Oat bran: how healthy is it?

Oat bran
How healthy is oat bran?

What is oat bran?

We all know oatmeal. But oat bran? While oatmeal comes from the whole grain of oats, oat bran is made up of the outer layers and the germ.

In terms of consistency, oat bran is ground and has a nuttier taste compared to the oatmeal. The advantage: The outer layers of the grain contain many healthy nutrients. This includes protein, fiber and vitamins.

What are the benefits of oat bran?

Oat bran has several benefits. These include:

If you are consuming oat bran, it is important to drink plenty of water as well. Because, like oat bran, oat bran swells up in the stomach and stimulates the intestinal activity. If you don’t drink enough water now, but the bran cannot swell up enough, which can lead to a dangerous intestinal obstruction.

Is Oat Bran Healthy and Good for Weight Loss?

Due to the many vitamins and minerals it contains, oat bran is not only healthy, but is also perfect for losing weight. Due to the fiber (content: 15 grams per 100 grams) the bran is very full and the stomach is busy with digestion for a long time.

This makes oat bran a great food to add to your diet. Compared to oatmeal, the proportion of fiber is a good 50 percent higher. Fiber is a particularly helpful weapon against cravings!

But beware: With around 45 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams, oat bran does not belong in a low-carb diet. Compared to oatmeal, however, the bran contains a little less carbohydrates and a little more protein.

Bran also contains the soluble fiber beta-glucan. Beta-glucan has positive effects on cholesterol levels, as it can lower harmful LDL cholesterol.

Vitamins and minerals contained in oat bran

How Much Oat Bran Should I Consume?

With 40 grams of oat bran (3 grams of beta-glucan) a day, you can do something good for your cholesterol level. Make sure to buy sugar-free products. As a food, oat bran is best eaten raw – for example in recipes for porridge, muesli or smoothies. You can even buy beta-glucan in concentrated form as a dietary supplement. Basically, oat bran is a suitable substitute for oatmeal. For example in combination with fruits, yoghurt, honey etc. You can also use the bran for baking bread or cakes.

What should I look out for when buying? Bio please!

Whenever possible, you should always buy organic products made from oats. Because pesticides have already been detected in conventionally produced oat flakes – and you really don’t want these in the flakes. Such possible residues can be avoided by using organic products.

You can find out here how you can create a healthy eating plan. We’ll also show you why low-fat quark is a real all-purpose weapon.

sources

Bohlmann F., Ullmann M .: Food as Medicine, Gräfe & Unzer Verlag, 2013

Schauder P., Ollenschläger G .: Nutritional medicine, prevention and therapy, Urban & Fischer Verlag, 3rd edition, 2006

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