Nothing warms you up -- and fills you up -- on a cold, wintry day better than a bowl of hot oatmeal. Oats, or Avena sativa, have been credited with a wide range of health benefits. Research studies support claims that oatmeal reduces LDL, or "bad," cholesterol, lowers blood pressure and improves immune system defenses. Oatmeal may also reduce the risk of type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes and improve insulin sensitivity. Whether you prefer old-fashioned oatmeal or instant, all types of oatmeal are healthy and nutritious.
Types
Different types of oatmeal are milled, or processed, differently. However, all are considered whole grains. The Whole Grains Council identifies oatmeal varieties and explains their differences on its website.
Whole oat "groats," or kernels, are the least processed of the oatmeal cereals and require the longest cooking. Groats are raw oats that have been cleaned and hulled. When oat groats are chopped into pieces by sharp, steel blades, they are called steel-cut oats, or Irish oatmeal. Scottish oatmeal is stone-ground, rather than cut.
Old-fashioned, rolled oats are steam-processed and rolled into flakes that stay fresh for longer periods. Quick or instant oats flakes have been steamed longer and flattened more that old-fashioned oats.
Regular, quick and instant oat cereals have the same nutritional content, according to the United States Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database.
Calories and Carbohydrates
One cup -- 234 g -- of unenriched oats cooked without salt in water has 166 calories, 3.56 g total fat and no cholesterol. Oats are high in dietary fiber with 4 g per 8-oz. serving -- nearly 13 percent of the USDA daily value for a 2,000 calorie diet. Each cup contains 28.08 g carbohydrate, or more than 10 percent of the daily value.
Protein
Energy-boosting, health-building oatmeal starts your day with close to 6 g of protein. A cup of cooked oatmeal gives you 6 1/2 percent of the USDA recommended daily value.
Vitamins
Cooked oatmeal also contains small amounts of B-complex vitamins -- about 2 1/2 percent of the daily value your body needs of thiamin and niacin, less than 1 1/2 percent riboflavin and 1/2 percent Vitamin B-6. These water soluble B-complex vitamins are critical to important metabolic functions.
Minerals
An 8-oz. bowl of oatmeal cereal is a potent source of magnesium and zinc, containing almost 17 percent of each. Magnesium builds bones, maintains heart rhythm and supports the immune system. Zinc promotes growth, development and healing.
A cup-sized serving provides more than 10 percent of the phosphorus you need every day and nearly 12 percent of your daily value of iron. Phosphorus aids Calcium in maintaining bone health and strong teeth. Iron prevents anemia and builds red blood cells.
Considerations
On CNN.com, Dr. Melina Jampolis, a physician nutrition specialist, points out that -- although regular, quick and instant oatmeal are the same, nutritionally -- different oatmeal types are digested at different rates, which affects blood sugar level. Specifically, you digest instant oatmeal much faster than whole oat groats or rolled oats, and your glycemic index is much higher.
References
- Whole Grains Council: Types of Oats
- USDA.gov: Cereals, Oats, Regular, Quick and Instant
- CNN: Expert Q & A - Is Instant Oatmeal Just as Healthy as Traditional?
- Health.gov: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 (page 11, Table 2)
- National Institutes of Health: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets
- Formula Medical: Vitamin B Complex
