Oats

Other Name(s):

Common Oat; Oatmeal; Avena sativa; Rolled Oats; Oat Kernels; Quick Oats

Wild oats are native to the Mediterranean and areas in Europe and Asia. Commercial oats are now cultivated in temperate climates around the world.

Is Oats Faithful to Nature?

Depends.

Oats are natural and may be grown sustainably if they are grown organically and not treated with toxic chemicals. Oats do not require a lot of water to grow and they are a low maintenance crop which means that they are fairly resilient to pests (reducing the need for pesticides). Oats are particularly sustainable when they are part of a sustainable crop rotation helping to maintain the nutrients in the soil.

Benefits: Why is Oats used?

Cardiovascular Health

Over recent years it has been demonstrated that consumption of Rolled Oats (in amounts of about 125-150 g per day), or Oat Bran in smaller amounts, will lower blood cholesterol levels, especially in people who have high initial levels. A reduction in serum cholesterol levels decreases the risk of developing heart disease.

Diabetes Control

Cereal grains are digested very slowly, producing only a gradual rise in the level of Sugar in the blood. As a result, the body needs less insulin to control blood Sugar after eating plain, unadorned cereal grains than after eating some other high-carbohydrate foods such as bread or potato.

Gut Health

Oats are high in dietary fibre especially beta-glucan fibre which acts as a prebiotic, in other words as probiotic booster. Oats further contain essential minerals such as calcium, manganese, zinc, selenium and phosphorus.

Atherosclerosis Prevention

Avenanthramides are phenolic antioxidants, which are present in Oats, and have the potential to reduce plaque build in the artery walls, and may contribute to the prevention of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Learn more about Oats:

On the Shelf: Which Products Use Oats?

Oat is a cereal grain grown for its seed. Oats can be found on store shelves as a single ingredient or added to baked goods, bread, muesli and granola.

Production: How is Oats Made?

Oats are available in various forms which include steel-cut oats, rolled oats and instant oats. Steel-cut oats are created from oat groats (husked oat kernel) that are sliced by a rotating, bladed machine to create steel-cut oats. Rolled oats are also made from whole groats that are steamed (soften the grain) then rolled to flatten the oats, and then moved through a stream of air to dry out the oats. Rolled oats come in a variety of thicknesses and quicker cooking times. Oats are also crushed into oatmeal (porridge) or ground into flour. Ground oats are also mixed with water (and other ingredients) to create oat milk, a plant-based alternative to dairy milk.

Interesting Fact: Oats

Oats are naturally gluten-free however, oats can often be cross-contaminated with wheat which contains gluten. This is why you should always buy certified gluten-free oats that have been packaged in a gluten-free facility if you need to avoid gluten.

Oats contain small amounts of gliadin. Celiac disease is an intestinal allergic disorder that causes individuals to be sensitive to gluten and gliadin, proteins in wheat and rye. People with celiac disease cannot digest the nutrients in these grains.