Do Oatmeal and Diabetes Make a Winning Diabetes Breakfast Combination?

When you have diabetes, you need to be especially vigilant about your food intake to maintain normal and steady blood sugar levels. Eating healthy foods in the right amounts at the right times will help keep blood sugar in your target range.

Does oatmeal fit into that equation? The answer requires understanding what oatmeal is and the impact of carbohydrates on a diabetes management diet.

Oats are a grain and considered one of the healthiest around. From oats, you get oatmeal, which is available in five different forms from least processed to most. In that order, you have oat groats, steel-cut oats, Scottish oats, rolled or old-fashioned oats and instance oatmeal. [1]

Oatmeal is rich in nutrition. It has more protein than most other grains and contains vitamins and minerals, including manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, copper, biotin, and vitamin B1.[2] Oatmeal also features antioxidants and a soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which may help reduce cholesterol, lower blood sugar, and support immune function. [3]

The role of carbohydrates in diet

Counting carbs is part of diabetes management since carbohydrates can contribute to an increase in blood sugar. However, a diet plan for diabetes should include making sure to get adequate amounts of carbohydrates. Your body turns carbs into glucose to provide the energy needed to function.

Fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods have complex carbs, which are less likely to spike blood sugar than simple carbs (sugars). Simple carbs can cause blood sugar to rise very quickly. The two main types of sugar are naturally occurring, such as those in milk or fruit, and added sugars. The latter is added during processing, such as sugar to make pastries or sugar added in sodas, for example.

Fiber is the indigestible carbohydrate that is found in plant-based foods. Dietary fiber can be soluble or insoluble and passes through the body without being fully digested. It does not provide energy but it has a beneficial role in digestion and metabolism. Fibers is mostly found in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Fiber can help slow down the breakdown oof sugar, helping to prevent blood sugar spikes in blood glucose and insulin levels.

How oatmeal impacts a diabetes breakfast menu

All of this brings us to oatmeal and diabetes and benefits. Although it is a high-carb food, oatmeal still has benefits for a diabetes meal plan. For one, oatmeal has a low glycemic index or GI score. The GI is one of the tools to use to manage diabetes. The GI scores carbohydrate-laden foods – on a scale from 1 to 100 - based on their potential to raise blood sugar levels. Foods that have a high-glycemic index value raise blood sugar levels higher and faster than foods that have a lower value. Foods with a low glycemic index release glucose into the blood slowly and steadily, keeping the blood glucose level constant.

Here is an example of how the GI works. Pure glucose has a score of 100. A food with a glycemic index of 28 boosts blood sugar only 28% as much as pure glucose. A food that has a GI of 95 acts like pure glucose. [4]

Oat foods, such as oatmeal made from steel-cut or rolled oats are low or medium GI foods, with a score of between 40 and 60. Also the fiber in oatmeal can help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. [5]

Research supports the benefits of oatmeal and diabetes type 2. A systematic review published in 2015 aimed to assess if oats intake is beneficial to individuals with diabetes. The study found a beneficial effect of oats consumption on glucose and lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes. [6]

Another study relative to plant-based oatmeal and diabetes type 2 conducted In 2019 found that oatmeal interventions may lead to a significant decrease in mean blood glucose levels and a significant reduction of insulin dosage in patients suffering from type 2 diabetes not effectively controlled. [7]

Is there an oatmeal and diabetes risk?

Because oatmeal is dense in carbohydrates, it can cause high glucose spikes if you eat too much at one time. However, there are other considerations that influence how oatmeal is digested, including: [8]

·         Type of oatmeal relative to processing

·         How oatmeal is prepared

·         Other foods eaten along with oatmeal

Instant oatmeal and diabetes are more of a risk. Plain instant oatmeal is more highly processed than intact oats and as such may raise blood sugar more than intact grains. Because whole oat groats and steel cut oats are the least processed forms of oatmeal, they will have a reduced impact on blood sugar.

Enhance oatmeal

A safe way to enhance basic oatmeal, which is simply oats and water, is to add flavor. You can do this with: [9]

·         Spices: Cinnamon can make oatmeal more interesting because of its sweet spicy flavor.

·         Milk: To give oatmeal a richer flavor, cut back on the serving of oats and replace those carbs with milk, either mixing it with the water during cooking or adding it at the end.

·         Flavor with fruit and nuts: Try blueberries or crushed nuts to add texture and flavor.

Adding oatmeal to your diet is something to consider. However, best to check with your doctor or registered dietician first about any oatmeal and diabetes risks before incorporating oatmeal into your diet.