Start the year healthy with our new prebiotic porridge

Superfood oat bran – These are the 6 incredible benefits

March 14, 2022
  • Fitness
  • Gesund leben
  • Healthy lifestyle
  • Nutrition
Superfood oat bran – These are the 6 incredible benefits

Oat bran has long been considered a true superfood. The reason for this is the high nutrient density as well as the high fibre content. But oat bran has many other health benefits. In this article, we will take a closer look at how you can integrate oat bran into your healthy breakfast, how much oat bran you should ideally consume and what health benefits it offers.

What is oat bran?

Oat bran is, as the name suggests, a product made from oats. Unlike oat flakes or ground oats, however, it is not made from the whole grain, but is derived exclusively from the outer layers and germ of the oat grain.

This provides a particularly nutty taste, increased nutrient density and leads to potentially greater health benefits. We will now take a closer look at how exactly this popular oat product is made and what its health benefits are in the course of this article.

How oat bran is made

The raw material for oat bran is oat grains. Verival’s oat bran is made from high-quality oat grains from organic cultivation. These are delivered from selected producers and then cleaned and processed.

During the kilning process, the oats are dried and thus preserved. This also gives the oat bran a delicious nutty taste. This is followed by the so-called gritting, in which the hull parts of the grain are separated from the grits. The result is the valuable oat bran.

Waste or quality product?

According to the Austrian Food Manual, oat bran is a “(…) fraction (…) produced during the milling of hulled oats (…)”. This sounds more like a by-product in the production of oat flakes – but in fact it is anything but.

Because it is not just a by-product in the production of oatmeal – in fact it is increasingly being produced specifically. The reason for this is its high content of micronutrients and dietary fibre. Since these are primarily found in the outer layers of the grain, targeted production makes sense.

If, in addition, high-quality bran is used for the production and the process for the production is specifically optimised, the result is a high-quality oat product with a high nutrient density.

Oat flakes and oat bran – what is the difference?

While oat flakes are made from whole oat grains, oat bran is obtained exclusively from the outer layers of the endosperm and the germ. Because of this, they have a more kernel-like consistency and taste somewhat nuttier.

From a nutritional perspective, both oat products have their advantages. Oat flakes can be used universally and are an excellent source of protein; oat bran, on the other hand, contains more fibre, essential amino acids and vitamins and minerals.

The high beta glucan content in oat bran is particularly noteworthy. This is because beta glucan is considered a nutritional goldmine. Natural blood pressure reducer, cholesterol reducer or blood sugar regulator are just a few names for beta glucans.

Can oat flakes be replaced by oat bran?

From a functional point of view, oat flakes can very well be replaced by oat bran. This is especially true for porridges. This is because the bran swells very well due to the dietary fibres it contains and thus ensures an optimal consistency.

In muesli, however, not everyone will see oat bran as a suitable substitute. Unlike oat flakes, oat bran is very fine and therefore may not be ideal as a topping in yoghurt. However, this is purely a matter of taste.

If you compare the nutritional values of the two oat products, there is also nothing to be said against replacing oat flakes with oat bran. Both have a high nutrient density – the oat bran even scores better in many aspects.

Here is a short list of the most important special features of oat bran

  • Contains almost twice as much beta glucan as regular oat flakes (6.2g beta glucan per 100g)
  • Provides you with about 50 per cent more fibre than oat flakes
  • Has high levels of biotin – this vitamin is involved in many metabolic processes and ensures healthy cell growth.

These are the 6 advantages of oat bran

Due to its special production and the use of high-quality raw materials, oat bran has a wide range of health benefits. These range from improved muscle development to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Oat-bran-verival
Oat bran is full of valuable nutrients

1. Essential amino acids for fitness

Oat bran is rich in essential amino acids. It performs above average in comparison with oat flakes and ground oats. Its nutrient density is also impressive. In particular, the amount of B vitamins and iron stands out.

This makes oat bran particularly suitable for athletes. The essential amino acids they contain can promote muscle growth and increase performance.

2. Micronutrients for the immune system

The high content of vitamins and minerals in oat bran is optimal for a healthy breakfast and a successful start to the day. This is due to the diverse functions of the micronutrients.

The popular oat product is particularly rich in the trace elements iron, zinc and manganese. One portion of oat bran already provides about 25 to 30 percent of the respective daily requirement.

As far as vitamins are concerned, vitamin B1 and biotin stand out in particular, with a good third of the requirement covered per portion.

In combination with amino acids, regular consumption can contribute to a fit immune system and thus strengthen your defences.

3. Super fibre beta glucan

A special feature of oat bran is its beta glucan content. 100 grams alone contain around 6.3 grams of beta glucan – almost twice as much as classic oat flakes.

Around 50 grams of oat bran, i.e. exactly one portion of porridge, already cover the daily requirement of beta glucan. The body rewards this with a healthy intestinal flora, a fit immune system and has a preventive effect on cardiovascular diseases.

4. Blood sugar regulating effect

Due to the large amount of dietary fibre, the consumption of oat bran has a positive effect on blood sugar levels. The soluble dietary fibres, such as beta glucan, are particularly involved in this.

Even larger amounts of carbohydrates are cushioned by dietary fibre. Another advantage is that type 2 diabetes can be prevented. Moreover, oat bran can be helpful in an insulin-sparing diet, for example for diabetics.

5. Natural satiator

Due to the blood sugar regulating effect of the dietary fibres, oats can potentially prevent obesity. The soluble dietary fibres, such as beta glucan, ensure long-lasting satiety.

In this way you avoid cravings and prevent excessive food intake in a natural and sustainable way.

6. Natural cholesterol reducer

Oat bran has received a lot of attention as a natural cholesterol reducer. According to a somewhat old but much-cited study1 , oat bran lowers bad LDL cholesterol by ten to 20 percent.

Around 56 grams of oat bran should be optimal – this lowered the LDL cholesterol in the study participants by a whopping 16 percent. This corresponds to about one serving of our Verival Porridges.

It even outperforms oat flakes, even though oat flakes themselves have a positive effect on cholesterol levels.

A low LDL cholesterol level, in combination with a high HDL level, is considered beneficial to health and is thus an important preventive measure with regard to numerous common diseases.

What is the best way to eat oat bran?

The question arises as to how best to integrate oat bran into everyday life. Fortunately, oat bran is very versatile. It is ideal for making porridge or as an energy source in muesli. It even looks good in baked goods such as bread and pastries.

First, however, the question arises as to how much oat bran your body needs per day in order to benefit from its health advantages.

How much oat bran per day?

The ideal amount of oat bran you should consume per day depends on your individual goal. If you are aiming to significantly reduce blood cholesterol, 50 to 60 grams is recommended. In this area, the effect of the dietary fibres in the bran seems to be particularly effective.

With regard to the beta glucan contained, about four tablespoons (50-60 grams) of oat bran are already sufficient to completely cover the daily requirement of three grams of beta glucan.

How to make porridge with oat bran

To make your porridge with oat bran, all you need to do is follow the steps below. Mix 50 grams of oat bran in a bowl with about 150 to 250 millilitres of boiling water. Alternatively, you can pour 150 to 250 millilitres of hot milk over it.

Expert tip: How much liquid you use depends on the desired consistency. If you’re in a hurry, try our Verival porridges with an oat bran base. This will make your porridge even faster.

After pouring over the oat base, stir thoroughly and allow the mixture to swell for around three minutes. By the way, the porridge tastes best when you enjoy it warm and with delicious toppings.

Here you can find a basic recipe for the perfect porridge. You can easily replace the oat flakes with oat bran.

Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Basic recipe: Oatmeal

A simple basic recipe for the popular porridge that has become an integral part of most breakfast tables.
Prep Time2 mins
Let porridge steep3 mins
Total Time5 mins
Calories: 320kcal

Ingredients

  • 250 ml milk or a plant-based alternative
  • 50 g oat flakes
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp honey or agave syrup
  • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon 

Instructions

  • Heat up the oat flakes with a pinch of salt and the sweetener of your choice (honey or agave syrup) in the milk or plant-based drink (do not forget to stir well).
  • Let the porridge steep for 3 minutes.
  • Put the porridge into a bowl and sprinkle it with cinnamon.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal

Just try the recipe and start your day healthy and full of energy with oat bran – bon appétit!

Subscribe to our newsletter &
get your 10% discount

Subscribe to the free Verival newsletter for regular updates on new products, ongoing offers and helpful nutrition and breakfast tips. You can revoke your consent to the receipt of the newsletter at any time.