Oats are a whole-grain cereal mainly grown in North America and Europe. They are a very good source of fiber, especially beta glucan, and are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Here Ariane Lang, HealthLine.com, reflects on whether eating raw oats is healthy:

What are raw oats?

Oats are a widely consumed whole grain.

Since your body cannot digest the kernels, they must be processed, which includes (1Trusted Source):

1. Separating the hull from the oat groats
2. Heat and moisture treatment
3. Sizing and categorization
4. Flaking or milling

The final products are oat bran, oat flour, or oat flakes (also known as rolled oats).

A popular breakfast favorite, oat flakes can be enjoyed cooked or raw.

This means that you can either boil them, as when preparing oatmeal or porridge, or enjoy them cold, such as by adding raw oats to shakes.

That said, due to the heating process that all oat kernels undergo to make them digestible, raw oats are technically cooked.

Highly nutritious

While oats are most famous for their fiber and plant-based protein content, they pack various other nutrients as well (2Trusted Source).

A 1-cup (81-gram) serving of raw oats contains (3Trusted Source):

• Calories: 307
• Carbs: 55 grams
• Fiber: 8 grams
• Protein: 11 grams
• Fat: 5 grams
• Magnesium: 27% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Selenium: 43% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 27% of the DV
• Potassium: 6% of the DV
• Zinc: 27% of the DV

Aside from being rich in nutrients like magnesium, selenium, and phosphorus, oats are packed with soluble fiber, a type of beneficial dietary fiber that forms a gel-like substance when digested (4Trusted Source).

The main variety of soluble fiber in oats is beta-glucan, which is responsible for most of the grain’s health benefits (5Trusted Source).

Oats are also rich in highly absorbable plant protein and provide more of this nutrient than many other grains.

In fact, protein structures in oats are similar to those of legumes, which are considered to be of high nutritional value (6Trusted Source).

Health benefits of oats

Because oats are packed with many health-promoting compounds, they provide various health benefits (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).

May promote blood sugar control

Blood sugar control is vital for health and especially important for people with type 2 diabetes or those who have difficulties producing or responding to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.

Beta-glucan has been shown to help control blood sugar due to its ability to form a gel-like substance in your digestive system.”

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Read More … Article Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/raw-oats