There are many reasons why I love eating oats, some of them are summarized in this post. I want to spread the word about a food whose protein content is the highest among cereals (it contains between 10-16% of its composition). A study of the World Health Organization has shown that oat proteins are equivalent to meat, milk, and egg proteins.
Oats also contain lysine, an organic compound providing minerals and vitamins such as pantothenic acid and thiamine. Mainly cultivated in cool places, this cereal has got small fibrous roots able to absorb nutrients better than other cereals. The popularity of oat is well justified: it is resistant to pathogens that cause diseases of cereals so it can be grown without pesticides.
Nutritional values
Oats have excellent nutritional properties, being a source of slow digesting carbohydrates and fibers and providing long-term energy without causing insulin spikes. The excellent fiber content (11%) makes oats an ideal food to control the appetite, regulate bowel function and normalize body weight. Ideal for diabetics, oats can be eaten by most celiacs (the toxicity of oats for celiacs is still to be proved though). Moreover they have a tonic, diuretic effects. Oat bran consumption it is recommended to accentuate these effects! I buy oat bran from WholeFoodsMarket, where you can find all sort of whole grains.
Naturally suitable for organic farming
Oats are the only cereal that contains saponins. It is believed that the saponins are used by plants as defense systems against pathogenic organisms, particularly fungi. Indeed oats are more resistant to mold and fungi than any other cereal. They also provide a “break crop for farmers and help to reduce weed and disease problems in other crops”. That’s the reason why almost all regions of the southern Italy produce oats organically.
I particularly enjoy my oat bran and quinoa porridge breakfast but I’m looking for new recipes where oats can make the difference. Do you know any good ones?
