Oat

Oat- A Beneficial Food

Common Names : Oats, Groats, Oatmeal, Oatstraw

Botanical Name : Avena sative L.

Constituents : Saponins, alkaloids (trigonelline and avenine), a sterol, flavonoids, starch, protein (gluten), fats, minerals (including silica, iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, zinc), vitamin B

Oats are nourishing as they provide starch, vitamins, minerals and proteins. It has also some amount of low saturated fat. These are the reasons why oat is considered a beneficial food item.

Benefits:

• Oat is the great source of dietary fiber. It consists of almost 55% of soluble fiber and 45% of insoluble of fiber.

• Oats have been used topically to wounds and various rashes and skin diseases.

• As oats are believed to have a calming effect, most of the herbal users recommended it to ease the frustration and anxiety that often accompany nicotine and drug withdrawal.

• A regular consumption of oat bran reduces blood cholesterol level about 10-12% in just a month.

• Hot oat bran cereal provides about 4 grams of dietary fiber.

• Lipids present in oats contain a good balance of fatty acids, which have been linked with general good health.

• A wide range of fiber sources including cereal bran such as oat bran, act to promote normal laxation.

• A low steaming bowl of fresh cooked oatmeal is a perfect way to start your day especially if you are facing with heart disease or diabetes.

• As oats have high fiber content, it is useful to remove cholesterol from digestive system that would end up in bloodstream.

• Oat has been known to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and heart attack.

• Studies conclude beta-glucan in oats has beneficial effects in diabetes as well. Six grams concentrated oat β-glucan per day for six weeks significantly reduced total and LDL cholesterol in subjects with elevated cholesterol. Physicians suggest food contained oat to type 2 diabetics’ patients