OatsOats are a cereal that was first cultivated by humans as a staple food and animal feed over 4000 years ago. It's a nutritious cereal which can be grown on poor soil where other cereals can't thrive. Oats are used worldwide and have been a staple food for many people around the world. Oats have a high nutritional value and contain lots of beneficial phytonutrients which makes oats an excellent food source.
 
Oats can also be eaten by people who suffer from gluten intolerance (celiac disease). Grains contain gluten proteins, which are broken down during digestion into smaller components callled peptides. These peptides cause in about 1 in 50 people a chronic inflammation of the small intestine, causing insufficient nutrient uptake. The peptides that can be found in oats give no adverse reaction, such as the peptides found in wheat, barley and rye. Therefore oats are safe to eat for most people suffering from celiac disease.
 
Oats contain lots of fiber which help reduce the bad cholesterol levels. In addition, oats also contain a special type of fiber called beta-glucans. There are lots of scientific studies showing that these beta-glucans have an additional lowering effect on cholesterol levels. These studies have ahown that when people with high cholesterol levels eat a bowl with oatmeal daily, their cholesterol levels may drop some 20%. This is very significant because with every percentage your cholesterol levels decrease, your risk on heart disease drops with 2%. These fibers also ensure that the risk of atherosclerosis dramatically decreases when you have a daily bowl of oats on your menu.
 
The beta-glucans that oats contain also ensure that your immune system can respond much better to bacterial infections. Eating oats ensures that the source of the infection is more rapidly detected by the white blood cells and it improves their ability to fight the infection. So when you start your day with a breakfast that contains oats your immune system gets a morning boost.
 
Oats for breakfastOats are also a good remedy for heartburn. Causes of heartburn include unhealthy food, overeating  or alcohol, caffeine  and sodas. When you suffer from heartburn eating a spoonful of oats often provides a direct remedy. It's much better to eat a spoonful of oats then to take a Rennie tablet for relief, because a known side effect of these tablets is gas forming, which in turn results in heartburn.
 
Some of the health benefits of oats in a row:
 
  • Oats are a good source of the mierals manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, phosphorus, copper, chromium and zinc.
  • Oats contain the vitamins B1, B8 and E.
  • Oats are a good source of dietary fiber and proteins.
  • Oats can be eaten by people suffering from celiac disease.
  • Oats lower the bad cholesterol levels.
  • Oats eaten regularly reduce the risk of heart disease.
  • Oats improve the functioning of the immune system.
  • Oats are a good remedy for heartburn.
  • Oats decrease your hunger feeling.
  • Oats increase your energy level.
  • Oats in your diet reduce the fisk of heart failure.
  • Oats stabilize blood sugar levels.
  • Oats reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
  • Oats provide protection against several thpes of cancer.
  • Oats protect children from developing childhood asthma.