Rolled Oats Vs Steel-Cut Oats: Which Is Better For Lowering Cholesterol?

Rolled Oats Vs Steel-Cut Oats: The US Food and Drug Administration recommends that people living with a high risk of coronary heart disease consume beta-glucan soluble fibre from whole grain oats.

Rolled Oats Vs Steel-Cut Oats: Oats are a type of nutritional cereal grain that comes from a grass species, which typically ends up in our breakfast bowls. It has a mushy texture packed with fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Due to its high nutritional value, oats have a positive impact on heart health. The US Food and Drug Administration recommends that people living with a high risk of coronary heart disease consume beta-glucan soluble fibre from whole grain oats.

"The oat industries and consumers may benefit from greater knowledge and understanding of clinical effects, range of occurrence, distribution, therapeutic doses and food functional attributes of other oat bioactives such as avenanthramides and saponins as well as other anti-inflammatory agents found in the cereal," the National Institute of Health (NIH) states.

There are many types of oats, but the most popular are the steel-cut oats and rolled oats that people rave about the most. You may be wondering about the two different kinds and the benefits of each one. Let's delve deeper to understand which is better to lower cholesterol levels for better heart health.

What Are Steel-Cut Oats?

Steel-cut oats are similar to the original, unprocessed oat groats that have been chopped into smaller pieces by steel blades. This type of oats is rough, chewy in texture and possesses a nuttier flavour when compared to rolled oats. Steel-cut oats take longer to prepare ranging from 15-30 minutes.

What Are Rolled Oats?

Whereas rolled oats are a type of oat groats that have undergone a steaming and flattening process. This type of oats is also known as old-fashioned oats that have a milder flavour and softer texture when compared to steel-cut oats. It takes much less time to prepare as they have been partially cooked.

Rolled Oats Vs Steel-Cut Oats

According to studies, steel-cut oats have a lower GI (a measuring factor to determine how carbs affect your blood sugar levels) than rolled oats because their shape makes them take longer to digest. These findings suggest that your body absorbs carbohydrates more slowly, resulting in more stable blood sugar levels. Additionally, traditional oats have slightly higher GI than steel-cut oats, which can accelerate starch gelatinization resulting in quicker glucose release.

Which Is Better To Lower Cholesterol Levels?

When it comes to their nutritional value, both steel-cut and rolled oats have similar nutrition that can support better health. Consuming any type of oats can have a significant impact on your diabetes management, lower risk of cancer, decreased inflammation, improved gut health and better weight management, but when it comes to supporting your heart health, there's some evidence that steel-cut oats may be healthier.

"Beta-glucan is an important component of dietary fiber found in oat grains. It is the major active compound in oats with proven cholesterol-lowering and antidiabetic effects. Oats also provide substantial levels of other bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, tocols, sterols, avenacosides, and avenanthramides," NIH explains. "The consumption of oats has been determined to be beneficial for human health by promoting immunomodulation and improving gut microbiota."

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