YoNaturals Vending Against Junk Food in Schools

Author: Louanne Cox for YoNaturals Health Food Vending

A steaming bowl of porridge in winter, a delicious bowl of muesli in summer or even just a granola bar on the run oats are a great addition to your diet.   Oats offer so much to your health that they truly are one of nature’s super foods.

Oats can help lift your spirits and face the rest of the day in a positive mood.   They will also help your body to deal with stress.   Oats are a natural anti-depressant because of their high amounts of calcium, magnesium, B vitamins and potassium, all of the nutrients required for a healthy nervous system.

Oats are also good for a myriad of other things from diabetes, heart problems and cholesterol to cancer and childhood asthma.   They also taste good and are a grain that can be enjoyed by celiacs.

Studies since the 1960s have touted the effects of oats on high cholesterol levels.   It is believed that this is due to the type of soluble fiber that is found in oats.   The fiber is responsible for reducing cholesterol by 8-23%, just by eating a few grams of oats a day.   People with high cholesterol have a higher chance of contracting cardiovascular disease or having a stroke so if you cholesterol levels are high add a few oats to your day.

The health benefits of oats do not stop at lowering cholesterol however, they also help to reduce heart disease with a special antioxidant.   Researchers at Tufts University have conducted a number of different tests on oats.   They have isolated a special antioxidant called avenanthramides which is present in oats.   This antioxidant has been found to have special properties that reduce the chance of atherosclerosis developing.   They have also found that the effects are even more effective when vitamin C is added.   The moral of the story is to drink orange juice with your oats!

Moving from the heart to the immune system we have yet another reason to eat oats.   The soluble fiber found in oats is called beta-glucan and studies have found that this substance can help the body fight infections.   Studies at Brown University have found that the beta-glucan in oats give our immune defender cells the ability to locate the main infection point within infected tissue.   This allows a quicker response which means faster healing.   It is rather like giving our soldiers night vision goggles when they are on patrol in dark areas, they are able to find problems quicker and handle them more efficiently.

Oats are also well known for their ability to stabilize blood sugar levels.   This ability is also due to the beta-glucan and will help to keep your energy levels steady throughout the day.   Keeping the blood sugar levels stable also help with diabetes.

Studies in Holland have also found that oats are one of the foods which can lower the incidence of childhood asthma.   The other food is fish, but I wouldn’t recommend eating them both together, basically it just means that adding both fish and oats to the diet would be recommended.

Studies in the UK have also shown that eating wholegrain cereals, such as oats, can help to lower the incidence of breast cancer in post-menopausal women.

Basically if you want to feel good and keep your health in tip top condition you only need to answer one question – how are you taking your oats today?