A bowl of instant oatmeal with a handful of blueberries could be one of the healthiest breakfasts to eat. It’s a great trade off between low calorie, filling, quick and easy and it’s probably pretty good for you.
A study published in 2008 reviews what we know about the connection between oatmeal and cholesterol and reported that the health benefits are even higher than previously thought.
Unfortunately, you have to pay to get a copy of this article, and it may be written with some jargon or at a technical level that requires one skilled in the art to understand. This is one of those occasions where we have to rely on second hand reporting. I think it is important to use journalist sources that are credible and have been vetted.
Not all secondary reporting on technical, scientific issues are equally valid. I prefer to rely on the “main stream media”, such as Scientific American, Science News and Science Daily.
This nutritional study was reported in Science Daily and they offer a great summary. They say this report mentions studies over the past 15 years showing that
- total cholesterol levels are lowered through oatmeal consumption.
- low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the “bad” cholesterol) is reduced without adverse effects on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, the “good” cholesterol), or triglyceride concentrations.
Other reports suggest the mechanism for LDL reduction is that the beta glucan in oatmeal binds to the LDL and pulls it out of the body.
Beta-D-glucans, usually referred to as beta-glucans, is a class of indigestible polysaccharides. Oat beta-glucan is a soluble fiber. It’s the material that makes oatmeal gooey and sticky. As a fiber, it is also indigestible, flowing through the body and eliminated.
Along the way, some of the cholesterol, especially the LDL type, binds to the glucan molecules and are pulled out. The Puritan Pride web site reported that,
“Results from a number of double-blind trials with either oat- or yeast-derived beta-glucan indicate typical reductions, after at least four weeks of use, of approximately 10% for total cholesterol and 8% for LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, with elevations in HDL (“good”) cholesterol ranging from zero to 16%.”
This translates to a powerful, non-drug related way of lowering cholesterol. Many web sites re-state the FDA recommendation,
“Since 1963, study after study has proven the beneficial effects of this special fiber on cholesterol levels. Studies show that in individuals with high cholesterol (above 220 mg/dl), consuming just 3 grams of soluble oat fiber per day (an amount found in one bowl of oatmeal) typically lowers total cholesterol by 8-23%.”
This level of reduction, as much as 23%, should be compared with what is sometimes the reported effectiveness of statins, like Lipitor, which can be as high as 50%.
With all the documented health benefits of oatmeal, if could be the ideal breakfast food. For me, I look at the combination of five features:
- taste
- calories
- health benefit
- filling
- ease of preparation
One problem with oatmeal by itself, is that it doesn’t have a lot of flavor. However, by adding 1 packet of an artificial sweetener, like Splenda, it’s not bad.
And, using instant oatmeal that comes in individual packets, it can’t be pretty quick and easy to make. Add the oatmeal packet into a bowl, add the Splenda packet, add hot water and stir for a 15 seconds. Presto, oatmeal that is palatable.
In this form, the product of the five elements above is the highest of any other breakfast food I’ve found so far.
Throw into the mix blueberries and in addition to increasing the health benefit term of the equation, the taste term also increases with only a small hit to the calories.
There is a lot of hype on the web about the anti-oxidant properties of blueberries. For example, in this article, with links to the original papers, it’s reported that blueberries have the highest anti-oxidant rating of any fruit.
While its not clear how important this anti oxidant rating is, it’s probably good for you.
When I’m looking for a fast breakfast that is easy, tastes pretty good, filling with not too many calories, I mix up a bowl of instant oatmeal, add some Splenda and throw in a handful of blueberries. And, it’s probably good for me, so it’s good a low guilt factor.
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