What should you opt for - oats or wheat? Today, more and more people are showing interest to include oats as their breakfast cereal. Oatmeal is not only a ready-to-eat breakfast cereal that saves our time, but it is a dietician's favorite recommendation as well! While many fitness freaks have switched over to oats, there are still many people who try to figure out the differences between wheat and oats in terms of the health benefits offered by these two cereals.
Oat is derived from the weeds of wheat and barley. Oats are considered to be very healthy because of the soluble fiber content and the ability to bring down the levels of the "bad" LDL cholesterol. On the other hand, wheat happens to be one of the most widely used cereals across the world. The protein content of wheat is comparatively better as compared to other widely used cereals like rice and maize.
Here is a brief comparison of oats and wheat:
1. Fiber Content
Wheat: Wheat mainly has insoluble fiber. In 100 grams of wheat, there are 13.2 grams of insoluble fiber. The amount of insoluble fiber present in wheat is the highest amongst the other commonly used cereals such as rice and maize. The insoluble fiber shows a tendency to absorb water in the gut and to swell up. This way, it performs the function of a laxative and helps in the removal of waste products.
Oats: Oats, apart from containing insoluble fiber, also contain adequate amounts of soluble fiber, called beta-glucan. The amount of soluble fiber in oats is considered to be the best amongst cereals. A 100 gram of oats contain about 4 gram of soluble fiber and 11 fram of insoluble fiber. The soluble fiber helps slow down the digestion process and this gives us a feeling of fullness for an extended period of time.
Beta-glucan helps in bringing down the level of "bad" LDL cholesterol without affecting the level of "good" HDL cholesterol; this way it helps in significantly reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Many studies have shown the beneficial effects of beta-glucan, the soluble fiber in oats, on cholesterol levels. Beta-glucan helps in bringing down the level of "bad" LDL cholesterol without affecting the level of "good" HDL cholesterol; this way it helps in significantly reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Studies show that people (with high cholesterol - above 220 mg/dl) who consume just 3 grams of soluble oat fiber per day can typically reduce their total cholesterol by 8 to 23 percent.
2. Protein Content
Wheat: In 100 grams of wheat, there are 13 grams of protein, but this figure might vary from one variety to the other. Most of the protein in wheat is in the form of gluten, which is not very easy to digest.
Oats: In 100 grams of oats, there are around 17.6 grams of protein with the majority of protein (around 80 percent) in the globulin form (similar in make-up to the proteins found in legumes). The quality of oat protein is nearly equivalent to that of soy protein, which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is equivalent to meat, milk, and egg protein.
3. Presence of Gluten
Wheat: Wheat contains a form of gluten protein called Gliadin, which is not very easy to digest. Also, around 1 percent of the population in the World are sensitive to gluten due to celiac disease or gluten sensitive enteropathy. As wheat contains gluten, people with celiac disease need to strictly avoid it in their diet. Intake of wheat under such condition can lead to inflammatory responses.
Oats: Oats do not contain any of the gluten related protein, but the protein in oats (Avenin) can trigger a reaction in people with celiac disease. A study conducted in 1995 suggests that oats can still be a part of gluten free diet in its pure form. A follow-up study later suggested that oats can be used in a gluten free diet for a longer period of time. But this topic remains controversial in countries which produce oats alongside wheat. In these countries, oats are considered as gluten containing foods. Countries which produce pure oat products are Finland and Sweden.
At the end it can be concluded that both the cereals are good for consumption if you do not suffer from gluten sensitivity. You can choose to derive health benefits from both the cereals by combining the two in the form of flour. The choice would depend on your individual requirements.
