Why is porridge beneficial for health?

The oatmeal porridge It is more and more popular with us. It appears as a gluten-free alternative to wheat and its derivatives, such as ultra-processed breads or sweetened breakfast cereals. Oatmeal is a whole food with multiple health benefits that can be combined with other equally healthy foods to prepare it in many ways, all of which are delicious.

Oat Porridge Reduces Inflammation Levels

If you eat porridge regularly (70 g per day, from 40 g of oats and 30 g of milk), your inflammation levels can be reduced, because both the oats themselves and the ingredients that can be added to the porridge (nuts, seeds, fruits) contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances.

In a study published in Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the participants, who had high cholesterol, were given porridge made from oats or rice for 4 weeks. The groups were then switched so that the oat group received the rice porridge for 4 weeks and vice versa.

It was shown that typical inflammation values ​​only improved after ingesting the oatmeal porridge (c-reactive protein, interleukins IL-6 and IL-8, TNF-α), but not after eating the rice porridge.

Oatmeal porridge as a prebiotic for the intestine

In a Norwegian study, 10 participants received 60 g of oatmeal porridge daily for one week. Also in this case, the inflammation values ​​decreased, and also those of β-galactosidase and urease in the feces were reduced, which indicates an improvement in the composition of the intestinal flora.

The researchers concluded that porridge has prebiotic properties, that is, it feeds the beneficial microbiota, stimulating the variety of species and populations of beneficial bacteria.

This prebiotic effect reinforces the health of the intestinal walls, whose function is important to allow the access of nutrients to the blood and prevent the filtration of toxic or inflammatory compounds. It is also essential for the immune response at the intestinal level.

The porridge is ideal for children

Oatmeal porridge is an ideal meal for children and adolescents. If children eat it for breakfast, they are more likely to cover their nutritional requirements throughout the day.

Of course, it is not necessary to eat a porridge right after getting up in the morning. If your child has no appetite in the morning, you can put it on him so he can eat it in the patio, when I’m hungry.

Of course, this also applies to adults. Do not force yourself to have breakfast if you do not feel like it, eat only when your body requires it. A porridge can also be eaten as a lunch or snack without any problem.

Nutritional value of porridge

A porridge consists of around 40 to 50g of rolled oats per serving. 50 g of oats provide 200 calories and the following nutrients stand out in its composition:

7.8 mcg biotin (25% of the daily requirement), a nutrient that, together with zinc, ensures beautiful hair, healthy skin and strong nails. 2mg zinc (19% of the daily need), as much as in the same amount of a steak. 0.4mg of vitamin B1 (33% of the daily requirement), with oats being the grain richest in vitamin B1. Along with vitamin B6, B1 promotes good nerves and sleep. 0.4mg of vitamin B6 (double that in other cereals) for healthy nerves. This vitamin is also necessary for healthy hair, skin, or kidney function. 2.4 mg of iron, so it helps prevent anemia, among other benefits. 60mg magnesium (22% of the daily requirement), beneficial for the nervous system, muscles, bones and a healthy cardiovascular system. 4.4 mg of silicon, which benefits all tissues and joints. In addition, it helps to eliminate aluminum. 2 to 6 g of dietary fiber which ensures good digestion and healthy levels of cholesterol and blood sugar. Therefore, it prevents obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

They also contain 9 g of protein, 28 mg of calcium and 2.5 mg of manganese. In the porridge, the nutritional value of nuts, seeds, fruits and milk (vegetable or cow) is added to oats.

Porridge or porridge recipes

A porridge doesn’t have to be made solely of oats. You can also prepare a porridge from other cereals like buckwheat flakes, millet, spelt, quinoa and many more. Here you can check different delicious porridge recipes:

scientific references