The best (and worst) oats for your health | Prof. Sarah Berry
from ZOE Science & Nutrition
by ZOE
Published: Thu Mar 06 2025
Show Notes
Oatmeal has long been considered a heart-healthy breakfast, but is it really as good for us as we think?
In this episode, Jonathan and Sarah break down the great oat debate. First, they explore the different types of oats - instant, rolled, and steel-cut and how processing impacts their nutritional value. Then, they put oats to the test using continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), comparing instant to steel-cut, with and without toppings, to demonstrate how blood sugar works.
Sarah also discusses wider debates around oats: Are pesticides a concern? Is oat milk as healthy as it claims? Finally, she shares the ultimate guide to choosing the healthiest oats - and for those who prefer alternatives, she’s got delicious, nutrient-packed swaps to try.
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Timecodes
The breakfast of champions?
Quickfire questions
What are oats?
Oats vs wheat
What are instant oats?
Are oats good for your heart?
ZOE’s oats experiment
Blood glucose test
What spikes blood sugar?
How the body breaks down carbs
Latest science: are oats healthy?
Oats and cholesterol
Healthy vitamins in oats
Oats vs pesticides
Is oat milk healthy?
Oatmeal recipe ideas
📚Books by our ZOE Scientists
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks
Mentioned in today's episode
Oatmealparticle size alters glycemic index but not as a function of gastric emptying rate, 2017,Nutrient Sensing, Nutrition, and Metabolism
Urinarypesticide concentrations in French adults with low and high organic food consumption: results from the general population-based NutriNet-Santé, 2019,Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology
Oat Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, 2021,Nutrients
Theeffect of oat β-glucan on LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and apoB for CVD risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials, 2016,British Journal of Nutrition
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Episode transcripts are available here.