Can you eat oatmeal at night? So what are the benefits of eating oatmeal at night? Oats or oatmeal is a reliable companion for weight loss for a long time.
Oats are a type of grain that is scientifically known as Avena Sativa. This grain is used as food, skin products, or animal feed.
Oats are one of the healthiest grains on earth. They are packed with important vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
Recent scientific evidence suggests that oatmeal has significant health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, weight loss, and preventing heart disease.
Not only are they nutritious, but they are also easy to make, they are tasty, and they are naturally gluten-free, which is beneficial to many people.
Is it good to eat oatmeal before bed?
You can have oatmeal for dinner, or even as a very healthy late-night snack. Oats are rich in fiber and help to avoid hunger at night.
Besides, the nutrients in oatmeal contribute to your overall well-being and help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. Oatmeal for dinner also makes sure you get a good night’s sleep. There are many “benefits of eating oatmeal at night”, let’s find out.
What is the best time to eat oats?
Eat oatmeal at any time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, so there is no definite best time to eat oatmeal and get the benefits and the healthiest dose of all the vitamins and minerals and potent antioxidant plant compounds.
Oats are rich in carbs and fiber and are high in protein and fat than other grains. They are very high in vitamins and minerals.
Half a cup or 78 grams of dried oatmeal contains,
- Manganese: 191% of RDI
- Phosphorus: 41% of RDI
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin): 39% of RDI
- Magnesium: 34% of RDI
- Copper: 24% of RDI
- Zinc: 20% off RDI
- Iron: 20% of RDI
- Folate: 11% of RDI
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 10% of RDI
- Vitamin B6, Vitamin B3, Calcium and Potassium in small amounts
- Carbohydrates: 51 grams
- Protein: 13 grams
- Fiber: 8 grams, which contains 4 grams of soluble fiber.
- Calories: Only 303
This means that oats are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat every day at any time of the day.
Depending on activity and age, It is recommended that calorie intake should be 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day for adult men and 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day for adult women.
Oatmeal is a good source of protein with a well-balanced amino acid. Everyone needs protein to maintain their muscles, bones, and cartilages.
Oatmeal is low in total fat and serves about 5 grams per half-cup. Of that amount, about 4% of your Daily Value (DV) is saturated fat. The USDA recommends that you limit your daily saturated fat intake to no more than 10% of your total calories.
What kind of oatmeal good for dinner?
Oatmeal comes in a variety of forms: old-fashioned, steel-cut, quick-cooking, and instant. You may be wondering which one is healthiest when choosing or more satisfying or delicious.
All types of oatmeal are made from 100% whole grain oats. The difference lies in the processing phase.
Traditional Oats: These are rolled oats made when the oats groats are rolled into flat flakes after being steamed. This process helps to keep the oils in the oats to maintain their freshness and cook the oats faster. They usually absorb more water in about five minutes and cook faster than steel-cut oats.
Steel-cut oats: These oats are finely chopped and have a strong texture before cooking. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to prepare steel-cut oats, which is chewier than rolled or instant oats.
Quick cook oats: This type of oats is cooked on the stove and takes about a minute to prepare. Quick cook oats thinner and steaming, shortens the cooking time. They can be microwaved.
Instant oats: Individually packaged, instant oats are thin and pre-cooked, and re-hardened, and can prepare in microwaved for a minute. They have a mushy texture more than any other rolled oats and often add flavor or taste to this category.
So the type you choose is just a personal preference for taste, texture, and cooking time as long as the flavor is not added.
According to the Whole Grain Council, all types of oatmeal have the same nutritional value, micronutrients at any time of the day.
Benefits of eating oatmeal at night
Eat oatmeal every night for a good night’s sleep. When you finish your bowl of oatmeal at dinner, you may want to relax, rest and reduce the stress before you go to bed, turning to oatmeal dinner, will help. Oats contain the amino acid tryptophan, which is a natural sedative that reasons a sleepy feeling.
According to Psychology Today, the carbohydrates in oatmeal promote the release of insulin, which helps tryptophan to enter your brain.
Your brain converts tryptophan into serotonin, an essential brain neurotransmitter to regulate sleep, appetite, pain, and mood, as well as melatonin, a hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycles. So benefits of eating oatmeal at night are endless for anyone.
Benefits of eating oatmeal for dinner
Can I have oats for dinner? Oatmeal is a source of a variety of nutrients. Oats are easy to cook and it only takes a few minutes to make a bowl of oatmeal.
There are many ways to prepare oatmeal. You can add fruit for some sweetness. You can sprinkle some cooked vegetables or grated cheese.
With these healthy ways to make oatmeal, you can have a healthy fast dinner that provides protein and fiber.
Eating oatmeal at night and better sleep
According to the Prairie Oat Growers Association of Canada, oats contain tryptophan as we mentioned above. Also as we learned above, tryptophan is an amino acid that the brain converts into serotonin, which helps your body relax before you go to sleep.
Oats contain vitamin B3, which helps convert tryptophan into serotonin. So you can get better rest by eating oatmeal at night.
Furthermore, a study conducted by Journal Nutrient in April 2017 issue revealed that oats contain melatonin.
These studies have found that eating a diet high in melatonin can help with insomnia.
Is it okay to eat oatmeal at night to lose weight?
Oatmeal is a reliable companion for weight loss. Oatmeal or porridge helps in digestion and soothes the nerves for a long time. Oats give you a feel fuller as the fiber takes time to digest.
Oats are usually eaten oatmeal for breakfast and are made by boiling oats in water or milk.
Nutritionists and health experts around the world often rank a bowl of oatmeal as the best breakfast option for optimal weight loss and health. But it does work well in the form of dinner too.
Oatmeal or porridge also helps regulates blood sugar and lowers cholesterol.
According to Macrobiotic Nutritionists, a bowl of oats maybe your best breakfast option, “Oats are rich in fiber and prevent you from staying full and overeating by eating other high-calorie foods.
Do oats serve as a good dinner option?
‘Don’t eat less for dinner, eat better for dinner’ is a common saying. Oats provide a good alternative to their high water, fiber, and low-fat content. Whole grain oats also reduce the risk of constipation and heart disease.
According to Macrobiotic Nutritionists, “Oats are a very healthy alternative to dinner. They are high in fiber and water, which helps to avoid hunger at night.
Oats for dinner also give you a good night’s mood.” They help release the hormone serotonin, which helps reduce stress. This neurotransmitter helps to lift the mood and calm the body in the evening.
Eating oatmeal keeps you regular
Oatmeal is known as an excellent fiber source and provides about 15% of your daily value for half a cup. Fiber is very important for the health of your digestive system.
Oatmeal contains two types of fiber: soluble fiber, which dissolves in water and helps to lower glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood, and insoluble fiber that your body cannot break down.
These insoluble fibers (non-digestible fiber) remain intact, and the food you eat helps it to travel through your stomach, intestines, and colon, finally out of your body.
Fiber helps you prevent constipation by softening your stool and adding to its size. It also helps to cure diarrhea by absorbing water and adding stock to your stool.
According to the School of Public Health, the fiber in oats is considered to be more effective than the fiber found in fruits and vegetables and reduces the risk of diverticular diseases and diabetes.
Eating oatmeal good food for diabetics
If you have diabetes, oatmeal, which is naturally low in sodium and sugar, can be a healthy addition to your diet to help regulate your blood sugar levels. Magnesium in oatmeal is 27% of the daily value per serving.
According to the National Institutes of Health, a diet high in magnesium reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Magnesium helps to break down insulin resistance in your body to break down sugar, which can lead to diabetes.
Oatmeal also has a low Glycemic Index (GI). GI is a method of estimating how fast a carbohydrate raises blood glucose levels. Foods with a low GI score release glucose slowly and steadily, which can be helpful if you have diabetes. GI 55 in oatmeal is ideal when you need to manage your blood sugar level.
According to the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine published in 2018, the high fiber content of oatmeal is one of the main benefits of eating oatmeal as a dinner or supper if you have diabetes.
Those fibers, especially those made from oats and barley, not only reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes but also help lower blood glucose concentrations in people with diabetes.
Oats can improve blood sugar control. It is usually caused by a decrease in sensitivity to the hormone insulin.
Oats help lower blood sugar levels, especially in overweight or people with type 2 diabetes. Studies show that they can improve insulin sensitivity.
These effects are mainly due to the ability of beta-glucan gels to form. It depletes the stomach and delays the absorption of glucose into the blood.
Oatmeal is a filling and may help you lose weight
As we know, oats are boiled in water or milk to make oatmeal, also known as porridge, and is not only a delicious breakfast, it is also very filling.
The beta-glucan in oatmeal straightly raises your sense of fullness by delaying the time it takes your stomach to empty your foods.
Beta-glucan may promote the release of certain hormones produced in the gut in response to food. Now, this satiety hormone causes you to reduce calories and reduce the risk of obesity.
Oatmeal contains a considerable amount of slower to digest complex carbohydrates, which take longer to break down in your body than simple carbs.
Whether you have oatmeal for dinner or a snack at night, the complex carbs contain in oats, will make you fuller longer, so it is mainly important to reduce appetite and control hunger.
According to a 2014 study published in the Journal Nutrition, oatmeal, in both instant and traditional form, was found to be more satisfying and effective than other prepared cereals.
So if you find it difficult to sleep on an empty stomach or with low blood sugar, oatmeal can help prevent munching in the middle of the night.
It can also promote the release of the hormone peptide YY (PYY), which is produced in the gut in response to a beta-glucan diet. This satiety hormone helps reduce calories and reduces your risk of obesity
Oatmeal can help you lose weight by feeling fuller longer. It does this by slowing down the emptying of the stomach and producing a saturating hormone called PYY.
Eating oatmeal helps lower cholesterol
After the age of 30, it is always a good idea to visit your doctor annually, and one of the things your doctor should check is whether cholesterol levels are a major cause of death globally and a major risk factor for heart disease is high blood cholesterol.
Many studies have shown that the beta-glucan in oats is effective in lowering total and LDL cholesterol levels, which is a major risk factor for heart disease. It reduces the circulation of cholesterol in the blood by increasing the excretion of cholesterol-rich bile.
Oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol is another critical step in the improvement of heart diseases. It causes inflammation in the arteries, damaged tissues, and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
One study reported that the antioxidants in oats work in conjunction with vitamin C to prevent LDL oxidation. At the very least, it has so far been demonstrated by test tubes and animal studies.
Eating a bowl of oatmeal for dinner can help control your cholesterol levels. The Mayo Clinic advises that the soluble fiber in oatmeal can help to reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. They suggest that 5 – 10 grams of soluble fiber a day can lower your LDL or bad cholesterol.
40 grams of oatmeal provides about 4 grams of fiber and about 2 grams of soluble fiber. Adding fruits like berries or bananas will give you more fiber.
It was concluded that the daily consumption of 3 grams of soluble fiber from oats is beneficial in lowering total and LDL cholesterol.
High in antioxidants
Oats are known to have powerful antioxidant properties, along with vitamin E and minerals such as copper, zinc, and selenium. Besides, a phenolic compound found only in fats called avenanthramide plays a role in its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on maintaining your health and protecting you from several chronic conditions.
Avenanthramide is a potential therapeutic element for the treatment of several inflammatory diseases associated with cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, according to a study published in Pharmacognosy Review in 2018.
The conclusion is that regular consumption of avenanthramide-rich oats can be beneficial in preventing and curing many chronic and aging diseases.
Oats benefits for skin
Helps with skincare. If you pay close attention to the labeling of many skin products, you will find that oats are an important component of them.
Most of the time you will consider them as colloidal oatmeal that should be applied to the skin, it is no more than finely processed oatmeal.
As you know colloidal oatmeal, oats are becoming more and more popular and are becoming more and more effective with skincare products.
It is FDA approved as a treatment for itchy and irritated skin diseases, for example, eczema allergies, and others.
So finally, grind your oatmeal and add some water to it you know making a pace that you can apply it topically to the skin without contraindications.
Conclusion
Oatmeal is not just for breakfast. To gain more benefits to your body, it is a good option to eat oatmeal for dinner or as your wish, at any time of the day and enjoy the high protein, high fiber, and many more benefits of this nutritious grain. It can also be part of a weight-loss strategy.
Those are our list of “benefits of eating oatmeal at night“.
Feel free to discuss this in the comments section below.
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