Food & Wine It only took 135 years for Larry to discover the fountain of youth...
That's the "Quaker Oats man." You know, the smiling guy wearing a dark suit and wide-brimmed hat. He has round, ruddy cheeks, a double chin, and a cloud of white hair. Company insiders call him "Larry," though.
But in 2012, Larry was looking much younger... and healthier. Instead of jowls, he now had a well-defined face. And his skin – once dull and red – looked clean and bright.
With the revamp of Larry's mug, the company intended to send the message that oatmeal is healthy. And, well, there's truth in that advertisement...
Whether you like it chewy, creamy, piping hot, or cold a la overnight oats, oatmeal boasts some incredible health benefits.
It comes packed with free-radical-neutralizing antioxidants. And free-radical overload can result in cell-damaging oxidative stress, inflammation, and signs of aging.
It improves blood-sugar control – something that Type 2 diabetics could really use. And the older you are, the more likely this disease can rear up.
It comes loaded with dietary fiber. And we know dietary fiber is linked to preventing heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. A 2018 review of oat consumption and cholesterol found that about half a cup of oatmeal per day can reduce "bad cholesterol" levels by around 10%.
You can thank beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber found in some foods. The idea is that the fiber gels up in your gastrointestinal system to slow down digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and cholesterol.
(Retirement Millionaire subscribers can read all about my take on statins and the real link between cholesterol levels and heart disease. To try out a subscription, click here.)
It's great for our gut bugs, too... A 2023 review that examined 16 animal, lab, and human studies published from 2012 to 2023 on oat consumption and gut-microbiome function. Researchers found that eating oats led to increased production of certain gut bacteria and chemical byproducts of gut-bacteria metabolism. And as it turns out, these bugs and their metabolites play a key role in...
- Regulating fat and carbohydrate metabolism
- Decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation (including brain inflammation)
- Increasing production of bile acids (which you need for absorbing fat and essential fat-soluble vitamins)
- Decreasing gut permeability (so toxins don't leak out)
- Promoting anticancer effects
A recent study from the University of Arizona found that mice fed a high-fat and high-sugar diet supplemented with 10% beta-glucan gained significantly less weight while keeping more lean muscle mass. They also had higher energy levels and better insulin sensitivity and blood-sugar control than the other groups of mice over an 18-week period.
Researchers found that the beta-glucan group had higher levels of a byproduct of gut-bacteria fermentation called butyrate. And butyrate happens to trigger the release of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which helps tell the brain that you're feeling full. That's the same sort of mechanism behind drugs like Ozempic.
As for oats, here are the different species you might see in the grocery-store wilds, from least to most processed:
- Whole oats have a very Dr. Seuss-like moniker of oat groats. These are oat kernels with the inedible, hard hull from oat grains removed.
- Steel-cut (or Irish) oats are just oat groats cut into pieces in a steel mill.
- Scottish oats are a step down from steel-cut in terms of processing, with oat groats being ground up.
- Rolled oats – also called old-fashioned or regular oats – are the kind you see flecks of in more sugary incarnations of this grain, like granola and cookies. Steaming and then flattening oat groats between steel rollers gives rolled oats their flaky appearance.
- Quick oats come from a more flattened-out version of rolled oats that then get cut up.
- Instant oats undergo a bit more precooking and flattening than quick oats.
The less processed the oats, the more fiber you'll be getting and the better benefits they'll have on keeping your blood sugar levels under control.
But a word of caution... Flavored oatmeal is a no-go. Even if it's labeled as having "extra protein" or "high fiber," it's not worth buying due to the added sugar.
I'm not a fan of the "lower sugar" or "no added sugar" varieties either. Those tend to have a blend of artificial sweeteners and sugar or artificial sweeteners in place of sugar.
My go-to sweetener comes straight from Mother Nature: Fruit.
Here are some of my favorite combinations...
I love the aroma of fresh-from-the-oven banana nut bread. Adding banana slices, chopped walnuts, and a dash of ginger, allspice, and nutmeg powder satisfies my craving for baked goods.
Fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries lend a punch of sweetness and tartness. Frozen blueberries are just as nutritious as their fresh counterpart. Plus, they can gently cool down a screaming-hot bowl of oats, so you won't burn the roof of your mouth.
I also love adding a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. This protein-packed stir-in gives my oats an extra creaminess. I do let my oats cool a bit before plopping on the yogurt since probiotics generally start dying off at around 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
What We're Reading (and Watching)...
- Something different: The sun is super noisy.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
July 25, 2024