10 Health Benefits of Porridge for Breakfast
Eating porridge everyday may not be the number one choice for most people though. But once you know the health benefits of eating porridge, surely you would be intrigued to switch your breakfast to porridge.
Porridge is basically hot cereal that made from any type of crushed whole grains, such as oats, wheat, rice or barley. Similar to oatmeal which made from crushed, rolled, cut or coarsely ground oats. Eating porridge in regular basis offers you numbers of benefits that gives you a long life. Who would want a healthy long life?
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Eating Porridge Health Benefits
Scientists has discovered that for every ounce (28 g) of whole grains (porridge, brown rice, corn and benefits of quinoa) taken a day or equal to a small bowl of porridge; will reduce the risk of all death by five per cent and heart deaths by 9 per cent.
Dr Hongyu Wu of Harvard School of Public Health has stated that “These findings further support current dietary guidelines that recommend increasing whole-grain consumption”; “They also provide promising evidence that suggests a diet enriched with whole grains may confer benefits towards extended life expectancy.” Yes, there are many health benefits of porridge for breakfast.
Nutritional Facts
Basically you can add anything to your bowl of porridge, but always remember to add healthy toppings like mentioned above. Try to watch on your calories intake.
Below is the nutritional content in a plain oatmeal (one minute oatmeal) porridge, according to Myfitnesspal
Servings: 1 – 1 cup cooked
Calories: 300
Total Fat: 6 g
Saturated: 1 g
Polyunsaturated2 g
Monounsaturated: 2 g
Trans: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 0 mg
Potassium: 0 mg
Total Carbs: 54 g
Dietary Fiber: 8 g
Sugars: 2 g
Protein: 10 g
Vitamin A: 0%
Calcium: 0%
Vitamin C: 0%
Iron: 20%
Percent Daily Value are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Basically you can add anything to your bowl of porridge, but always remember to add healthy toppings like mentioned above. Try to watch on your calories intake.
Below is the nutritional content in a plain oatmeal (one minute oatmeal) porridge, according to Myfitnesspal
Servings: 1 – 1 cup cooked
Calories: 300
Total Fat: 6 g
Saturated: 1 g
Polyunsaturated2 g
Monounsaturated: 2 g
Trans: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 0 mg
Potassium: 0 mg
Total Carbs: 54 g
Dietary Fiber: 8 g
Sugars: 2 g
Protein: 10 g
Vitamin A: 0%
Calcium: 0%
Vitamin C: 0%
Iron: 20%
Percent Daily Value are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Benefits of Porridge for Breakfast
So, here are the health benefits of porridge for breakfast:
1. Source of nutrients
Crushed, cracked, rolled or cooked grains inside the porridge offers many nutrients found in the whole seed. And those nutrients are magnesium, antioxidants, vitamin B, vitamin E and phytochemicals. These lists of essential nutrients are able to boost your immune system and fight infection. Oat porridge also contains protein, zinc and iron.
READ ALSO: What foods have the best nutrients?
2. Helps with weight loss
Fiber-rich foods are relatively low in calories but high in volume. This will keep you stay full longer which also automatically lower your food consumption throughout the rest of the day.
Insoluble fiber inside oat porridge helps movement of waste through your digestive system which leads to improving constipation, Eating porridge as a breakfast will also improve your metabolism and energized your body.
3. Lowering cholesterol
One significant fiber which only found in oat is beta glucans. This important fiber is able to lowering cholesterol. (How to Lower Your Cholesterol Levels Naturally Without Drugs?)
Fiber-rich foods are relatively low in calories but high in volume. This will keep you stay full longer which also automatically lower your food consumption throughout the rest of the day.
Insoluble fiber inside oat porridge helps movement of waste through your digestive system which leads to improving constipation, Eating porridge as a breakfast will also improve your metabolism and energized your body.
ALSO: The Surprising Reason You Can’t Lose Weight
3. Lowering cholesterol
One significant fiber which only found in oat is beta glucans. This important fiber is able to lowering cholesterol. (How to Lower Your Cholesterol Levels Naturally Without Drugs?)
4. Rich of fiber
Porridge that consists of whole grains is rich of fiber, both soluble and insoluble fiber. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, a half-cup of dried oats contains 3.8 grams of fiber. And each serving provides 10 percent daily recommended of fiber for men and 15 percent for women.
5. Prevents diabetes
Eating oat porridge in daily basis may help maintain a stable blood-sugar levels which protect you from the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A bowl of oat porridge contains soluble fiber, a type of fiber that absorbs water in your digestive system to form a gel which helps people who suffers from diabetes keep their blood glucose in a normal levels by slow down the absorption of sugar. Stabilized blood glucose levels also reduce your chance of having kidney problems.
6. Safe from hemorrhoids
A fiber-rich diet may also lower your risk of getting hemorrhoids. (HOW TO EASILY TREAT INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL HEMORRHOID (PILE))
7. Good for digestive system
The high fiber content in porridge improves digestion system. Porridge is good for digestion, not just because of its texture that easily absorbed and digested but it also promotes healthy gut bacteria which help with digestion process and gut bacteria balance.
A fiber-rich diet may also lower your risk of getting hemorrhoids. (HOW TO EASILY TREAT INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL HEMORRHOID (PILE))
7. Good for digestive system
The high fiber content in porridge improves digestion system. Porridge is good for digestion, not just because of its texture that easily absorbed and digested but it also promotes healthy gut bacteria which help with digestion process and gut bacteria balance.
Read More: How to Improve Digestion of Food - Digestion Problem Solution
8. High in zinc
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, a bowl of porridge is a great source of zinc. Zinc plays important roles in your body. You need zinc to nourish your immune system and help you fight off infection.
Zinc also activates a list of enzymes and supports your metabolism. A half-cup of oats as a meal contains 1.3 milligrams of zinc. It is 12 percent of the recommended daily zinc needs for men and 14 percent for women.
9. Heart friendly
Lower number of cholesterol in one’s body will protect the person from heart disease. A bioactive compound called avenanthramide is also thought to stop fat forming in the arteries, preventing heart attacks and strokes. Also read: Symptoms of Heart Attack in Women
10. Strengthen Bones
Studies have proved that whole grains can improve bone mineral density, thanks to iron content inside a bowl of porridge. Porridge provides you with recommended daily needs of iron. Having enough iron helps your body produces collagen, a protein essential to healthy cartilage and bone.
A half-cup of dried oats for one serving of porridge contains 1.9 milligrams of iron. According to the NYU Langone Medical Center, the serving supplies women with 11 percent of daily recommended iron needs and 24 percent for men. Thus, that’s the proven health benefits of porridge for breakfast. (7 Health Benefits of Kiwi)
How To Prepare Healthy Porridge
When you are preparing a healthy porridge, try to avoid adding sugar or saturated fat to your porridge. Maybe, instead of sweetening your oat porridge with brown sugar or maple syrup, use a natural low-calorie sweetener, like stevia, or simply with fresh fruit, like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, it will add more flavor, not just sweetness.
You can also use non-fat dairy, benefits of almond milk or soy milk in your porridge instead of a whole-milk dairy to lower down on your saturated fat intake. Adding healthy toppings like health benefits of having fruits for breakfast, health benefits of nuts and dried fruit and seeds into your porridge will provide you with more nutritional values.
Have a balanced breakfast with a bowl of oat porridge with an 8-oz. glass of skim milk and 1/2 cup of raspberries. Or you can have savory oat porridge with egg and avocado. Just sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper. You will get different taste yet more protein.
So many health benefits you can get from a small bowl of porridge. It would not hurt if you start your breakfast with oat porridge from now on. Prepare porridge for breakfast every day and enjoy a long life!
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DR. APPIAH
Dr. Appiah is a Natural Health Therapist (Naturopath) who engages the natural healing agents given by God to save lives. EAT FOOD AS MEDICINE! EAT TO LIVE, DON'T LIVE TO EAT!! FOR BOOKINGS AND MORE: WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCTS? WANT A PERSONAL(CERTIFIED) NATURAL MEDICINE PRACTITIONER? REACH ME DIRECTLY ON WHATSAPP +233245643615 appiahinok@gmail.com
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