Oats have been the staple diet of some of the hardiest races – including the Scottish Highlanders and the inhabitants of the Hebrides. But what makes oats such an excellent food?
Oats are richly nutritious: 100g (3½ oz.) oats contain 12g (½ oz.) protein. They also contain polyunsaturated fats, a little vitamin E, and plenty of the B complex vitamins. They are spectacularly high in calcium, potassium and magnesium which, like the B vitamins, are vital for a healthy nervous system, as well as strong bones and teeth; and they supply plenty of silicon for healthy arterial walls.
This ‘horn-of-plenty’ of nourishment comes packaged in a food source that is also singularly digestible: oats have a demulcent quality that protects the duodenal surfaces and soothes the stomach and intestines. Oats have an impressive reputation in traditional medicine. Possets and caudles made from oatmeal with water, lemon juice, sugar, spices and perhaps ale or wine were for centuries a standard prescription for any sickroom, while gruel or porridge were often on the menu.
Herbalists turn to oats for one of their most reliable remedies for depression and general debility – a tincture of the whole plant, or just the de-husked oat. So potent is its tranquilizing effect that it in now being used by a number of health practitioners to wean people off manmade tranquillizers to which so many thousands are addicted. The role of oats in combating high levels of blood cholesterol, and in regulating blood fats, is causing great excitement in the medical world of today, thanks to the pioneering research of Dr. James Anderson of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Kentucky, who has been studying oat fibre for over a decade. In dozens of studies, the cholesterol levels of patients fed a daily dose of oat-bran have declined an average of 20 per cent. The glutinous fibre in the oat-bran appears to remove bile acids that would otherwise be converted into cholesterol. Eat porridge for breakfast – and you’re doing your arteries a real big favour.
Oats should certainly figure on the diabetic’s menu too, since they appear to have a very favourable effect on sugar metabolism. In another highly interesting study, Dr. Anderson found that 11 out of 20 diabetic men eating about 100g (3½ oz.) oat-bran daily, stopped needing insulin shots.
Here’s a recipe to help you start that high fibre diet.
Highland Fling: Put 50g (2 oz.) fine oatmeal and a large spoonful of honey into your largest pan. Add a little warm water, the juice of a lemon, and a small piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated. Bring 1.2L (1 quart) of water to a boil, and add it slowly to the oatmeal mixture, stirring all the time. Bring back to a boil, and continue stirring for 3 minutes. Strain into a large jug, chill and keep in the fridge - for not more than 3 days.
Resources: Health Tips; Wikipedia; Super Nutrition- Health Book
