OATS (AVENA SATIVA)

Oats were defined as "eaten by people in Scotland, but fit only for horses in England." The Scotsman's retort to this is, "That's why England has such good horses, and Scotland has such fine men!"

Oats is a recent addition to our menu. Oats is a European and North American crop. It was not considered as important as wheat or barley in the olden days. Oats were mostly weed like plants. It is said that Oats were first brought to North America with other grains in 1602 and planted on the Elizabeth Islands off the coast of Massachusetts. As early as 1786, George Washington sowed 580 acres to oats. By the 1860s and 1870s, the westward shift of oat acreage in the United States had moved into the middle and upper Mississippi Valley, which is its major area of production today. Russia, Canada, the United States, Finland, and Poland are the leading oat producing countries.

Oats has been used as livestock and human foods since ancient times. It has been used as pasture, hay or silage. Oat straw has been used as bedding for livestock.

There has been an increase in oats used for human food in recent years. Oat Bran has received considerable attention from the medical community for its role in reducing blood cholesterol. Nutrition experts believe that Beta glucans, the water-soluble fibres present in oat bran inhibit cholesterol, which helps prevent heart disease. Several breakfast cereals and bread products are made from oat flour and rolled oat products.
Oats might help reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels and control appetite by causing a feeling of fullness. Oat bran might work by blocking the absorption from the gut of substances that contribute to heart disease, high cholesterol, and Diabetes

Dr.Riyaz Sheriff