Oatmeal is full of important nutrients like vitamin B complex, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus. Eating a bowl of oatmeal in breakfast keeps us away from disease.
Oatmeal contains both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Soluble fiber helps to lower the LDL cholesterol. Betaglucan a type of soluble fiber found in oats, which helps lowering LDL cholesterol without lowering HDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is not good for health.
Insoluble dietary fiber has anticancer properties and it keeps our bowel clean. It make stool heavier so that it easily pass through the gut. Insoluble fiber found in oatmeal is good for diabetic patient as the fibers slow down the digestion of starch. As a result, there is no sharp rise in blood glucose level after meal.
Oatmeal is excellent source of vitamin B complex. Vitamin B is essential for normal functioning of nervous system. This vitamin is also necessary for starch metabolism.
Beside it, Oatmeal also contains important nutrient like vitamin E, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium and thiamine. It helps in growth of bone, teeth and muscle.
Vitamin E prevents blood clotting and act as antioxidant. This vitamin removes harmful free radicals from body that damages cells of body. These free radicals are responsible for aging.
Oatmeal contains important micro nutrient zinc. Zinc is essential constituent of many enzymes and is required for metabolism and stabilization of nucleic acid. Zinc also associated with healing of wound, growth, reproduction and glucose tolerance of human body.
Thiamine is important for metabolism of branched-chain amino acid, helps in carbohydrate metabolism.
Oatmeal is good for pregnant women as it is full of nutrients such as vitamin, minerals and fiber.
It is better to avoid flavored oatmeal because flavored oatmeal is full of sugars that suppress the health benefits of oatmeal. Oatmeal cooked in milk enhances the food value of the dish, as milk is rich in calcium and protein.