Can oatmeal help lower high blood pressure?

can oatmeal help lower high blood pressureIt’s not always a good idea to take a leaf out the book of the Scots when it comes to diet, but eating oats regularly is one of those rare exceptions.

(Disclaimer: Scotland has lots of great traditional food, but modern Scots often don’t eat it and heart disease rates are pretty high. I am a Scot myself, by the way.)

The reason eating oats regularly is such is a good idea is that it’s proven to lower your cholesterol, and in turn reduce the risk of heart disease.

This is one of the best understood food-health links, and also the first to be endorsed by both American and European food safety authorities – oat products are the only source of dietary fibre which can carry the health claim that they can lower the risk of heart disease.

So make sure to get your oats!

 

 

How Can Oatmeal Help Lower High Blood Pressure?

Oats lower cholesterol

Yes – as well as being naturally free from cholesterol, eating oats actually lowers your cholesterol levels.

This is because oats are high in a water-soluble fibre called beta-glucan, which soaks up the LDL (unhealthy) cholesterol in your digestive system. In one study, published in the American Medical Association Journal, oats lowered cholesterol as much as cholesterol-lowering drugs like statin.

Lowering this kind of cholesterol also lowers your risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart disease, and this in turn can help lower your blood pressure.

Basically, the more (LDL) cholesterol you have in your blood, the more it can get deposited on the walls of your arteries, hardening them. The heart then has to work harder to pump blood through, and this increases your blood pressure. High blood pressure in turn can damage the walls of your arteries, making it easier for cholesterol to be deposited – so high cholesterol and high blood pressure each worsen the other. But eating oats will help both!
five superfoods which lower blood pressure (and don't cost you the earth)

Oats help stabilize blood sugar levels

Oats contain complex carbohydrates which are digested and absorbed more slowly than simple carbs. In addition, the beta-glucan in oats is a soluble fibre which breaks down into a gel and coats other food particles in the stomach, slowing down their rate of digestion and absorption by the body too.

Slower digestion and absorption mean that the energy from food (in the form of sugar) is released into the blood slowly and steadily. This is great for diabetics but it also helps keep blood pressure down, as high or unstable blood sugar levels can lead to high blood pressure.

As well as being good for your blood pressure, oats are a great food to get you going, and keep you going.

Oats are easy to digest – easier than wheat, for example – and so don’t slow you down too much while you’re digesting, yet are still very filling. Because they are absorbed slowly in the body, energy is released from them for quite a while. Athletes in training often eat oats for breakfast and studies suggest it gives them more stamina than other breakfast cereals.

Oats help keep blood pressure lower with minerals and antioxidants

Oats contain a type of antioxidant which helps protect against hardening of the arteries. Oats are also high in potassium, magnesium, calcium and zinc, B vitamins, vitamin E, all of which are important for maintaining healthy blood pressure.

For more ordinary foods which lower blood pressure, click here to get our free report: Five superfoods which lower blood pressure (and don’t cost the earth)

 

Best Ways To eat Oats

The oats that we eat are the oat ‘groats’ or seeds inside the husk. However, you see different types of oats being sold, which can be a bit confusing. The main differences are the size of the pieces they are cut into, and how much they are then further processed.

‘Whole oats’ still have the oat bran layer, and it’s this that contains most of the good stuff. Some oats are processed to remove the bran layer, and sometimes to partially cook the oats too.

Go for whole oats where possible, as they’re not only more nutritious, but also more effective in lowering blood pressure. Whole oats come in various forms and sizes. Smaller oats are faster to cook because they absorb water faster. But avoid instant oatmeal as it’s the least nutritious.

All these forms of oats can be eaten cooked, as in porridge, or uncooked, as in muesli.  You can also eat oat bran, or barley bran.

How much oats?

Both the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) and FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) allow certain oat products to carry the health claim that they reduce cholesterol levels and can reduce the risk of heart disease, if they can provide 3g per day of beta-glucans/soluble fibre.

100g oats contains about 5g of beta-glucan, so for your minimal 3g a day, you need at least 60g oats per day – over 2 ounces – or about 2/3 of a cup.

Aim for a cup – so, say, a bowl of oats each morning, and an oat-based snack later in the day.

A bowl of oats

can oatmeal help lower high blood pressureBreakfast is the best time to get your oats – you’ll start the day with stable blood sugar levels, and a steady supply of energy.

Or have some later in the day instead. A bowl of oats about an hour before moderate exercise keeps you going well.

Porridge and muesli are both good ways to get your oats – but they don’t have to be boring. There are loads of tasty ways to spice up your porridge and brighten up your muesli – just click over to this post for more details:

Delicious ways to eat oats

And enjoy!

 

Lower your blood pressure naturally (for less cost)

There’s actually a large choice of affordable natural ingredients that lower blood pressure, in addition to oats. Many of these spices, herbs, berries, fruits, grains, vegetables, meats and drinks are available in local stores.

Of course there are other factors beyond diet (like fitness and stress) that affects your blood pressure. So the best way to lower your blood pressure without drugs is to apply a broader approach – covering all causes and cures with natural home-based remedies.

lower your blood pressure naturallyThe guide contains simple and proven strategies for lowering your blood pressure and keeping it low through easy, effective and enjoyable changes in lifestyle.

These progressive steps are based on the principle that positive incremental change is always best in health matters.

Each chapter will take you further along the road of greater vigour and peace of mind (and a healthy blood pressure).

Click on the link below for more information:

Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally Guide

 

P.S. This guide shows you how to lower your blood pressure permanently and naturally without side-effects or complications.

Follow each step to get your blood pressure back in balance.

Choose between a wide range of delicious foods that reduce your blood pressure. Include a number of mental and physical exercises in your schedule for both relaxation and invigoration.

Following this guide will reduce, and in time, eliminate your need for blood pressure lowering medications.

This is a guide for good healthy living and will be beneficial for all – even if you don’t currently suffer from high blood pressure.

To download a sample of the guide to your computer right now click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for the download link.

For more on the benefits of oats for blood pressure, check out our book:

Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally – The Complete 9 Step Guide

It’s packed with tasty tips on changing your diet to lower your blood pressure naturally, as well as guidance on exercise and relaxation for reducing your blood pressure – plus more delicious recipe ideas for oat-based meals!

Click on the link above for more details and a free sample.

 

Post by Alison.

 

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