Many people enjoy the warmth of oatmeal for breakfast, but you should choose steel-cut oatmeal over instant varieties or other types of oatmeal if you have diabetes. Steel-cut oats are cut with steel blades into smaller pieces, while instant oatmeal is softened by steaming and then flattened by rollers; other types of oats are ground for a creamy texture. The Diabetes Health magazine website says that steel-cut oatmeal has a lower glycemic index than instant oatmeal, which helps prevent spikes to your blood glucose levels. Speak to your health-care provider about the benefits of steel-cut oatmeal for diabetes.
Glycemic Index
Steel-cut oats have a glycemic index of 42, compared a score of 66 for instant oatmeal. While steel-cut oats offer a benefit in terms of influence on your blood sugar, you can mitigate this effect if you add flavor components that are high on the glycemic index. Many people add brown sugar and fruit to oatmeal to sweeten the taste. Brown sugar and such fruits as raisins and pineapples are high on the glycemic index, whereas sweeteners such as brown rice syrup and agave nectar syrup are on the low end of the GI and make better choices for your steel-cut oatmeal.
Diabetes, Steel-cut Oats and Black People
The American Diabetes Association reports that blacks have a higher risk of diabetes than other Americans. A study published in the October 2006 issue of "Diabetes Care" indicates that black women in the U.S. may decrease their chances of developing type 2 diabetes from consuming steel-cut oats because of the food's fiber content. Researchers say that mineral-rich whole grains, such as this type of oatmeal, may play an important role in prevention. A 1/4-cup serving of steel cut oats provides you with 5 g of fiber.
Heart Benefits
Living with diabetes means living with a higher risk of heart failure. Adding steel-cut oats to your diet may help lower this risk, though. Evidence featured in the October 2007 "Archives of Internal Medicine" points to whole-grain breakfast cereals, including steel-cut oats, as a way to ward off heart failure. The more often you consume steel-cut oatmeal or other whole-grain cereals, the lower your risk of heart failure.
Calcium Content
Steel-cut oatmeal contributes to your daily calcium intake -- a 1/4-cup serving provides you with 2 percent of the daily recommended intake. The calcium in this food may influence your risk of developing diabetes. Research in the March 2006 edition of "Diabetes Care" connects inadequate calcium intake with type 2 diabetes in women.
References
- Diabetes Health; What's the Deal With Steel-Cut Oats; February 2010
- Fit Sugar; Glycemic Index: Where Do Sweeteners Fall?; April 2009
- University of Wisconsin: Glycemic Index
- "Diabetes Care"; Dietary Calcium and Magnesium, Major Food Sources, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in U.S. Black Women; R.M. van Dam, et al.; October 2006
- Bob's Red Mill: Steel Cut Oats
- UpToDate; Heart Failure in Diabetes Mellitus; R.N. Westo, M.D.; July 2010
