Oats & Health

Oats are one of the most natural, healthiest foods around. Porridge Oats and Oatmeal are 100% natural with no added sugar, salt or additives. They are naturally low in calories too - an average bowl of porridge made with water is only 171 calories.

 
Oatmeal and porridge oats are two of the few whole-grain foods that come out of the package as 100 percent whole grain. 'Wholegrain' refers to the entire edible part of the grain, which includes the germ, endosperm and nutrient-rich bran. Refined grains are lower in fibre and other nutrients because the bran and germ are typically removed.


Health experts have shown oats to have many benefits including:

prolonged energy release - Oats have a high content of complex carbohydrates and soluble fibre, so they release their energy slowly. A bowl of porridge for breakfast should provide you with all the energy your body needs until lunch time.

oats can help to lower cholesterol, and may help to reduce the risk of heart disease, when taken as part of a low fat diet. Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by the liver and other cells in the body, which is used to breakdown and digest fat. Cholesterol also comes from dairy products, beef, poultry and seafood. When the body has more cholesterol than it needs, cholesterol levels in the blood can rise, and over time, may damage or clog the arteries. Oats act like tiny sponges, actually soaking up cholesterol and carrying it out of the bloodstream.
oats contain one of the highest levels of soluble fibre found in any cereal, which is essential for healthy digestion. Scientists have also shown that soluble fibre can help to maintain a healthy heart, when eaten as part of a low fat diet.
oats contain folic acid which is essential for healthy foetal development.
oats can help to reduce the risk of diabetes.
Hamlyns Scottish Oatmeal contains around65% starch, an incredibly important and easily digestible form of nourishment, particularly for small children.
besides containing around 13% protein, oats and oatmeal contain a large number of the necessary vitamins and minerals for healthy growth including calcium, zinc, iron, manganese, thiamine and vitamins B1 and E. All that in an oat!

And on a final note, the longest living British man on record, David Henderson from Montrose in Scotland, who died in 1998 at the age of 109, attributed his age and good health to hard work and a daily bowl of porridge!