Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Skipping this crucial meal could set you up for a disastrous day and cost you some health benefits in the long term, too.
Dan Buettner, an American author and longevity researcher, has established Blue Zones around the world after examining what people eat in different countries and how it contributes to reaching incredible ages—often over 100. After examining people from Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Ikaria in Greece and Loma Linda in California, he has shared the ‘best’ foods for longevity.
He took to TikTok with the claim that people who reach the milestone birthday typically have one thing for breakfast. Thankfully, it’s not expensive and is usually found in most kitchen cupboards and supermarkets.
He said: “The best Blue Zone breakfast for longevity is oatmeal. It’s full of fibre; you can make it taste delicious, and everybody can afford it.”
Oatmeal, usually called porridge in the UK, is a versatile breakfast base that can be thickened with a dash of milk or water. Alone, it’s relatively cheap and can be made to taste different every day if you add healthy toppings like fruits, seeds, or honey, to name just a few.
However, Dan goes one step further and explains how not all oats are made the same. He said: “It turns ourt some oatmeals are better than others.
He claims some fast-cook oats “tend to spike your insulin”, which is not good for anyone monitoring blood sugar levels. Classic rolled oats are one of Dan’s preferred options, which most supermarkets stock regularly.
But, Dan said the “best kind” of oats are steel cut. He said: “They cook slowly and, at the end of the day, they release sugars slowly in your body meaning that insulin spike is spread out and that makes it more likely that the calories in this oatmeal will end up as energy as opposed to material on your backside.”
Also called coarse oats or Irish oats, these are groats of whole oats chopped into two or three pinhead-sized pieces. They’re a much less processed form of porridge that can be a little harder to find in stores but can be ordered online from places like Amazon or Ocado.
According to Healthline, steel-cut oats are particularly rich in resistant starch and fibre, both of which may support weight loss, heart health, blood sugar control, and digestion. They’re also a good source of iron and plant protein.
Overall, whatever type you choose, oats have lots of general benefits including having high beta-glucan levels. This compound is great for lowering both LDL (bad) and total cholesterol
A study of 80 people with high cholesterol found that consuming 70g of oats for about a month led to an 8% reduction in total cholesterol and an 11% reduction in LDL (bad) cholesterol.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
