Beneficial features oatmeal long been studied and confirmed by life. The phrase "Oatmeal, sir" from the movie about Sherlock Holmes became winged, thanks to the fact that it was said with such aplomb, as if it was not about oatmeal, but about a masterpiece culinary arts. In some countries, oatmeal is one of the main dishes. Most often it is consumed for breakfast and added to other dishes.
Many of us have known about the benefits and harms of oatmeal since childhood. Moms asked us to eat oatmeal so that we grow up strong and healthy. The main harm of oatmeal at that time was that we did not want to eat it, like other useful and necessary products.
However, the mothers were right: oatmeal should be eaten. Its rich composition helps the body to function fully, and the person to feel healthy and happy.
The benefits of oatmeal are due to its wonderful composition. It includes:
- amino acids;
- vegetable fiber;
- a large number of vitamins (groups A, B, C, E, K and PP);
- organic acids (erucic, oxalic, malonic, pantothenic acid, nicotinic);
- minerals (iron, manganese, phosphorus).
Each of these components is very necessary for our body. Thanks to them, all cells get the opportunity to fully work and perform their functions, maintaining the body in a healthy state.
What are the benefits of oatmeal?
- Oatmeal improves the activity of the gastrointestinal tract. It is useful for people who have digestive problems, gastritis, colitis, constipation or stomach ulcers.
- Improves the condition of the muscular system: strengthens the muscles, relieves them of fatigue and pain. This property makes oatmeal an important component of the diet of athletes and people whose work is associated with strong physical exertion.
- Strengthens the skeletal system. Therefore, it must be included in the menu of children, adolescents and the elderly.
- Helps to recover after a serious illness or surgery.
- Promotes healing of the whole organism, increases the body's defenses.
- Is dietary product, easily saturates the body.
- Improves mood. Vitamin B6, contained in oats, increases the production of the hormone of joy - serotonin. Thanks to this, mood improves, cheerfulness appears, depressive states go away.
- Improves blood clotting and prevents the development of osteoporosis due to the content of vitamin K.
- Reduces the content of harmful substances in the body, improving the condition of the cardiovascular system.
- Protects the body from free radicals that lead to the development of cancer.
- Cleanses the body of harmful substances.
- Allowed for dermatitis and allergies.
- Improves the condition of skin, hair and nails.
- Improves the functioning of the liver, kidneys, thyroid gland.
Why is oatmeal harmful?
A huge number of useful properties may suggest that oatmeal is a universal product. However, it is not. It is useful, but not for everyone and not always.
Oatmeal is very useful product. Although cereals are wonderful breakfast You shouldn't eat oatmeal every day. To maintain health and youth for many years, care must be taken that the diet is balanced and varied.
Ordinary oatmeal, when consumed regularly, can cause harm - lead to a serious mineral deficiency.
- It is believed that one should not eat it too often, one should not allow the abuse of this product, otherwise the pathological process of accumulation in the tissues of phytic acid may start, which is extremely unhelpful. It is believed that daily excessive eating of oatmeal provokes the extraction of useful calcium reserves from the body.
- For people with a pathology called celiac disease, oatmeal is considered prohibited due to the presence of gluten in the composition, which is unacceptable for ingestion into a sick body.
- Separately, we note the flakes intended for fast food oatmeal. Due to their special processing during production, a significant part of the ability of this product to have a positive effect on metabolism is lost, and it is also not guaranteed to receive an energy supply from breakfast with such a product. On sale you can find flakes designed for instant steaming from pouring hot liquid. There are also instant cereals that require a three-minute boil. In all cases, there are highly crushed fragments of oatmeal, digested at lightning speed, which is considered harmful. It should also be noted that during the decomposition of small flakes that have entered the body naturally sugar is formed, if its excess is found, then fat is formed, the pancreas organ inevitably suffers and a predisposition to diabetes appears.
- You can feed babies with oatmeal only with full confidence that the skeletal system is fully formed, and there is no allergy to this product.
As you can see, if oatmeal is present in the diet, benefits and harms can be brought to the body, but this only means that you need to carefully plan the menu, control your health and choose only natural and safest foods for food.
Nutritionists have long proven that the most healthy breakfast- It's oatmeal.
It heals the body as a whole, has a rejuvenating effect, and also affects life expectancy.
Oatmeal is quite nutritious in its composition, because it contains a lot of plant-based proteins, as well as complex carbohydrates, which are a colossal source of energy for the human body.
The benefits of oatmeal: vitamins, minerals, useful material
No one doubts the health benefits of oatmeal, but for some reason, not everyone is in a hurry to add it to their diet.
After all regular use This wonderful porridge prevents the formation of blood clots, lowers cholesterol, improves memory and thought processes, and in general has a positive effect on the state of the cardiovascular system.
Oatmeal is an irreplaceable source of vitamins and minerals.
Oatmeal also contains vitamin A, carotene, riboflavin, tocopherol and thiamine.
Vitamin K, contained in flakes, prevents osteoporosis, improves blood clotting, and contributes to the normal functioning of the kidneys.
Biotin affects the overall strengthening of the body and improves well-being.
This porridge has been successfully used in sports nutrition because it helps build muscle and control weight.
Oatmeal is an excellent antioxidant that gives beauty to the skin, nails, hair, and also prolongs youth.
A portion of oatmeal in the morning for residents of large cities with poor ecology will help remove salts of heavy metals and harmful toxins from the body.
There is hardly any other similar product that has so many beneficial properties for almost all body systems.
The benefits of oatmeal cooked in water
Porridge, as it were, envelops the stomach with a film, which greatly facilitates digestion.
Even crushed into flakes, oat grains perfectly cleanse the intestines, act as a kind of “brush” to remove accumulated “garbage”.
The mucus that forms when porridge is boiled in water excellent tool for the treatment of peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.
Also, oatmeal is one of the the best dishes when recovering from a serious illness, because a bowl of this porridge contains one-fourth daily allowance fiber.
And dry flakes in the amount of three-fourths of a glass completely cover the body's daily need for fiber.
Blackberries are also very useful berry if you watch your diet. Details about the beneficial properties in this article. Be sure to read the contraindications.
- You need to take three quarters of a glass oatmeal and two glasses of water.
- Boil water, add cereal and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, then at the end, if desired, you can salt and add a couple of tablespoons of butter.
- Fresh or frozen berries, fruits, as well as honey and nuts, added before serving, will not only make the dish healthier, but also decorate it.
Many people usually don't feel like eating in the morning, but a healthy body needs a supply of energy before lunch, so oatmeal is a great way to start the day.
In addition, oatmeal contains right amount protein and is light food - this is its advantage over sandwiches.
Even if you decide to eat something even more dense after oatmeal, this food will be absorbed by the body much better.
And the property of oatmeal to normalize metabolism makes it useful to people overweight.
In addition, this porridge is quite budgetary in cost, elementary in preparation and very tasty.
Is there any benefit from oatmeal cooked in milk?
Not everyone likes oatmeal boiled in water, although it is very healthy.
To significantly improve the taste of porridge, it is better to cook it with milk.
But we must remember that the calorie content of such porridge is quite high - over 110 kcal per 100 grams.
Perhaps this is for the benefit of those who want to get better and gain weight, as well as thin children.
And if for some reason you cannot eat porridge on water, then the calorie content of milk porridge can be reduced by diluting the milk with water and significantly reducing the amount of sugar and butter.
Cooking oatmeal with milk is not difficult.
It is necessary to pour cereal into the pan, pour cold water so that the water covers half of the cereal, bring to a boil and reduce the heat, cook for about three minutes until the water is absorbed into the cereal, and then add milk so that the porridge does not burn. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.
At the end you can add butter and some sugar to improve the taste.
Even a relatively high-calorie oatmeal with milk eaten for breakfast will be beneficial because it will energize your body for at least half a day.
Are instant cereals healthy?
Modern life is on the run, people try to do everything quickly, so there are a lot of products that can be prepared very quickly, including cereals.
Their choice is varied, and cooking takes a minimum of time.
But the benefits of instant oatmeal are much less than those of oatmeal.
They do not provide positive energy in the morning and lose their ability to regulate the body's metabolism.
This is because for quick cooking, oat grains are crushed as much as possible and pre-steamed, so such cereals are absorbed by the body very quickly, and this makes them related to harmful useless carbohydrates.
Simply put, there is saturation, but there is no benefit.
And if you eat such cereals in order to lose weight, the harm is obvious, because such sugar eventually turns into fat.
Harm of oatmeal 
getting carried away healthy nutrition and diligently leaning on oatmeal several times a day, we must remember that healthy food should be varied.
Oatmeal in excessive amounts contributes to the accumulation of phytic acid, which is fraught with the removal of beneficial enzymes from the body.
Phytic acid prevents the absorption of calcium, which is so necessary for the body.
In some serious diseases, oatmeal is generally prohibited, since the proteins obtained from cereals are not completely broken down in patients.
Because of this, the body disrupts the absorption of proteins and carbohydrates, as well as metabolic processes.
It is advisable to give preference to whole grain porridge, and although it will take much longer to cook, the benefits of such porridge will be much greater.
If it is reasonable to approach the choice of the right oatmeal, then this product will take great care of your health.
Meatballs with rice in the oven will be a great lunch. Not as healthy as porridge, of course, but more delicious!
You can also make real Ukrainian borsch. Recipe here: http://notefood.ru/retsepty-blyud/supy/kak-prigotovit-ukrainskiy-borsh.html
Highly tasty dish- broccoli. This is definitely delicious and healthy. How to cook can be found in this article. I recommend the battered broccoli.
It is also worth remembering the imaginary benefits of instant oatmeal, which does not require cooking.
And a variety of artificial additives, flavors and sweeteners not only will not bring any benefit, but will significantly harm the body.
No matter what the useful substances are called and in whatever quantities they are in oatmeal, it is only in your power to check the benefits of oatmeal for yourself, you just have to give it the main place in your daily diet!
The taste of oatmeal is probably familiar to almost all of us since childhood. This porridge is fed by caring parents to their children in the morning, it is given in kindergartens and even at schools, and adults often include oatmeal in their diet, because it is very healthy and nutritious. Undoubtedly, the benefits of oatmeal in the morning are invaluable - after eating a plate of such porridge, you will recharge yourself with energy for a long time, and the feeling of hunger will not come soon.
Oatmeal is rich in B vitamins, which are beneficial for the nervous and immune systems and also for hair growth. Many oatmeal drinkers regularly note that the condition of the skin and hair improves significantly over time, and previously disturbing problems disappear. In addition to B vitamins, oatmeal also contains potassium, iron, calcium, a large amount of fiber, and other beneficial substances. All of them have a positive effect on the body.
Oatmeal in the morning and stomach, so if you have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, it is recommended to start your day with a plate of oatmeal. It helps with constipation and gastritis.
Surprisingly, oatmeal binds bad cholesterol in the body and brings it out, which means that the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases is significantly reduced, plaques on the vessels will not appear. Scientists have also found that regular consumption of this porridge in the morning improves brain function. Therefore, the idea of feeding children before a kindergarten or school with such a porridge is not at all stupid, but rather the opposite - such a breakfast will energize them for a long time.
By the way, about energy. Oatmeal is also good for weight loss, but only now they cook it in this case in the simplest way. No milk, butter, sugar or buns - just oatmeal brewed with water. You can add some nuts or dried fruits. Oatmeal is low glycemic index. This means that it is absorbed by the body for a rather long time, thereby prolonging the feeling of satiety. Having eaten a bowl of porridge in the morning, you will not feel hungry for a long time and at the same time you will feel great.
To maximize the benefits of oatmeal in the morning, it must be cooked correctly, besides, not all cereals are equally useful. The most useful and nutritious are those that need to be cooked. Instant oat flakes contain much less useful substances than ordinary ones intended for cooking.
Cooking oatmeal is easy and everyone does it their own way. Someone fills cereal with cold milk in the evening and leaves it to swell until morning, and in the morning, adding fruits (grated banana, apple, etc.), berries, nuts or honey to them, eats everything on an empty stomach, drinking juice or tea. Someone prefers to pour dry flakes with boiling water for 10 minutes in the morning so that they soften, and then eat them, adding a spoonful of honey or jam.
Those who want to lose weight eat oatmeal on the water without adding any sweets, except perhaps fruits or dried fruits. Well, some people prefer to cook it the old fashioned way with milk and sugar. All these methods are correct and everyone does what is convenient for him, but still nutritionists advise to save maximum benefit do not boil the flakes, but simply soak them in water or milk, or brew with boiling water.
Oatmeal or simply in a popular way, is a cereal - oats. But you should know that natural oatmeal and Hercules are two different types grains. Hercules flakes are processed using a special technology. The grains are polished, steamed, and then crushed on a special press to the state of flakes familiar to us. 
Natural oat grain is practically not processed. Therefore, unlike cereals, which are cooked in a few minutes, porridge made from natural oats needs to be cooked for about 40 minutes. Benefits of oatmeal
By nutritional value and dietary properties oatmeal rightfully takes first place among other cereals. It has an optimally balanced ratio of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and fiber.
In addition, oat grains are rich in useful and indispensable vitamins for humans. B vitamins contribute to health nervous system
, sound sleep, and also keeping skin and hair in excellent condition. High content manganese makes oatmeal especially useful for eating in prevention atherosclerosis and in order to normalize hematopoiesis and insulin production. The systematic inclusion of oatmeal in the diet will especially benefit the elderly for the prevention of age-related joint diseases, osteoporosis and tuberculosis. Composition of oats
The composition of oats is typical for cereals:
- complex carbohydrates - a source of energy;
- vegetable fiber;
- vegetable protein;
- unsaturated fatty acid- 4.52 g per 100 g of product;
- macronutrients:
- calcium;
phosphorus;
magnesium;
potassium
- silicon
vanadium
boron
zinc
- B vitamins;
vitamin H (biotin);
vitamin E;
choline
In 100g of product:
proteins………10 g
fats………6.2 g
carbohydrates……55.1 g
Calorie content: 316 Kcal
Oatmeal with water or milk?
Oatmeal is usually cooked in milk or water. There is an opinion that porridge with milk is less useful due to the fact that milk is poorly absorbed by the body of an adult. However, this opinion is erroneous, because. in fact, oatmeal on water is somewhat inferior in its dietary properties to porridge cooked in milk. The fact is that milk contains fats, proteins, microelements necessary for the body, which certainly enrich the composition of the oatmeal that we eat. Therefore, this dish nutritional properties will be higher. In addition to all this, oatmeal is replete with vegetable proteins, the digestibility of which will be better only in the presence of animal protein, so milk is added to the porridge, especially for children. As for milk intolerance, it is observed in only 25% of the adult population. For such people, oil is added to oatmeal in water to also increase the digestibility of plant-based proteins from our oatmeal. Benefits of oatmeal for lowering blood cholesterol levels
There is also an opinion that oatmeal reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood. And this is true, because. dietary fiber contained in oats binds cholesterol and removes it from the body. Therefore, regular consumption of oatmeal while following a low-calorie diet helps lower cholesterol levels. Benefits of oatmeal for the digestive system
It is especially recommended to use oatmeal during an exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Oats, especially finely ground, have an enveloping and soothing effect on the gastrointestinal tract. But here it is worth noting that porridge should not be coarsely ground and without any additives, because. a large number of dietary fiber on the contrary, it irritates the mucous membrane and will have the exact opposite effect. 
It is advisable to eat coarse flakes containing the maximum amount of vitamins and microelements for food, refusing instant cereals, because. most of them contain flavors, flavor enhancers. If you really don’t have time in the morning to cook coarse porridge, then you can use a coffee grinder to reduce the cooking time. You just need to grind the flakes and pour boiling water over them. That's all - you don’t need to cook such porridge. You get an instant and what is important - a dietary product.
If you really care about your health, if you want to maintain or normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract, lower blood cholesterol levels, get vitamins and trace elements indispensable for the body, then oatmeal is the number 1 product for you.
beauty benefits of oatmeal
Oatmeal It's not just food. Many women make masks from oatmeal. There are many more recipes for making these masks than recipes for making oatmeal. For example, in order to restore velvety to the skin and smooth fine wrinkles, it is recommended to wipe the face with a decoction of oatmeal at night. 
Harm of oatmeal
However, despite the mass of obvious advantages, there are still contraindications when using oatmeal.
Oats, like barley, wheat, rye, contain gluten (cereal gluten), which can cause an allergic reaction. There is a certain category of people whose body, due to a congenital deficiency of enzymes that break down the gluten peptide, cannot fully process it. Gluten intolerance or celiac disease (gluten enteropathy) can lead to very serious consequences. Insufficiently digested gluten contributes to the accumulation of toxic substances in the intestines, which in turn damage the lining of the small intestine.
But even if you do not have such problems, you should know that oatmeal is still not recommended for daily consumption. The fact is that oatmeal contains phytic acid, which prevents the absorption of calcium and removes it from the body. In addition, with excessive consumption of oatmeal, the body loses zinc, phosphorus, magnesium and other beneficial substances. This does not mean that oatmeal should not be eaten, just the frequency of its use should not exceed 3 times a week.
And the last: oatmeal, like any other, should be prepared from whole grains - only in this case it will save its beneficial features. Oatmeal, which is very popular today, is practically useless and does not have the same nutritional value as whole grain cereals. Furthermore - increased content starch in flakes, makes them even faster harmful product, since starch, due to the transformation into sugar, sharply raises the level of glucose in the blood. This factor can contribute to the development of diabetes.
