Saxons. It charges the body with energy, stabilizes the functioning of the nervous system, and promotes the restoration of nerve fibers. It has been proven that regular consumption of oatmeal improves intelligence, mood, and removes depressive states, has a beneficial effect on sleep-wake patterns.

The benefits of oatmeal for the heart

Content of B vitamins, vitamins A and E, complex carbohydrates, makes oatmeal a real battery for the heart. It charges the heart muscle with energy (carbohydrates), supplies protein (repairs heart tissue), and magnesium (improves the functions of the heart muscle). Doctors say eat oatmeal and your heart will be healthy.

What are the benefits of oatmeal for children?

Oatmeal with fruit, honey, jam or nuts is a great breakfast for children. It gives the little one energy and provides the growing body with everything necessary substances, strengthens the heart and immunity. Children who regularly consume oatmeal grow well, get sick less, and are psychologically stable.

What are the benefits of oatmeal for older people?

Oatmeal is one of the products of youth. Oatmeal helps restore muscle fibers, nerve tissue, strengthening bones and cleansing the body. All this is very important for older people.

Benefits of oatmeal for immunity

Harm of oatmeal

It can't be absolutely healthy products without any harm. And oatmeal is no exception.

Individual intolerance to cereals

First of all, people with disabilities should not eat oatmeal. individual intolerance. If you have celiac disease - intolerance to grains - oatmeal is contraindicated for you.

Excess weight and oatmeal

Oatmeal is a very high-calorie product. Therefore, you should not abuse it. Oatmeal for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with in a sedentary manner life is a direct path to obesity instead of recovery. Also, excess weight guaranteed if the oatmeal is prepared with milk, with the addition of butter and with a sandwich for a snack. Know your limits.

Processing oatmeal

The main point is the processing of grains. All harmful effects on the human body are characteristic of processed oatmeal. For example, premium oatmeal, despite its high cost, the product is useless. The manufacturer completely cleared the grain of all shells, steamed it, processed it, and as a result, there was practically nothing useful left in it.

Hercules is also not the most healthy food. Hulling and heat treatment removed most of the nutrients from the grain. In practice, such porridge is ballast for the body.

How to benefit from eating oatmeal?

To get the most benefits from eating oatmeal, choose whole grains (whole oatmeal and unprocessed oatmeal). This is the most healthy oatmeal, will bring maximum benefit. Plus - it's cheap. The downside is that it takes a long time to cook.

You can also eat Hercules. Buy third grade cereal. They are “ugly” with debris (grain shells), but they have undergone minimal processing and retained maximum benefits.

Oatmeal should be cooked with water. To get the maximum useful action, eat it with honey, fruits, nuts, herbs. It's also good to add oat sprouts or other grains.

Oats are very healthy cereal. Choose unprocessed grains and you will get the most benefits.

Oatmeal, sir! This phrase has become business card not only an aristocratic lifestyle, but also synonymous with stability, constancy and well-being. For centuries, oatmeal porridge has been recognized as one of the most healthy dishes in the human diet. It not only helps to get a charge of the necessary energy and vitamins, but also acts as a kind of brush for the walls of the stomach and intestines, since its fibers are able to collect and remove from the body toxins that accumulate on them and even heal minor damage. They say that the product is endowed with not only benefits, but can also cause harm to some categories. Is it really?

Only the deaf have never heard of the benefits of oatmeal for breakfast. Of the entire selection of cereals that can be prepared today, the product contains the maximum amount of fiber, which allows it not only to keep a person feeling full for a long time, but also to thoroughly cleanse the intestines, because it is not for nothing that it is considered an excellent antioxidant. What are the beneficial properties of oatmeal?

Oat porridge has always been considered the healthiest breakfast

Table: Chemical composition of oatmeal (per 100 g of product cooked in water)

	Whole grain oatmeal	Rolled oatmeal
Calorie content	109 kcal	105 kcal
Squirrels	2.6 g	2.4 g
Fats	4.1 g	4 g
Carbohydrates	15.5 g	14.8 g
Alimentary fiber	1.9 g	1.3 g
Water	74.4 g	76.2 g
Ash	1.5 g	1.3 g
Mono- and disaccharides (sugars)	1.2 g	1.2 g
Thiamine (vit. B1)	0.09 mg	0.07 mg
Riboflavin (vit. B2)	0.09 mg	0.02 mg
Tocopherol (Vit. E)	1.2 mg	1.1 mg
Nicotinic acid (vit. PP)	0.9 mg	0.8 mg
Niacin	0.2 mg	0.2 mg
Potassium	87 mg	71 mg
Calcium	23 mg	19 mg
Magnesium	29 mg	29 mg
Sodium	385 mg	381 mg
Phosphorus	84 mg	70 mg
Iron	1 mg	0.8 mg

• Despite the fact that almost a quarter of the composition of oatmeal is carbohydrates, it has a fairly low glycemic index(for porridge cooked in water it is only 40). This means that this product has almost no effect on increasing sugar levels. This property makes oat porridge a desirable dish for people with diabetes. In addition, the ability of oatmeal to bind and remove “bad” cholesterol from the body has been proven.
• The calcium in its composition helps strengthen bones, hair, nail plates and tooth enamel.
• It will also support the health of the heart and blood vessels.
• Fiber helps clean out intestinal tracts, normalizing stools and removing waste and toxins that are deposited on them from the body. This not only serves as a prevention of intestinal diseases, in particular gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, but also reduces the risk of developing oncological diseases. In addition, oat fibers have some wound healing properties and can accelerate the healing of microcracks on the walls of the stomach and intestines.
• Due to the presence of B vitamins, oatmeal improves mood, strengthens nervous system and may well be used as an antidepressant in various stressful situations.
• Its low calorie content makes it popular in the diet of those who are struggling with extra pounds.

Which is healthier?

But is every porridge healthy, because today on store shelves you can find the most different types cereals and flakes for its preparation.

It is believed that the maximum useful properties porridge cooked from whole grains in water, without the use of sugar and milk, preserves. During processing, the shell and germ of oat grains are not removed, which allows them to retain all their beneficial properties. Of course, porridge from such a product takes longer to prepare, and the grains are practically not boiled even in the finished dish, which requires better chewing of the porridge, but the result is worth it.

Rolled oatmeal, which is the most popular of the oat flakes, is peeled, steamed and flattened into thin sheets. oat grain. Today you can find many types similar products, the preparation of which takes from a few minutes to half an hour. If you focus on benefits, then you need to choose those that take at least 10 minutes to cook, since the grains used for their production retain more full composition and, accordingly, beneficial properties. Instant cereal, which just needs to be poured with boiling water for a few minutes, has almost no benefit. On the contrary, due to the flavoring additives that often “fortify” such products, they can cause real harm to health. It can be expressed either by a set of extra pounds or by an exacerbation of diseases of the stomach and intestines.

There is an opinion that oatmeal is healthiest for breakfast, and it is not recommended to eat it for lunch, and especially for dinner. To a certain extent, this statement is wrong. Porridge made from whole grains can be eaten at any time of the day. Another thing is that when preparing it you don’t need to use sugar, too much salt (it’s better to add a little salt to the finished dish), milk and cream. In this case, porridge will not hurt even for dinner, provided that there are at least 2 hours left before going to bed. By the way, in order to reduce cooking time, oat grains can be soaked overnight. At the same time, the beneficial properties are preserved, and the cooking time is reduced.

As for oatmeal, nutritionists advise using them in your diet no more than 4 times a week, while the total amount can be approximately 200 g per day. It is not recommended to use only oatmeal in the diet, since, despite all its beneficial properties, it cannot fully meet the body’s needs for food. nutrients. That is why it is not recommended to continue a mono-diet for more than a week.

Whole grain porridge has superior nutritional properties to the dish for which flakes were used.

For pregnant

Pregnancy is not a reason to give up porridge made from oatmeal; on the contrary, its ability to cleanse the body and reduce swelling is becoming more in demand than ever. Expectant mothers will also benefit from the ability of this product to improve their mood and resist stress. It has been proven that women who regularly eat oatmeal are much less susceptible to mood swings while pregnant. Another undeniable advantage of this product for pregnant women will be the high content of B vitamins. It is believed that these substances can reduce the manifestations of toxicosis. And, of course, oatmeal is an excellent prevention of constipation. The fiber in its composition will help to gently cleanse the intestines and ensure constant stool throughout pregnancy.

But you shouldn’t get too carried away with this product. Studies have shown that excessive consumption of oatmeal can lead to a decrease in the amount of calcium in the body, which, in turn, will lead to brittle nails and hair, as well as an increased susceptibility to fractures. You just need to follow the norm and not eat the dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A small portion of oatmeal for breakfast (150–200 g) 4 days a week will be enough to bring real benefits to the body and avoid unpleasant surprises. Save calcium on the right level You can if you add dairy products to the finished dish.

When breastfeeding

Oatmeal is no less useful during breastfeeding. It is better to prepare it using milk, giving preference to whole grain products or those flakes that need to be boiled for at least 10 minutes. Use sachets with various flavors and flavoring additives, for the preparation of which their contents simply need to be poured with boiling water or kept in the microwave for several minutes, is not recommended. Not only will you get absolutely no benefit from eating such porridge, it will high probability may cause allergies in the baby. In any case, if oatmeal is used on the menu for the first time after the birth of a child, you need to carefully monitor how he reacts to it. New Product on mom's menu. If no alarming symptoms(stool has changed, a rash has appeared on the skin) then you can safely continue to enjoy the benefits that this porridge provides.

Oatmeal for children

All the beneficial properties of this product, of course, are in demand not only in the adult diet, but also in children's menu. It’s not for nothing that oatmeal is considered one of the healthiest dishes in the world. baby food. It helps avoid constipation, enriches the body with vitamins, supports the immune system, and its carbohydrates cope perfectly with the gigantic energy needs of a growing and developing body. But there is a slight complication. The fibers of this product contain gluten - a complex substance that the baby's intestines are not able to digest. This is due to the lack of certain enzymes in newborns, which begin to be produced only from 8–10 months. That is why the product is recommended to be introduced as complementary foods during this period. But this does not mean that you must wait 8 months. Some children, especially those in artificial feeding, digest this porridge perfectly even at seven months of age. The main thing is to follow the basic rule of feeding - start introducing a new product with small portions (about half a teaspoon), gradually, if the baby does not show concern, increasing it.

To make it easier for the child to get used to the new taste, it is recommended to add a little to the finished porridge. breast milk or mixtures. A familiar taste will help you quickly get used to an unusual dish and will not cause refusal.

For children under one year old, it is preferable to prepare porridge from whole grains. They retain the most useful substances. Until the child gets used to the new dish, you should use only water for cooking, without adding sugar, butter or dairy products. The cooked porridge should be liquid, without lumps.

Infants are usually recommended to prepare 5% porridge. For it, oat grains are ground to flour in a blender or coffee grinder and take 1 tsp. (approximately 5 g) per 100 ml of water. Pour the oatmeal into boiling water and, stirring constantly, keep it on low heat for 5 minutes. When the child gets comfortable with this porridge, you can prepare 10%; for this, the amount of ground oats is doubled.

After a year, you can prepare porridge from whole grains or use flakes (you need to choose those that require at least 10 minutes of cooking). Until the child’s intestines have become accustomed to the product, it is better to prepare one-ingredient porridge. So, in the event of an allergy, it will be easier to identify what exactly the reaction occurred to. If the baby’s intestines confidently cope with oatmeal, you can add fruits or vegetables to it. Again, try to have only one additive at first. This will make it easier to identify the culprit of a possible allergy.

The longer the cereal takes to cook, the more nutrients it contains.

Learn more about using the product

For weight loss

Today there are many options for weight loss using oatmeal. This includes a mono-diet (it should be noted that it can be quite difficult to maintain, and it is not recommended to eat like this for more than a week), and various fasting days on this product. But the easiest way would be to just start the day with this dish for breakfast. It should be noted that those who are losing weight should prepare oatmeal exclusively with water, without sugar and with minimum quantity salt. Here are some oatmeal recipes to add variety to your diet.

• Usually take 2 glasses of water per glass of cereal. After pouring it into a saucepan and bringing it to a boil, pour the flakes into it, mix and cook over low heat according to the recommendations on the package. If you use whole grains, then you need to be patient - the cooking process in this case can last 40–50 minutes.
• If you cannot imagine life without milk porridge, then add whole milk better in a finished dish. Thus, you can leave the dish low-calorie and get large quantity vitamins
• You can add diced apples to the prepared porridge. To ensure that oatmeal contains a minimum of calories, it is better to choose unsweetened varieties. It is better to cut off the skin before use.
• Those who want to lose weight should not add sugar to oatmeal, but no one forbids you from sweetening your life a little by adding a teaspoon of honey to the ready-made porridge. It will not only enrich its composition, but also add variety to the diet. However, before this, the porridge needs to be cooled a little, because honey loses almost all its beneficial properties when heated to 60°.
• In order to enhance the cleansing effect of oatmeal, you can add any bran to it. But if you have never introduced this product into your diet before, you need to start doing this gradually, with 1 tsp. Then this amount can be increased to 1 tbsp. l.
• Another oatmeal dish that will help you lose weight is a dish with kefir. Its advantage is not only overall impact such recognized masters of weight loss as kefir and oatmeal, but also ease of preparation. You can prepare it in a simple manner glass jar. For this, 2-3 tbsp. l. oatmeal (it is better to take those that need to be cooked for more than 5 minutes) pour a glass of kefir. Choose low-fat product in this case it is not necessary. Paradoxical as it may seem, the absence of fat will not bring benefits. It is best to use low-calorie, that is, 2.5% fat. Mix the flakes and kefir, cover with a lid and refrigerate overnight. In the morning healthy and tasty breakfast he'll be ready. For variety, you can add a variety of fruits and vegetables to this dish by cutting them up first. If you are not a fan of kefir, you can easily replace it natural yoghurt. The taste will become softer, but the benefits will not suffer. By the way, you can store this dish in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Oatmeal jelly

Another way to pleasantly shed pounds is to use it throughout the day. oatmeal jelly. By the way, drinking it before meals can not only improve your figure, but also significantly improve your condition in diseases such as gastritis or ulcers. To prepare the jelly you will have to be patient, but the result is worth it.

First you need to prepare the starter. To do this, pour 3 cups of cold boiling water over a glass of oatmeal and add a crust to it. rye bread and leave for 2 days at room temperature. When the time is up, the mass is filtered, and the remaining flakes are rubbed through a fine sieve or cheesecloth and combined with the resulting liquid. The starter is poured into a transparent jar and placed in the refrigerator. After a few hours it will separate. The top, transparent layer is drained, and the grounds are used when preparing the dish. To do this, to the glass cold water add a glass of starter (if you like a more liquid product, you can get by with 2-3 tablespoons), and, stirring, bring to a boil. Ready jelly is salted to taste. For cooking, you can use milk instead of water, but dietary properties of such a product are sharply reduced.

In order to diversify your diet, oatmeal can be combined with many foods.

For gaining muscle mass

Those who want to increase their muscle mass, or, more simply, to get pumped up, have exactly the opposite task with a person losing weight. They, unlike the latter, need to consume as many calories as possible so that they have something to build muscles from. In this regard, boiled oatmeal is absolutely unsuitable, because it is impossible to eat 2 plates at a time instead of 1. A dry product will come to the rescue. People involved in bodybuilding are recommended to include dishes made from “raw” oatmeal in their diet.. They are simply filled with milk.

• For example, for breakfast you can take 2 cups of oatmeal, pour a glass of milk over it and add a chopped banana to it. This dish will not only provide the body with energy, but will also have enough calories to build muscles.

For diseases

Dysbacteriosis

Dysbacteriosis is a fairly common phenomenon these days. Often this disease is accompanied by flatulence, diarrhea or constipation, and abdominal pain. Regular consumption of oatmeal for breakfast will help restore the correct balance of microorganisms in the intestines. The fibers of this dish stimulate intestinal motility, absorb and remove toxins from the body, thereby helping reproduction beneficial microflora. To enhance the effect, you can prepare a so-called intestinal scrub.

• 5 tbsp. l. pour oatmeal with the same amount of water, mix and leave overnight. In the morning add 1 tbsp. l. milk or cream, as well as a handful of any chopped nuts. By eating this dish on an empty stomach 3 times a week, you will provide a high-quality cleansing procedure for your intestines.

For constipation

Oat porridge will help solve this problem. But here it is important to remember that only whole grains can be used for cooking. Soft flakes will not radically solve this problem. And one more nuance - milk is not used to prepare porridge for constipation. It is even contraindicated for this problem. It is best to eat oatmeal for constipation in the morning on an empty stomach.

• Adding prunes to the porridge will help enhance the effect. It is not necessary to cook it with it. On the contrary, the maximum laxative effect can be achieved if prunes are brewed with boiling water in a separate bowl for 4-5 minutes, chopped and mixed with the already prepared porridge.

For stomach diseases

Oatmeal is considered one of the healthiest foods when various gastritis and ulcers. It is also best to cook it with water from whole grain cereals. If you plan to use flakes in cooking, they must be boiled and not just poured with boiling water. Milk for exacerbation gastric pathologies is not prohibited, but since it is often poorly tolerated by patients, it is not recommended to use it in preparation. Salt and sugar for these diseases should also be limited.

You can enrich the diet for these diseases by adding various ingredients to the prepared porridge.

• Dairy lovers will certainly enjoy 2-3 tbsp. l. low-fat cottage cheese added to ready-made porridge. They will give the dish a delicate taste and additionally enrich it with vitamins.
• Another way to diversify this dish is to combine it with dried fruits. However, you should not cook them with porridge. It is much healthier to pour boiling water over them, leaving them for half an hour, then chop them and combine them with the already prepared oatmeal. It should be remembered that with gastritis, food should not be very hot.
• Alternatively, you can use fresh fruits. Apples, raspberries, and strawberries are perfect. But they can be added only with normal or reduced acidity gastric juice. If it is increased, then those who have not passed heat treatment fruits can cause heartburn.

Properly prepared oatmeal can help cope with many diseases.

Pancreatitis

Oatmeal is one of the first porridges that a patient is allowed after the attack ends. It is prepared from grains or oat flakes ground into flour in water without adding sugar or oil. The use of whole grains in cooking is not allowed. And don't get carried away with this product. You can start with 50 g of porridge, gradually increasing the portion to 100–150 g.

Diabetes

For diabetics, oatmeal is one of the most beneficial foods. Its substances are slowly absorbed into the blood, which avoids sharp jump Sahara. In addition, they reduce cholesterol levels and may well fight excess weight. Therefore, it is recommended not only for those who suffer from type I diabetes, but also if type II of this disease is diagnosed.

Gout

Atopic dermatitis

Most doctors believe that it is possible to eat oatmeal for this disease, but only when cooked in water and using whole grain cereals. Many who are closely faced with this problem advise taking baths with adding grains or flakes of this plant ground to the state of flour to the water. For this, 5 tbsp. l. ground and sifted oatmeal is diluted in 1 liter of lukewarm water and poured into the filled bath. The duration of the procedure is 15–20 minutes.

Ulcerative colitis

You can also eat oatmeal if you have this disease. It is prepared in water, without adding milk, which is contraindicated for this pathology. The porridge should have a semi-liquid consistency and no lumps. It is best to grind it after cooking to avoid possible intestinal irritation. The porridge should be warm while eating.

Contraindications and harm

TO harmful products Those who suffer from celiac disease may benefit from oatmeal. This disease (also called celiac disease) is inherited and is expressed in allergies to certain proteins. cereal crops and cow's milk.

Another danger of this dish is that if it is not consumed in moderation, phytic acid accumulates in the body, which blocks the absorption of calcium. Thus, the amount of this element decreases and a tendency to osteoporosis appears.

Video: Once again about the benefits of oatmeal

Porridge made from oatmeal or flakes is perfect dish for breakfast. In addition to the fact that its taste is in perfect harmony with many foods, it will help cope with many ailments. But you need to remember that beautiful bags, the contents of which just need to be poured with boiling water, contain very few beneficial properties. It’s better to spend half an hour of your time and then enjoy the high spirits and boost of energy you get from your favorite porridge all day.