Oatmeal has long been considered a heart-healthy breakfast, but is it really as good for us as we think?
In this episode, Jonathan and Sarah break down the great oat debate. First, they explore the different types of oats - instant, rolled, and steel-cut and how processing impacts their nutritional value. Then, they put oats to the test using continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), comparing instant to steel-cut, with and without toppings, to demonstrate how blood sugar works.
Sarah also discusses wider debates around oats: Are pesticides a concern? Is oat milk as healthy as it claims? Finally, she shares the ultimate guide to choosing the healthiest oats - and for those who prefer alternatives, she’s got delicious, nutrient-packed swaps to try.
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Timecodes
00:00 The breakfast of champions?
01:40 Quickfire questions
03:17 What are oats?
05:03 Oats vs wheat
08:20 What are instant oats?
09:58 Are oats good for your heart?
12:20 ZOE’s oats experiment
19:20 Blood glucose test
25:18 What spikes blood sugar?
28:35 How the body breaks down carbs
33:25 Latest science: are oats healthy?
35:00 Oats and cholesterol
39:30 Healthy vitamins in oats
40:57 Oats vs pesticides
45:06 Is oat milk healthy?
49:30 Oatmeal recipe ideas
📚Books by our ZOE Scientists
The Food For Life Cookbook
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks
Mentioned in today's episode
Oatmeal particle size alters glycemic index but not as a function of gastric emptying rate, 2017, Nutrient Sensing, Nutrition, and Metabolism
Urinary pesticide concentrations in French adults with low and high organic food consumption: results from the general population-based NutriNet-Santé, 2019, Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology
Oat Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, 2021, Nutrients
The effect of oat β-glucan on LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and apoB for CVD risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials, 2016, British Journal of Nutrition
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Episode transcripts are available here.