Here's why oats are among the best foods we can eat for all-round health

Not only are oats a sustaining food, they also help to reduce cholesterol levels, control blood sugars and, according to new research, ease muscle pain 

Oats are a complex carb food with a low glycaemic index, meaning they offer this sustained energy

Over a million servings of Flahavan’s porridge oats are consumed in Ireland each week. And we are not just eating oats for breakfast. From oatcakes to on-the-go overnight oats and oaty-energy bars, oats are almost everywhere — and with increasingly good reason. Few health foods have endured the test of time as well as oats, nor many that can single-handedly lay claim to being gut-friendly, heart healthy and kind to the waistline. As our appetite for them grows, scientists repeatedly confirm oats are among the best foods we can eat for all-round health.

Already known to help lower cholesterol and help to control blood sugar, the latest research into oats suggests they can banish the kind of muscle soreness many experience after an intense workout. Sport scientists from the University of Freiburg in Germany reporting in the journal Antioxidants described how a group of antioxidants called avenanthramides (AVA), which are unique to oats, reduce the oxidative stress to muscles created when we exercise vigorously, helping to reduce achiness afterwards.