Surprising Health Benefits of Porridge: Reasons Why Porridge Is Good For You?
Porridge, which is also called oatmeal, is a type of breakfast made by cooking oats, barley, or other grains in milk or water. It’s warm and comforting to eat. People often add sugar or honey to make it sweet. Porridge is liked all around the world for many reasons. Scientists have even studied it, especially oatmeal.
Usually, porridge is a good choice because it has lots of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. It’s not very high in calories and has plenty of fiber and protein, which is good for losing weight. But remember, how you make it and what you add can change how many calories it has. So, be careful about what you put in your porridge.
Nutritional Value and Calories of 1 Cup Porridge
The stuff inside 1 cup of porridge can change based on how you make it. Let’s look at what’s in roughly 1 cup of porridge made from 1/2 cup of rolled oats and 1 cup of water. No extra sweet things added:
- Calories: About 150-200
- Protein: Around 5-6g
- Fat: About 3-4g
- Carbs: Roughly 27-30g
- Fiber: About 4g
- Vitamin B: About 10-20% of what you need daily
- Iron: About 10-15% of what you need daily
- Zinc: About 8-10% of what you need daily
But remember, these numbers can change depending on what you use and how you make it. If you use milk or yogurt instead of water, there might be more calories. If you put sugar or honey, there might be more calories too. Also, these numbers are based on rolled oats. Other types like instant oats or steel-cut oats have a bit different numbers.
Porridge Good for Health
People like porridge because it’s good for you. It has a lot of fiber and things like vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. One study even showed that eating oatmeal can help lower cholesterol and make your heart healthier. This is because oatmeal has a special kind of fiber called beta-glucan that can lower cholesterol by sticking to stuff in your belly.
Also, when you eat oatmeal, your body gets energy slowly, so you don’t get super hungry quickly and eat too much. But remember, it’s best to make porridge with water or milk and not put too much sugar or sweet stuff in it.
Another study found that eating oatmeal can help control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. The special fiber in oatmeal slows down how sugar gets into your blood.
Porridge for Weight loss
Porridge is good if you want to lose weight because it doesn’t have too many calories. A regular bowl of porridge with water or milk has about 150-200 calories. That’s much less than foods like croissants, waffles, and pancakes that we eat for breakfast. Also, porridge has things like iron, zinc, and vitamin B that our bodies need to lose weight and stay healthy.
Another benefit of porridge is that it can help regulate blood sugar levels. Oats contain a type of carbohydrate called beta-glucan, which can slow the absorption of glucose and prevent blood sugar spikes. This can be beneficial for people with diabetes or those who are trying to lose weight, as it can help control cravings and reduce the risk of overeating.
Another good thing about porridge is that it can help control how much sugar is in your blood. There’s something called beta-glucan in oats that slows down how sugar gets into your blood. This is good for people with diabetes or those who want to lose weight. It stops you from feeling super hungry and eating too much.
But when you’re trying to lose weight, you need to be careful with how you make your porridge. If you add lots of sugar or sweet stuff, it can make your porridge have more calories, which isn’t great for weight loss. It’s better to use water or milk to make your porridge and then put fruits or honey for sweetness. Also, watch how much you eat. If you have too much porridge, it can still have a lot of calories and make it harder to lose weight.
Porridge for Constipation?
Eating porridge can help stop constipation because it has a lot of fiber. There’s a special kind of fiber called beta-glucan in oats that makes your digestion work better and keeps your tummy regular. If you eat a bowl of porridge made from 1/2 cup of rolled oats, you get about 4 grams of fiber. This can help you have normal and easy bathroom times without constipation problems.
Fiber is really important for your tummy to work well and avoid constipation. For grown-ups, it’s good to have around 25 grams of fiber if you’re a woman, and 38 grams if you’re a man. Having a bowl of porridge in the morning is a nice way to start the day with some fiber that helps you go to the bathroom easily all day long.
Remember, if you’re not used to eating a lot of fiber, eating foods like porridge with a lot of fiber might make you feel gassy or uncomfortable in your tummy. You can make it easier by slowly eating more fiber and drinking enough water.
Also, if you’re having constipation, it’s a good idea to look at what you usually eat and how you live. Eating balanced meals with fruits, veggies, and whole grains, drinking water, and doing regular exercise can all help stop constipation.
Porridge is Good for the Skin
You might not think of porridge as something that helps your skin, but it actually has some good stuff that can keep your skin healthy. Let’s see why:
Oats in porridge have vitamin E, which is like a shield for your skin. It fights off things that can damage your skin, and it also makes your skin softer and less wrinkly.
Oats also have something called zinc, which is like a superhero for your skin. It helps make a protein called collagen that makes your skin strong and stretchy. Zinc can also calm down redness and swelling on your skin, like if you have pimples.
And guess what? Oats also have something called silicon that makes your skin, hair, and nails stronger.
Oats are also like a superhero with a soothing power. They can make your skin feel better if it’s irritated or red. There are special things in oats called avenanthramides that do this.
You can even use finely ground oats, called colloidal oatmeal, to gently clean, scrub, and hydrate your skin.
But eating just porridge might not give you a huge change in your skin. To really take care of your skin, you need to eat lots of different healthy foods, drink enough water, use good skin stuff, and protect your skin from the sun.
So, porridge can be part of keeping your skin nice. The vitamins, minerals, and good things in oats can protect your skin, calm it down, and make it stretchy. Just remember, to really have healthy skin, you need to eat different good foods, drink water, use good skin stuff, and shield your skin from the sun.
Why do we eat porridge in the morning?
Lots of athletes and people who want to eat healthy like to have oats for breakfast. Oats have a good amount of fiber and give you energy slowly, so you don’t get hungry quickly. This stops you from snacking too much. Porridge and whole grains can also help: lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol.
Disadvantage of Porridge
One thing to think about is that porridge might not agree with your tummy if you’re not used to eating lots of fiber. If you eat a lot of porridge quickly, it can make you feel gassy or uncomfortable. To avoid this, start with a small amount of porridge and eat it slowly. Also, make sure to drink enough water when you eat porridge to help your tummy feel better.
Another thing to know is that porridge can have something called phytic acid, which can stop your body from getting important minerals like zinc, iron, and calcium. This might happen more if the oats aren’t prepared well, like soaked or sprouted. But most oats you buy in stores have less phytic acid because they’re treated. And if you can’t eat gluten, be careful with porridge because oats can sometimes have a little bit of wheat, barley, or rye in them, which can make you feel unwell.
Lastly, if you’re trying to lose weight, pay attention to how you make your porridge. Too much sugar or sweet stuff can add extra calories and make it harder to lose weight. It’s better to make porridge with water or milk and add natural sweet things like fruits or honey.
Porridge is thought to be good for you, but it might not agree with everyone’s tummy. If you can’t eat gluten or you’re trying to lose weight, you should be careful about how you make your porridge. Porridge is great for avoiding constipation because it has lots of fiber that helps your tummy work well. Just make sure you eat it as part of a balanced diet and drink enough water to avoid any tummy problems.
