Oatmeal is one of the main dishes of diet food. Its composition and energy value are well suited for a light breakfast and energize for the whole day. How much time oatmeal is digested and absorbed in the human gastrointestinal tract is considered in this material.
What does oatmeal digestion depend on
The speed and quality of the process of digestion of oatmeal by the body can depend on a variety of factors. The main are the form of manufacture and composition of the dish. The human gastrointestinal tract processes coarsely ground cereals longer than cereal from them.
Did you know? Scientists at the University of Cardiff found that regular consumption of oatmeal in food not only improves mood and removes toxins from the body, but also makes a person smarter.
The normal digestion of oatmeal by the body depends on various factors:
- grinding quality - large cereal is more useful;
- cereal contains more nutrients than soluble flakes;
- what liquid the dish was prepared on - porridge on water is more dietetic than on milk;
- purity of the starting products - good ingredients improve the quality and characteristics of the dish;
- the presence of food additives, sugar and spices, which can increase the calorie content of the product;
- gastrointestinal acidity.
Oatmeal is second only to buckwheat in protein content. One serving of this product provides 20% of the body's daily protein requirement.
How long does it take to digest
The body of each person is unique, therefore, food is digested individually by everyone. Someone will need two hours, and another and all four. In the case of oatmeal, everything is simpler - in this type of cereal, the splitting process occurs faster than in other cereals. With easy assimilation, it quickly saturates the body. All types of cereal have in their composition the so-called "long" carbohydrates, which are absorbed by the body for a long time. That is why oatmeal is recommended for breakfast.
In adults
Metabolism in the body of an adult is faster than children. Therefore, the digestion of oatmeal can last from 1.5 to 3 hours.
It depends on such factors:
- health conditions;
- climate of the area;
- living conditions;
- possible bad habits.
Important! Whole grain cereals are much healthier than other similar products, such as cereal or granola.
In children
The children's gastrointestinal tract processes the product somewhat more slowly than the intestines of an adult. Therefore, 4-5 hours for the assimilation of food by the child is a normal indicator. In this case, oatmeal is cooked in milk, since the child wants a tasty dish, and cereals cooked in water are almost tasteless.
Also, you should use a finely ground product or oatmeal.
The timing of digestion of oatmeal in the stomach
Digestion time depends on various factors. Some help this process, while others slow down. Much depends on the accompanying products consumed simultaneously with oatmeal. It is important what type of cereal the dish is made of and on which liquid.
In milk
The body's processing time of porridge cooked in milk is 2.5–3 hours. Moreover, more time is spent on liquid processing. Oatmeal is already “processed” by the intestines, while milk still passes through the digestive system. Milk fat is an additional moderator of the process.
On the water
A dish cooked on water is absorbed faster than milk. Water immediately passes into the intestines while the stomach processes oatmeal. The speed of digestion is facilitated by the absence of fats in such a dish. Fat can add only additional ingredients - oil, honey, jam, sugar.
Instant oatmeal
Flakes made from oats are of two types: those that need to be poured with boiling water and infused for several minutes, and those that need to be boiled. And one and the other are digested faster than simple cereals. The usual time for assimilation of this product is 2–2.5 hours.
But the nutritional qualities of such oats are lower than porridge from ordinary cereals of any grinding.
The coarser the grinding of oatmeal, the longer it will be processed by the body. An important factor in this process is the addition of various ingredients. In any case, oatmeal is a good and healthy dish for the body.