Oats aren’t the flashiest foods on the shelf, but they are full of soluble fibre beta-glucan, which has many health benefits. Adding oats to your diet can reduce cholesterol levels, improve blood sugar control and help you feel full.
Research has shown that oats can significantly lower total and LDL cholesterol without decreasing beneficial HDL cholesterol. They can also help decrease systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which is another heart disease risk factor. The soluble fibre in oats can also increase the healthy bacteria in your gut and slow down your body’s absorption of carbohydrates from food.
Oat beta-glucan helps reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics by slowing down the emptying of the stomach, which promotes a feeling of fullness. It may also enhance insulin sensitivity and prevent sharp rises in blood glucose after meals. Studies have shown that people with diabetes who regularly eat oats have lower hemoglobin A1c and better insulin sensitivity than those who don’t eat oats.
The soluble fibre in oats may reduce the risk of colon cancer by decreasing inflammatory compounds and removing excess mucus from the colon. It also increases serotonin, a hormone that produces a sense of wellbeing and reduces stress and anxiety. Research shows that a high-fiber diet can lower your risk of obesity by reducing satiety and the number of calories you consume. It can also make you feel satisfied after eating, thereby making it easier to lose weight.
A high-fiber diet can also lower your risk of developing high blood pressure because it can clean out your arteries and veins, reduce the amount of fat in the body and improve insulin sensitivity. The soluble fibre in oats also helps to regulate your cholesterol levels, which can reduce your risk of heart disease.
Researchers have shown that a soothing colloidal oatmeal emollient can alleviate symptoms of irritant contact dermatitis, such as itch and erythema. The emollient has been shown to be effective in a number of clinical trials using different scoring modalities, including the SCORAD and EASI. In addition, the oat emollient was well tolerated and did not require concomitant topical prescription or rescue therapies.
Oats have been shown to reduce the itchiness of chronic irritant contact dermatitis (CICD) by preventing the inflammatory and itching responses of the skin barrier. They can also protect against damage by inhibiting oxidation of lipids in the skin, reducing the permeability of the barrier and decreasing the production of itching-associated cytokines. This is a significant contribution to improving patients’ quality of life and helping to prevent further skin barrier disruption. Furthermore, the oat-derived compounds found in this study could be used to formulate dermatological products for the treatment of other conditions such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. The use of oats in agriculture is also environmentally sustainable as they can be planted with cover crops like peas to interrupt pest cycles and add nitrogen to the soil, reducing the need for nitrogen-rich fertilizers. (Source: UC Davis).