Looking for the ultimate superfood that benefits a lot more than just your waistline? Oats are the answer.
Oats, or Avena Sativa, are predominantly enjoyed as breakfast with water or milk. However, oats are so much more than just a comforting and filling breakfast choice, they can provide huge benefits for your body, brain and beauty routine too.
Let’s take a closer look at how versatile oats can be.
Body boosting benefits
Oats are loaded with important vitamins, minerals, and natural antioxidants like spermidine. Just half a cup (78 grams) of dry oats contains:
- Manganese: 63.91% of the daily value (DV)
- Phosphorus: 13.3% of the DV
- Magnesium: 13.3% of the DV
- Copper: 17.6% of the DV
- Iron: 9.4% of the DV
- Zinc: 13.4% of the DV
- Folate: 3.24% of the DV
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin): 15.5% of the DV
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 9.07% of the DV
They also contain small amounts of calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), and vitamin B3 (niacin).
As they’re jam-packed with vitamins and nutrients, this cereal grain brings nourishment to our lives in more ways than one.
Due to the density of the nutrition found in oats, they have potentially positive effects on cholesterol, blood sugar, weight, digestion and inflammation.
Oats for weight loss
Oats are slow to release energy and leave you feeling fuller for longer. They break down slowly, which is good for blood sugar that’s directly connected to weight loss and gain.
Another benefit of the slow breakdown of oats is that they leave the stomach slowly, increasing the production of the satiety hormone PYY.
Oatmeal also helps to regulate bowel movements, which is useful when trying to manage your weight.
Brain benefits
Eating a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet is vital for brain health and longevity. While oats are not necessarily “brain food”, they’re a huge storehouse of energy and nutrition. They also provide an excellent balance of sugars in the blood.
Eating chemical-based, high sugar content preservative-laden food is definitely not good for brain function and overall brain health. Our brains are heavily affected by how, when, and what we eat.
Improve your brain function
Oats are rich in fibre which balances the blood sugar, keeping you energised. Maintaining a high fibre diet and keeping your blood sugar stable is a huge support to overall brain function.
Reduce the chances of brain-related diseases
Oatmeal is also a fantastic soluble fibre. In fact, it’s on the list of the top 5 foods that lower cholesterol. Soluble fibre assists in bringing low-density lipoprotein down, resulting in the reduction of the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream.
When your cholesterol is too high, it can directly lead to brain issues such as Alzheimer’s. This is primarily due to the build-up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels, which in turn leads to brain damage by cutting off the oxygen supply to the brain.
While oats don’t have a perfectly direct link to brain health, when they form part of a healthy diet they can lead to cognitive support and healthy brain function.
Beauty bliss
Now that we’ve got the body and brain covered, let’s take a look at the role oats play in skincare products. As the female and male beauty market grows, there’s an increased focus on natural ingredient products; and oats tick all the right boxes.
A natural moisturiser
Oats are magical when used for dry, itchy, or irritated skin as they’re immensely soothing and possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. When used in a lotion, cleanser or moisturiser, oat starch forms a barrier that allows the skin to retain moisture without leaving it feeling oily. This barrier locks just the right amount of moisture in and ensures that the skin stays soft and supple.
An acne buster
Often, acne is caused by an excess of sebum that clogs the pores and causes inflammation. Oats behave as a natural cleanser by removing dirt and dead skin cells, and the rougher fibrous husk has exfoliating properties that’s effective but not overly harsh. This helps to keep skin clean without over drying it, and the oat’s anti-inflammatory properties reduce the swelling and redness that acne can cause.
Get all the benefits of oats
The benefits of oats are abundantly clear. This cereal grain is chock-full of benefits for your body, brain and beauty routine, and they’re 100% natural too. Whether you eat them or use them on your skin, you need to take advantage of the power of oats.
