You can’t ever say no to a good batch of pancakes topped with good old chocolate sauce or your choice of syrup, that’s true, but although a little food indulgence here and there never hurt anyone, in the long run, it can. What you serve as food on a daily basis will improve your health and boost energy levels, or it will leave you feeling sluggish and weak. So in between those sugary breakfast options, we should always add healthier foods into our diet for optimal energy throughout the day.
When it comes to foods that increase brainpower, oats are very efficient.
Oats often receive good praise from nutritionists, fitness instructors, professional athletes, and for good reason. The slow-burning carbohydrates along with the high fiber content make oats one powerful breakfast food, one that is easy to make and quite versatile.
The many benefits of consuming oats on a regular basis
100 grams of raw oats contain approximately 389 calories, and oats are also high in carbohydrates, two facts that make some people fearful about consuming them daily, but medical research has proven that eating oats daily for breakfast can indeed improve overall health in addition to addressing specific ailments.
Oats nutritional profile (for 100 grams)
Calories 389
Carbohydrates 66.3 g
Fiber 10.6 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Water 8%
Protein 16.9 g
Saturated fatty acids 1.22 g
Monounsaturated fatty acids 2.18 g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids 2.54 g
There is also a long list of amino acids that is worth including and knowing of because these organic compounds are essential for the human body and especially relevant for vegetarians since amino acids represent that which builds protein.
Foods highest in amino acids are thus highest in protein and much recommended for anyone on a vegetarian diet.
Amino acids in oats
Tryptophan 234 mg
Threonine 575 mg
Isoleucine 694 mg
Leucine 1284 mg
Lysine 701 mg
Methionine 312 mg
Cysteine 408 mg
Tyrosine 573 mg
Valine 937 mg
Arginine 1192 mg
Histidine 405 mg
Alanine 881 mg
Aspartic acid 1448 mg
Glutamic acid 3712 mg
Glycine 841 mg
Proline 934 mg
Serine 750 mg
Benefits to consuming oats regularly
Oats as a whole grain food help reduce blood pressure. They contain the soluble fiber known as beta-glucan, which has been proved, has healing properties such as restoring hematopoiesis, preventing tumor metastasis and aiding with cancer chemotherapy.
The beta-glucan fiber plays a relevant role in lowering cholesterol levels, an extremely important benefit in cases of high cholesterol. High levels of cholesterol can lead to heart attack or blood clots in the body, therefore consuming foods like oats on a regular basis greatly reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
The antioxidants in oats are also important in fighting against cardiovascular disease and oats are abundant in avenanthramides, phytic acid, vitamin E and phenolic compounds, all of which play their part in keeping membranes and cells healthy. Antioxidants are powerful weapons when it comes to healing wounds on the body.
Oats contain several vitamins: vitamin B, thiamine, pantothenic acid, folic acid, riboflavin and pyruvic acid. A number of essential minerals are present too: selenium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and copper. Each and every one of these nutrients help regulate specific functions in the body and are beneficial to various systems (vitamin B, for example, is essential for the circulatory system).
Oats can be consumed for breakfast as oatmeal, or they can be added to desserts, bread, and multiple foods in which case they interact even better when combined with fruits and vegetables. Oats can be blended into a smoothie, incorporated into various omelets or cooked into power boosting bars.