The Lesser-Known Health Benefits of Oatmeal
The medical community and those interested in the positive effects of diet really talked up the health benefits of oatmeal in the 80’s. After the close of the Reagan era, however, oatmeal became rather passé and fell out of the media spotlight. It is time that we take a second look at the health benefits of oatmeal. You will find oatmeal is one 80’s fixture well worth revisiting.
Copper
One of the least recognized health benefits of oatmeal is high copper content. Copper is one of the minerals essential in human growth and development. Furthermore, studies have shown that receiving an adequate amount of copper can help reduce joint swelling in those suffering from arthritis. Doctors have also found that copper can help in fighting certain harmful microbes like E.coli.
Vitamin E
More importantly, oatmeal is also a good source for Vitamin E. Studies show that Vitamin E can help with a series of conditions. First, health professionals consider Vitamin E an anti-oxidant, which means that it helps prevent the formation of harmful, cancer-causing free radicals.
Just as importantly, studies have shown that Vitamin E can help improve heart health in adults (though not in fetal development, see below). Research has shown that Vitamin E helps keep the body from metabolizing cholesterol; this means that your body is less likely to develop artery-clogging plaque. Studies implicate such clogs to arteries not only in heart disease but also in strokes.
You may have also noticed that many skin creams and sun blocks contain Vitamin E. This is because Vitamin E helps retain moisture in the dermal layers. You don’t need to take Vitamin E topically to have these effects however. Even when you ingest Vitamin E orally, you can still benefit from these benefits to your skin.
Just as copper has positive benefits to joint health so too does Vitamin E. Science has shown that retaining adequate levels of Vitamin E helps those prone to arthritis to both prevent the onset of the disease and to lessen its effects once the individual is suffering from it. Vitamin E has this positive effect by not only reducing inflammation but also by reducing the build up of wastes in your joints.
You may have also heard that Vitamin E in combination with selenium (which oatmeal is also a good source for) can help prevent prostrate cancer. Unfortunately, the early studies did not pan out. A large study of 35, 000 men found that Vitamin E (regardless of whether combined with selenium) had no apparent effect in the development of prostate cancer.
High levels of vitamin E can also increase the frequency of certain birth defects associated with the development of heart. These increased Vitamin E conditions, however, usually result from vitamin supplements and not from increased intake of oatmeal. You should consult with your physician if you are pregnant.
Selenium
Although you rarely hear much about the mineral selenium, researchers believe it may have several health effects similar to Vitamin E—especially when it comes to cancers prevention. Just like Vitamin E, selenium acts as an anti-oxidant, preventing the creation of harmful, cancer-causing free radicals. For this reason, some health organizations are now recommending that people generally, and women specifically, should increase their intake of not only Vitamins C and E, but also of selenium, since all have positive anti-oxidant effects. The recommendation is that adults should increase their intake of selenium to around 50 micrograms daily (but not to exceed 400 micrograms). (You should, of course, always consult your physician before embarking on new health regimes as individual cases vary.)
Conclusion
These are some of the lesser-known benefits of oatmeal. As you probably already know, oatmeal is a great source for fiber, protein, and iron. It is also a beneficial source for phytochemicals, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. For all of these reasons, it is time that we all get back on the oatmeal bandwagon.