Oats (Avena sativa L.)

General

Cultivated Oats is an annual plant belonging to the genus Avena of the poacés (grass) family. It is used mainly to feed animals. World oat production has declined significantly in the last 50 years, from 50 million tonnes in the 1960s to 20 million tonnes in 2010. Oats are now largely replaced by corn and barley. The main producers of oats are the Russian Federation, Canada followed by Poland and Australia. It is estimated that in the United States human food corresponds to one-third of the supply of oats, and animal feed to two-thirds.

Oats are a common food and have been consumed by humans for thousands of years. Its use in food is mainly of Anglo-Saxon or North European origin. Oats have been consumed by humans for thousands of years. Oats that quickly allow satiety is interesting in a weight loss diet. Like fibers, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals are contained in bran and germ, it is advantageous to consume whole cereals rather than refined. Such natural fibers are beneficial for what they contain, but also for what they do not contain: excess fats and calories. However, it is necessary to be attentive and avoid processed products. Cereals can contain hydrogenated oils, colors, sugar, preservatives, artificial flavors that can completely offset their health benefits.

Its phytonutrients and vitamins

Oats has as its main advantage its content in soluble fibers including beta-glucans. Of all cereals, oats are the richest in lipids, mainly unsaturated fatty acids. Globulin is the major source of protein in oats and its quality is equivalent to that of soybeans.

It also contains phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, iron, selenium, vitamin B1, zinc, copper and pantothenic acid.

Its medicinal virtues

Cancer

Although several studies have shown that a high-fiber diet is associated with a lower risk of colon cancer, the role of fiber in cancer treatment remains controversial.

Cholesterol

The oat bran is the food richest in soluble fiber and pectin. Soluble fiber swells on contact with water and its volume increases by 20 to 30 times while forming a gel in the stomach. This gel has a role in the elimination of cholesterol by interfering with the reabsorption of bile acids, thus causing a decrease in plasma cholesterol levels(2)

Diabetes

The significant amount of soluble fiber including beta-glucan found in oats would slow down the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestine and thus decrease blood sugar spikes after meals resulting in a reduction in insulin. Oats are therefore recommended for people who suffer from type 2 diabetes.

Diet

The gel created by soluble fiber creates an impression of satiety. Oat bran is a solution to constipation problems.

Cardiovascular diseases

By helping to normalize blood glucose and insulin levels, adiet rich in soluble fiber can also help in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Bone and tooth health

Whole grains of oats provide good amounts of calcium, a mineral that, along with the other minerals in oats, strengthens bones by hardening the protein fibers that make them up. The consumption of calcium-rich foods could help minimize the inevitable bone loss that accompanies aging because it prevents the body from taking from the bones, the calcium it needs to perform other essential functions such as nerve transmission, muscle contractions and also blood clotting.

Celiac disease

People with celiac disease suffer from a permanent intolerance to gluten that can lead to intestinal symptoms such as malabsorption of several nutrients. The Gliadin is the part of gluten in wheat that causes an immune response in people with this disease. Wheat contains gliadin but oats do not. Oats contain a very similar molecule, adenin and given its great molecular resemblance, it has been attributed the same physiological effects as gliadin. However, more and more studies have shown that oats are tolerated by the vast majority of celiac people.

Given the lack of certainty and the fact that this cereal is at high risk of being contaminated with other cereals such as wheat or barley, the Canadian Celiac Disease Association and the Fédération québécoise de la maladie celiaque advise gluten-intolerant people not to consume oats.

Sexual virtues

Many plants are supposed to awaken sexual desire or help the physical side to achieve the expected performance. Some of them are part of our diet such as artichoke, ginger, vanilla and chocolate. Others such as gingko biloba, Asian and American ginseng, rhodiola, and maca that would stimulate pshychic, require some preparation to be consumed. However, with the exception of maca recognized by Health Canada to have certain effects on sexual well-being, Western science has never been able to demonstrate these facts. On the other hand, in Asian culture more than a hundred species of plants and also animal substances such as rhino horn and also velvet wood are widely accepted either as a sexual stimulant, mental or physical.

For some fruits and vegetables such as spinach, beetroot, watermelon, pomegranate and broccoli, the explanation is simpler, their nitrate concentration. The cavernous bodies of the penis and clitoris are a small spongy ball of very small nerves surrounded by blood vessels. In men, the cavernous body is located in the penis from its base (much like an inner tube). In women, it surrounds the clitoris. During sexual periods, it becomes engorged with blood and becomes active. Its stimulation depends on the relaxation of the genital muscles. Nitric oxide (NO) and its metabolite cyclic GMP directly influences the erectile mechanism in both men and women. In men its action leads to the relaxation of the smooth muscles of the penis, which has the effect of facilitating the passage of blood from the penile veins and leading to swelling of the penis. The more marked the presence of cGMP, the longer lasting and stronger the erection will be. In women, a similar but less strong phenomenon occurs in the clitoris. Oats are high in nitrate.

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• Storsrud S, Olsson M,et al. Adult coeliac patients do tolerate large amounts of oats. Eur J Clin Nutr.
• Health Passport, Oat Nomenclature
• Wikipedia
• PubMed