What are steel cut oats really? Are they as healthy as people claim? This is exactly the information we want to give you, so that you can make healthy eating choices.

Would you like to know more? Then keep reading!

Steel Cut Oats – An Overview:

Steel cut oats are oats that have got this all so strange name, owing to the way they are made. Steel cut oats are passed through sharp, steel blades which cut them into lean slices (1). The reason being the oats retain much more fiber and protein when they are cut that way. When the oats are passed through sharp steel blades, they dense and chewy.

Unlike the run-of-the-mill packaged oats widely available, these specially made oats are not simply flat-rolled into flakes. Whole toasted oat grain in this process is cut into thirds to yield high-quality steel cut oats after only removing the outer husk. Did you know that this variety of oats is also known as pinhead oats in some places on the globe?

Steel Cut Or Rolled Oats? Which Is Better?

Did you know that steel cut oats also come from the same plant that produces a variety of other oats like rolled and instant oats? What makes steel cut oats different from instant oats lies in the way they are processed. Steel cut oats, to begin with, is nothing but whole grain that is passed through a set of sharp blades that cut the oat kernel into thin slices.

This variety of oats is never precooked, (unlike the garden-variety packaged oats that are available in the market. The flavor of steel cut oats can be best described as nutty as compared to other oats. The oats are also chewier, which is why they take longer to prepare.

Instant oats are commercially steamed first and then rolled. This process was started in the good old days and is used till today to make the popular flat oats. The ‘rolling’ of the oat is essentially done to help it cook faster and save the preparation time.

Steel cut oats, on the other hand, ideally take about 20 good minutes to cook; a much longer preparatory process in comparison, yet oh-so-worth-it as you will soon find out.

Steel Cut Oats: The Nutritional Nuggets:

We all know that oats are replete with health benefits. Steel cut oats are no different and are virtually a treasure trove of nutrition and healthy goodness. Steel cut oats contain more fiber and insoluble fiber than dry oats. This insoluble fiber contains d-beta-glucan that helps improve and regulate blood sugar levels for diabetics and those suffering from high cholesterol. Diabetics are usually advised to consume a small amount of steel rolled oats as they reduce the glycemic response to an ingested meal. It aids slower gastric emptying, which is a great boon to diabetics. Thanks to their ability to considerably lower the glycemic pressure of a complete and wholesome meal, steel cut oats also have a role to play in the improvement of a patient’s cardiac health.

This variety of oats is also a primary source of protein in its natural form. The protein found in these oats is unadulterated and complete in nature. In this ‘pure’ form found in steel cut oats, trace amounts of amino acids can be found. These oats are also pretty high in aspartic and glutamic acid while low in tryptophan, which helps in both digestion and cardiac health.

Steel cut oats, like most other whole grain products, are a gold mine of vitamin B complex and iron. In fact, 10% of our daily iron serving recommendation can be found in just a quarter cup of this wonderful steel cut oats!

Steel Cut Oats: Our Healthy Hero:

Did you know that a diet replete with steel cut oats can help decrease your risk of contracting diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and obesity?

A recent scientific study concluded that a healthy intake of soluble dietary fiber resulted in a decreased chance of developing any sort of heart disease. Yet another study that was conducted on over 70,000 women for over a decade confirmed that consumption of oats decreased the risk of contracting coronary heart disease. This decrease is attributed to the property of steel cut oats that prevents cholesterol absorption and lowers LDL levels significantly.

People trying to improve or lower their glycemic index should eat steel cut oats daily (2). Diabetics, especially those constantly looking for ways to control their blood sugar levels should consume steel cut oats daily for positive results. The glycemic index, put very simply, measures to what extent carbohydrates increase the blood-glucose levels in the body. Food items with a high glycemic index result in abrupt spikes in a person’s blood glucose levels. Whereas foods such as steel cut oats help maintain a more balanced level of blood glucose in the body.

Another study here that attests to the power of steel cut oats – Yale University School of Medicine Associate Clinical Professor David L. Katz, M.D., MPH, summarized in a recent review that eating oats could even help prevent the very onset of diabetes. This, he goes on to state, is accomplished by the dropping of blood-glucose as well as insulin levels after eating.

A lot of prestigious research studies report that this specially produced oats may possibly contain specific compounds that in turn help the reduction of blood pressure levels (3). The soluble fiber in oats is suspected of affecting blood pressure levels directly. Another scientific study recently conducted found that most individuals who ate a daily helping of oats exhibited lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels than those who ate equivalent amounts of insoluble variety of fiber from sources other than the steel cut oats.

Steel cut oats promote weight-loss; this is because of their characteristic of making the person consuming it feel full faster. Remember about glycemic index we spoke of earlier? The low glycemic index of this variety of steel cut oats helps prolong that satiated feeling after eating. Making a person feel satiated over a longer duration makes for a successful weight management regimen, don’t you agree? Several research studies indicate that weight loss is influenced directly by the soluble fiber found in steel cut oats. The daily consumption of steel cut oats as an integral part of a conscious low-calorie diet aids weight loss in individuals at a much higher rate.

Steel cut oats have gained popularity even in the kitchens of master chefs these days. Thanks to their high nutritional value, nutty flavor and chewiness, steel cut oats are perfect for adding texture and nutritional value to food.

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by Renold Rajan via STYLECRAZE