Is Oatmeal Bad Now? Facts vs Fiction

We live in interesting times. One day you hear how a food is healthy and you should eat more of it, but just when you do that, TikTok starts screaming at you how it is gonna kill you. 

It’s okay to be confused. The same recently happened with oatmeal.

Are we cherry picking studies that claim oatmeal is healthy, and ignoring the ones that say otherwise?

Why is oatmeal bad?

There are a few reasons why oatmeal is not as good for you as you think:

1. Oatmeal contains avenin, which could cause bowel inflammation in some people.

2. Sweet, unhealthy toppings are often added to oatmeal.

3. Oatmeal can be contaminated with gluten.

4. Oatmeal from fast-food chains often only gives you the illusion of being healthy.

5. Flavoured instant oatmeal often contains too much sugar.

6. Oats are often treated with agricultural chemicals, which can get in your food.

Now, let’s explore the reasons why people think oatmeal is bad in more detail and see if we really have something to worry about.

1. Oats can cause inflammation

If you have IBS, Celiac disease, or suffer from other kinds of bowel inflammation, you may discover that eating oatmeal makes your symptoms worse.

Oats contain a type of protein similar to gluten, called avenin (1). It is possible that avenin causes some inflammation in the gut, especially for people with Celiac disease, or people who are sensitive to this protein.

In 2011, a group of scientists decided to investigate if oats are safe for celiac disease patients. 

Based on their results, they found that, at least in vitro, there is no evidence that oats are making celiac disease worse. It is possible that there is some inflammatory activity, but just that it is below the threshold for being clinically relevant (2).

What to do about it? Should I be worried?

• If you are worried that oats are causing inflammation in your body, you could try and stay away from them for a few weeks and see if you feel better.

• One study claims that whether or not oats are toxic for celiac disease patients, mostly depends on the variety of oats. The avenin in some oat varieties contains peptides that could trigger the immune response, while other oat varieties do not have such effect (3).

• If the study above is correct, it means that some brands of oats are more likely to trigger your immune response than others. But please understand that this is unrelated to the price of the oats, more expensive is not necessarily better.

2. Sweet toppings

Despite all of the nutritional benefits it has, oatmeal is not exactly the tastiest food out there. To make the oatmeal taste sweeter, people often add all kinds of unhealthy toppings. These could be sugar, chocolate chips, honey, dried fruits - you name it.

Now some of these, like honey and dried fruits, could add some benefits of their own. If consumed in moderation, that is. The problem is that you often end up with oatmeal that contains way too much sugar. So the overall nutritional value of your porridge will end up much lower than you intended.

What to do about it?

• Try to avoid sweet toppings with a high sugar content, try to go for a healthier option instead. For example instead of dried fruits, try to use fresh berries.

• Another way of adding more taste to your oats, without the calories is to add vanilla, cinnamon or any other spices you like. 

• Use sweeteners sparingly. Do not make your porridge too sweet.

3. Not gluten-free

Even though oats are supposed to be gluten-free, they are often processed in factories where foods that do contain gluten are processed as well. Because of this, oatmeal can get contaminated with gluten.

So your oats may not be as gluten-free as you think.

What to do about it?

• If you want to be sure that your oats are gluten-free, make sure it explicitly says so on the package.

4. Oatmeal from fast-food chains

If you order oatmeal from a fast-food chain, you may think you are doing the right thing, but that is often not the case. Oatmeal in many restaurants, supermarkets, and fast-food chains, often contains way too much sugars and fats.

What to do about it?

• If you want a quick and healthy grab-and-go breakfast, try making overnight oats. It is quick, easy, tasty, and you know what you are eating.

• If you do decide to get oatmeal from a fast-food restaurant though, make sure to read the label. There could be some health-food chains in your neighbourhood that do sell healthy oatmeal, but you need to read the ingredient list and nutritional value on the package to find out who these are.

5. Flavoured instant oatmeal

Oatmeal alone, is not exactly the tastiest food in the world. Because of this, manufacturers of flavoured oatmeal packages often add a lot of sugar and other not-so-healthy ingredients, to make the food taste better. 

Too much sugar can turn instant oatmeal from healthy to an inflammatory food.

So, similar to oats from fast-food chains, instant oat packages can often give you a false impression that you are eating healthy. While in reality, packets with flavoured instant oatmeal often contain way too much sugar.

What to do about it?

• Check the labels. Try to select the packages with less added sugar.

• Buy unflavoured instant oatmeal and add your own sweeteners and flavours. This way you can determine how much sugar and other flavours you would like in your oats.

6. Treated with agricultural chemicals

Oats, just like many other agricultural products, are often treated with chemicals and other pesticides. Small amounts of those chemicals could end up on your plate, and opinions on whether or not this is safe tend to differ.

One example of such chemical is glyphosate (4). Some scientists are very concerned about the possible consequences of chronic exposure to this chemical (5).

Glyphosate is not only used on oats, but on many other foods, such as corn, canola, and soy.

Another potentially unhealthy chemical that is likely to end up in your oatmeal is chlormequat (6).

What to do about it?

• If you are concerned about the potential effects of glyphosate on your health, you can avoid it by eating only certified organic oats. These should not be treated with such chemicals.

• Keep in mind that normally only trace amounts of these chemicals will end up in your oats, if at all. There is still a lot of debate if such low doses have any negative health effects.

Nutritional content of oatmeal

Oatmeal is not only high in fibre, it is also a good source of potassium, calcium, and iron. The table below gives an overview of the nutritional content in 100 gram (3.5 oz) of oat bran and rolled oats.

Nutritional Value (per 100 grams)	Oat Bran	Rolled Oats
Energy (kcal)	246	350
Protein (g)	17.3	12.5
Total lipid (g)	7.03	6.25
Fatty acids, total saturated (g)	1.33	0
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated (g)	2.38	2.5
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated (g)	2.77	2.5
Cholesterol (mg)	0	0
Carbohydrates (g)	66.2	67.5
Sugars, total (g)	1.45	0
Total Fiber (g)	15.4	10
Potassium, K (mg)	566	350
Calcium, Ca (mg)	58	50
Iron, Fe (mg)	5.41	4.25
Sources	FoodData Central	FoodData Central

Note: According to my source (FoodData Central), rolled oats contain 6.25 grams of total lipid, 2.5 gram of monounsaturated fatty acids, and 2.5 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids. This does not exactly add up, so this its likely a mistake. I think rolled oats possibly do contain around 1.25 grams saturated fats.

Pros of oatmeal

Because of its high fibre content and nutritional content, oatmeal has many potential health benefits.

1. It can help lower cholesterol levels

• The main type of soluble fibre in oatmeal is beta-glucan. 

• One meta-analysis found that eating only 3 grams of this fibre daily, can decrease cholesterol levels (7).

2. It can help stabilise blood sugar

• Eating oats can help stabilise insulin levels after a meal. 

• One meta-analysis found that oats can have a beneficial effect on glucose control and cholesterol levels, in patients with type 2 diabetes (8).

3. Good for digestive health

• Oatmeal contains plenty of fibre, which helps support a healthy digestion. 

• Fibre can absorb water, which can help against constipation and help with more regular digestion.

4. Can help you maintain a healthy weight

• Eating oats can help increase satiety and decrease hunger. 

• This can help prevent overeating and maintain a healthy weight.

Is it bad to eat oatmeal at night?

You can eat oatmeal at any time during the day. Eating oatmeal at night is actually a very good idea, since it can help keep you full and stop you from raiding the fridge. In addition to that, oats can help boost your melatonin levels, which can help you sleep better (9).

Having said that, some people find that consuming food, any food, right before bed, can interfere with their sleep. So even though eating oatmeal at night is not bad or anything, it is not a good idea for everyone.

Is oatmeal unhealthy?

Eating oatmeal is not unhealthy, in fact oatmeal is a quick and nutritious food with many potential health benefits.

Despite its many benefits, oatmeal is not healthy for everyone. Some people, especially celiac disease patients, could experience increased inflammation from eating oatmeal.

Also oatmeal is not always gluten-free and is often treated with pesticides, which can get in your food. Adding too much sugar and other unhealthy toppings, can make your oatmeal less healthy as well.

But if you look hard enough, you can probably find a problem with anything.

Is eating oatmeal everyday bad for you?

There is nothing wrong with eating oatmeal everyday. In fact, eating oatmeal has many potential health benefits. Oatmeal contains many nutrients and lots of fiber, which can help regulate your bowel movements. So oatmeal is a very healthy and nutritious food to add to your daily diet.

Of course, as with most things, consume in moderation. Overconsumption of anything, even water, can have negative effects.