Hiring workers, students, women who love beauty, and muscular men who gain muscle, in the kitchens of these people, oatmeal is indispensable. It is convenient to cook, nutritious and healthy, and cost-effective. What is the nutrition of such a popular food? In this article, let's talk about oatmeal.

Nutrition in oatmeal.

At present, oat is one of the important characteristic crops in our country, and it is also the sixth largest food crop in the world and in China. The endosperm, germ and bran of oats are not easy to fall off, so even if most oats are processed, they are only shelled, and the rest of the oats are relatively well preserved. Compared with the polished white rice that everyone often eats, oats have more nutritional advantages.

1. Dietary fiber: Oatmeal is rich in dietary fiber, and the insoluble dietary fiber content is as high as 6g/100g, which is 10 times that of rice. According to the USDA Nutrient Database, oats have a total dietary fiber content of 10.6 grams. According to the recommendations in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents Nutrient Reference Intake 2013 Edition", Chinese adults should consume 25-30 grams of dietary fiber per day. As long as you eat 50 grams of oatmeal, you can meet 21% of your daily dietary fiber requirements, which is still a great contribution.

The insoluble dietary fiber in oatmeal can stimulate the mechanical movement of the gastrointestinal tract and promote defecation; while the soluble dietary fiber can absorb water to expand, enhance the feeling of fullness, and also soften the stool to prevent constipation. Rich dietary fiber can also prevent colorectal cancer and is beneficial to intestinal health.

2. Protein: According to the data in the "Sixth Edition of Chinese Food Composition Table", the protein content of oats is 10.1 g/100 g, which is 1.3 times that of rice. Moreover, the content of lysine in most cereals is relatively low, which is the first limiting amino acid of cereals, which leads to low protein absorption efficiency of most cereals. But oats have unique advantages in this regard. Not only does it have higher protein content, it also contains richer lysine, which is more than twice that of wheat and rice, and the absorption and utilization rate of protein is better.

3. Mineral potassium: Oats are rich in potassium, which is 3.1 times that of rice. Regular consumption of foods rich in potassium is very helpful for blood pressure control.

The "magic" effect of oatmeal.

When it comes to the efficacy of oatmeal, the most credit is the β-glucan in oatmeal, which is an important bioactive component of oatmeal. After absorbing water, it becomes viscous and belongs to water-soluble dietary fiber. The β-glucan content of oats grown in different regions varies, mostly around 3%, and higher ones can reach more than 8%. Because of it, oatmeal has a variety of "magic" effects that are beneficial to health.

1. Control blood sugar: β-glucan in oats can not only enhance the sensitivity of insulin, but also has a higher viscosity after absorbing water, which can delay the speed of food emptying in the stomach, reduce the hydrolysis of carbohydrates by digestive enzymes, and inhibit the diffusion and absorption of glucose in the small intestine, thereby slowing down the absorption of glucose into the blood, slowing down the rise of blood sugar after meals, and helping to maintain blood sugar stability.

2. Control blood lipids: Eating more oats can reduce the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the body, which is what everyone calls "bad cholesterol", which is conducive to reducing total cholesterol, thereby reducing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have shown that eating 3g of oat or barley β-glucan per day can help lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

3. Weight control: Oat β-glucan is very helpful for weight loss and can reduce abdominal fat. Especially in reducing body weight, body mass index, body fat and waist-to-hip ratio. Moreover, β-glucan has the effect of absorbing water and swelling, which can occupy more stomach volume, enhance the feeling of fullness, help control appetite, and avoid overeating, which is also very helpful for weight loss.

4. Intestinal health: Oat β-glucan can improve the intestinal flora environment. After being fermented by microorganisms in the large intestine, it will be fermented by lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria in the cecum, thereby producing bifidobacteria that are beneficial to human health. Not only that, β-glucan is also a kind of prebiotics, which can promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria in the intestines. In terms of protecting gastrointestinal health, oatmeal is also super powerful!

5. Enhance immunity: β-glucan can bind to the surface receptors of immune cells, activate and regulate immune cells, stimulate immune response, and enhance the body's immunity. It can also activate macrophages to attack tumor cells by regulating the activity of lymphocytes and natural killer cells, and also plays an important role in anti-cancer.

6. Regulate emotions: The content of vitamin B1 in oatmeal is three times that of rice. Insufficient intake of vitamin B1 will make people feel depressed, nervous and anxious. Eating 100 grams of oatmeal can meet 33% of the body's daily vitamin B1 requirement, which is helpful for improving mood. Studies have also mentioned that oatmeal can help sleep. It can induce the production of sleep hormones-serotonin and melatonin, relieve tense muscles, stabilize tense emotions, and relieve insomnia symptoms.