Everyday Health published this article:

Did you dig into a bowl of oatmeal this morning? One studded with chopped walnuts and blueberries? Let’s cut to the chase: Yes, oatmeal is good for you, despite what anyone with a fear of carbs will tell you.

As a great source of whole grains, oats contain a heart-protective starch called beta-glucan that can help lower high cholesterol and potentially help reduce the risk of certain cancers. Their fiber (and rich texture) make them particularly filling for breakfast, helping you avoid the pre-lunch call to snack. What’s more, they’re GI-friendly because their fiber content also can help improve digestion and promote regularity.

What Are Oats, and What Should You Know About Their History? 
Avena sativa - or oats - may be a staple at your breakfast table, but they’re primarily cultivated for livestock feed. Oats grow in temperate regions like the United States and Canada, and can withstand poor soil, making them a particularly hearty crop.

Their history goes back further than anticipated, too. Those following the paleo diet avoid grains like oats because, they attest, our caveman ancestors didn’t eat them. But new evidence suggests otherwise. A study published in the journal PNAS noted the discovery of evidence of ancient tools that would have been used to grind grains like oats. It appears that humans have been oat lovers for a very long time.

Oats are steamed, flattened, and sliced in different ways, producing the several types of oats available. These include “old-fashioned” (regular) oats, quick oats, and instant oats. (Their names, as you can tell, designate how fast they’ll cook up into oatmeal.) Oats are considered a whole grain because after processing, their bran and germ remain intact.

In stores, you can buy steel-cut oats (aka Irish oatmeal, which are chewier and heartier), Scottish oatmeal (these are stone-ground oats and creamy), rolled oats (aka regular or old-fashioned), and, as mentioned earlier, quick or instant oats, which are made by rolling oat flakes even thinner than the old-fashioned variety.

Nutrition Facts: How Dry Oats and Oatmeal Compare
Oatmeal and oats are similar, but their calories, carbs, and nutrients vary slightly. Here’s a closer look.

What Are the Nutrition Facts of Dry Oats?
Oats are mainly a carbohydrate. They’re made up of 13 percent protein, 15 percent fat, and 71 percent carbohydrates. Here’s a look into the common nutritional breakdown of oats and what we commonly eat it as - oatmeal:

Dry oats (old-fashioned oats; ½ cup)

Calories: 153

Protein: 5 grams (g)

Fat: 3g

Carbohydrate: 27g

Fiber: 4g

Sugars: 0g

What Are the Nutrition Facts of Oatmeal?
Oatmeal (old-fashioned oats, cooked in water; 1 cup)

Calories: 163

Protein: 5g

Fat: 3g

Carbohydrate: 32g

Fiber: 4.5g

Sugars: 1g

Health Benefits of Oats and Oatmeal
A whole grain, oats are rich in fiber, B vitamins, and the minerals phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate guidelines recommends getting at least half your grains from whole grains - more than half is even better. Adding more whole grains into your diet may help you live longer, according to a Harvard School of Public Health study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, which analyzed whole grain consumption and risk of mortality in more than 100,000 men and women. For every additional daily serving of whole grains, the risk of overall death or death from heart disease decreased by 5 and 9 percent, respectively, independent of other diet and lifestyle factors.

What’s more, a study published in the journal Nutrition Research found that oatmeal eaters were more likely to have healthier lifestyles - they were less likely to smoke and drank less alcohol - and had more nutritious diets. (In the study, oatmeal eaters were defined as those who reported eating it within the last day.) In general over the course of the day, they ate more protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals, like vitamin A, calcium, and potassium.

What’s more, oatmeal eaters tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) and smaller waists - both of which lead to better health outcomes. The reason oatmeal lovers may consume more nutrients is in part because oats are a source of whole grains. People also tend to pair milk and fruit with their oats, likely helping them get more vitamins, such as vitamin A, say researchers.

Then there’s the big win: Oatmeal has been shown to help lower high cholesterol. (You’ve probably seen this claim splashed across containers of oats.) They contain a soluble fiber, called beta-glucan, which not only favorably changes your cholesterol profile, but it also has antioxidants that protect blood vessels from LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, according to Oldways Whole Grains Council.

Can Eating Oatmeal Help With Weight Loss?
There’s no magic bullet to weight loss, but oats can support a healthy weight loss diet. That means you can still eat oatmeal if you love it - despite the fact that it’s a carb-rich choice. For one, oatmeal may increase feelings of fullness, therefore helping people eat less food and lose weight in the long run.

And if you have a choice between cold cereal and hot oatmeal, go for oats. One small study shows that compared with oat-based cereal, oatmeal suppresses appetite thanks to its beta-glucan fiber, which stimulates satiety.


And despite the carb content of oatmeal, people with diabetes who are looking to reduce their weight can also eat it, per research published in the journal Nutrients. Of participants with type 2 diabetes who were overweight, those who ate 100 g (about ½ cup) of oats lost more weight after a year compared with those eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet. They also benefited from lowering their A1C - a two- to three-month average of blood sugar - and triglycerides.

One caveat: There is a chance oats may increase weight gain when eaten in excess. A study from Cornell University that was published in the journal Physiology & Behavior looked at the eating behaviors that lead to weight gain or loss (like eating a salad first, or brushing teeth instead of snacking). People who said they ate oatmeal for breakfast gained 0.83 pounds over a month. Instructing people to eat oatmeal may encourage mindless overconsumption - especially if its health halo makes you forget about portions. (Too many high-sugar toppings can also do it.)