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Oatmeal is healthy, there’s no question about it. But how useful is the so-called oat cure, in which only grain is served for three days?
Oats owe their status as a trendy cereal primarily to porridge and overnight oats, which have become a popular breakfast for many people. The so-called oat cure also focuses on local food: for three days only porridge is served on the table. This is said to have numerous advantages, especially for people who suffer from diabetes. In addition, the oat days could be a good introduction to a healthier diet. However, the study situation on the treatment is thin.
Oatmeal is full of vitamins and fiber
Basically, oats are bursting with health-promoting properties. The grain provides important minerals including zinc, iron, magnesium and vitamins such as B1, B6 and biotin. The long-chain, complex carbohydrates in oats are digested slowly, causing blood sugar levels to rise only moderately. In addition, the flakes contain a comparatively high amount of vegetable protein, which, in combination with the carbohydrates, ensures the grain’s satiating effect, reports pharmacy magazine.
“Oats contain a lot of antioxidant substances that protect our bodies from aging, and secondary plant substances that even inhibit hardening of the arteries,” explains Dr. Matthias Riedl, diabetologist, nutritionist and internist, in Hamburger Abendblatt. What makes the grain a type of superfood is its high fiber content (10 grams per 100 grams of oats). It has been proven that plant fiber is beneficial for the metabolism and can, among other things, help prevent diabetes. The soluble fiber beta-glucan plays a special role, not only supporting the intestinal flora and intestinal mucosa, but also having a lowering effect on blood sugar and cholesterol.
Oats have positive effects on diabetes patients
This is intended to primarily benefit people suffering from type 2 diabetes, especially those suffering from insulin resistance. Those affected need more insulin to transport the sugar from the blood into cells. Loud pharmacy magazine Insulin acts like a fattening hormone, which in many cases leads to obesity. The goal of oat days is to mitigate insulin resistance.
Origins of the oat cure
The oat cure was originally a kind of emergency solution from the time when diabetes could not be treated with medication, she writes pharmacy magazine. In 1902, the doctor Carl von Noorden from Bonn recommended oat treatments to reduce high blood sugar levels. The discovery of insulin treatment in 1921 made oats unnecessary. The oat cure was then initially forgotten.
As the AOK health insurance company According to reports, researchers have found that oats can actually improve insulin action in the body. The grain can increase the sensitivity of the body’s cells to the hormone, so that the sugar is absorbed better again and blood sugar levels fall. Further data shows that the blood sugar levels of people with type 2 diabetes who regularly eat oats increase less.
Lots of grain, little fruit and vegetables – that’s what the oat treatment looks like
Loud pharmacy magazine Studies also suggest that oats can have a positive effect on liver function in fatty liver disease, which often occurs in type 2 diabetes. “Along with the other effects of oats, improving liver function can make losing weight even easier,” says Dr. Matthias Riedl. As numerous as there is research on the effects of oats, there is a lack of studies when it comes explicitly to the oat cure. But what does it actually look like?
On oat days, three meals are eaten, each consisting of 75 grams of oat flakes. These should be boiled with 300 to 500 milliliters of water or fat-free broth. Alternatively, you can soak the grain in cold water. Before eating, you should let the flakes soak for at least 30 minutes. According to the nutritional guide of NDR This is better for digestion and the absorption of minerals.
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You can season the porridge as desired. 100 grams of low-carbohydrate vegetables (such as leeks, broccoli, zucchini cooked in water or baked without oil) and 50 low-sugar fruits (such as berries or kiwis) are also allowed per day. You should also drink two liters of water or unsweetened tea every day. Sugar and fat are not allowed. The oat cure has little to do with sweet, sumptuous breakfast porridge.
Thin studies on the oat cure
“The metabolism-improving effect of the treatment lasts for around six weeks,” says Matthias Riedl NDR. If necessary, you can repeat the treatment every six to eight weeks – or take a single oat day every week. This effect has so far only been confirmed by a single study from 2008, like this AOK emphasized. In a total of 14 diabetes patients, the average blood sugar level fell after two days of oat treatment. Even four weeks later the value was lower than before the oat treatment. However, the data must be viewed critically because the number of participants was small and there was no control group.
In any case – especially if you regularly take medication or inject insulin – you should never start the oat treatment without consulting your doctor. “Even one day of oats has an intensive effect on blood sugar levels, so in some cases the amount of insulin should be reduced to avoid hypoglycemia,” warns nutritionist Dr. Winfried Keuthage in conversation with pharmacy magazine. But even for healthy people, it is advisable to discuss an oat diet, as well as other forms of fasting, with a doctor beforehand.
Not a diet, but an introduction to a healthier diet
The oat days are not suitable as a diet, but they could serve as an introduction to a healthier diet, explain Winfried Keuthage and Matthias Riedl. The cure provides factors that are valuable for a healthy metabolism, explains the latter in an interview with pharmacy magazine: “A solid structure of three meals, lots of fiber and lots of plant-based substances.” The energy intake is greatly reduced on oat days – it is around 800 to 1000 calories. You should not feel excessively hungry due to the satiating effect of the grain.
Anyone who feels full usually automatically eats less and snacks less often. The oat treatment could therefore help you lose weight. However, if you don’t change your diet permanently afterwards, you’ll have almost no effect from the calorie-reduced days. Only those who limit their calorie intake in the long term and eat a balanced diet can lose weight sustainably. Oats can certainly contribute to this. Because of its many health-promoting properties, the grain should be part of every health-conscious diet.