Avena sativa or oats have been providing energy to human beings as well as some animals for thousands of years. Originally a Scottish staple, the grain was first introduced in the European farming scene around 1500 BC.

Over the years their production has seen sporadic highs and lows with the coming of other cash crops. But, today they’re making a strong comeback with a high consumption rate across the world, replacing other cereals dominating the breakfast, lunch and snack menu of every home.

In the UAE, the demand for oats is soaring like never before with more and more people adopting the food and influencers promoting it for its many amazing nutritional benefits.

Good source of essential nutrients

Oats are a minefield of macronutrients, micronutrients and antioxidants. They’re, in fact, more nutritious than the most commonly consumed cereals. In comparison with rice and wheat, they contain higher concentrations of proteins, fats (monounsaturated fats), iron, vitamins (B and E), beta-glucan fibre, and antioxidants (avenanthramides).

Interesting health benefits of the grain

Oats owe much of their health benefits to beta-glucan fibre - a soluble fibre that has the potential to lower cholesterol levels, regulate blood sugar, and reduce blood pressure, thus ensuring a healthy gut and minimising all possible risks of heart attack and other diseases.

Beta-glucan is a prebiotic. Consuming it can promote the health of your colon. When you eat oats, the beta-glucan fibre partially dissolves and forms a viscous liquid in your gastrointestinal tract, which makes you feel full, establishing a healthy balance of your gut bacteria.

The presence of beta-glucan also suppresses your appetite, helping you keep your weight in check. Since you feel full, you don’t tend to eat more.

Among the cereals, only oats are known to possess avenanthramides, a type of powerful antioxidant that is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Avanenthramides encourage the production of nitric oxide in your body, which causes your blood vessels to dilate, easing the blood flow.

While these were a list of the major ones, there are a lot more benefits to oats. So, start including oats in your daily diet right from today!

A dozen ways to eat oats

There are more than a dozen ways to eat oats, not including porridge. Check out our healthy oatmeal recipes here.

Know the grain

Step into any store in the UAE, and you can find oats of different types, ranging from steel-cut oats to rolled oats and oat flour. Of course, you can go for what you like, but it always makes sense to choose one that is versatile, so that you are not bored of eating the same kind of dish. As one of the best oats brands in the UAE, Jenan offers instant read-to-cook white oats that are versatile, gluten-free and have high calorie, protein and fibre. You can easily try different and delicious recipes with it.