Here are a few common questions and concerns that we always receive around oatmeal and diabetes:
“Do u know if eating oatmeal is good for diabetics?”
“I make steel cut oats in the morning and put in honey (from the honey place – real made) some chia seeds, walnuts, half an apple and pumpkin or other seeds if I have them – is this enough to balance out the sugar?”
“My sugars go crazy when I eat oatmeal but I was told by a dietitian to eat it.”
“I’m confused, can I eat oatmeal, not the packaged kind?”
Is Oatmeal Good for Diabetics? (The Short Answer)
Whether we’re talking oatmeal, cream of wheat, or grits, these classic breakfast items are always marketed as a “heart healthy” options, but as a diabetic there are many things to consider.
So, the short answer: Oatmeal could be okay for you – some type 2 diabetics can eat it. But, it is a higher carb food and for that reason, many type 2 diabetics can’t tolerate it due to the higher carb content, which as you’ll read on, you’ll see the nutrition facts detailed below.
Unfortunately, there is no clear answer on this, which is often the case with many individual food items.
The question for you to ask is, how is your blood sugar and A1C?
If you’re struggling to get it under control, you might consider eliminating the oatmeal and opting for lower carb foods (aka more vegetables). Or, you could try testing to see if oats influence your results.
Is Oatmeal Good for Diabetics? (The Long Answer)
Let’s explore a whole range of things to consider with oats and oatmeal – including nutrition, glycemic index (GI), research, and so forth.
Research on Oatmeal and Type 2 Diabetes
The research around oats/ oatmeal for type 2 diabetes treatment does show mixed results.
A review in Food and Function, 2016, looked at a range of studies but only 4 of those studies included type 2 diabetic patients. An important point to raise is that the results concluded from studies in those without diabetes (healthy subjects) is NOT necessarily going to result in the same conclusions in people who already have diabetes.
Diabetes prevention and diabetes treatment are two completely different things. Yet in many cases the two terms are used interchangeably. Take note of this if you’re reading things and you will start to see that much of the information around is about diabetes prevention, rather than treatment.
Anyway, back to the Food and Function review – they found an average reduction of (1.98 mg/dl (0.11mmol/l) in fasting glucose for the overall studies, but interestingly, this was only found significant in Asian subgroups, NOT Western. When subgrouping the diabetics alone, this result was higher at 15.12 mg/dl (0.84 mmol/l).
Another review in Nutrients, 2015, showed that in general, compared to control groups, those eating oats have lower cholesterol levels (range −0.10 to −0.80 mmol/L) and lower fasting glucose (range 1.26-34.28 mg/dl or 0.07-1.91 mmol/l).
However, the authors note that glucose levels at baseline were high – an average HbA1c 9.87% and average fasting blood glucose 179.82 mg/dl/ 9.99 mmol/L. And because both diets were low on energy, they suggest that “oats consumption might show its benefits especially when the general energy intake was low.”
They also mentioned that half the studies were low quality evidence but still included the results in the review anyway, which does somewhat downgrade the conclusions.
Yet another earlier review in the British Journal of Nutrition, 2014, showed that, “there was a slight decrease in fasting glucose concentrations, glycated hemoglobin and HOMA-IR in subjects after oat intake, but the difference was not significant,” as reported on The Nutrition Society.
Overall, the research shows some decreases to fasting blood glucose, decreases to cholesterol, possible decreases in insulin, and no effect on A1C.
Therefore, overall, the research is not shouting out YES, oats are awesome for diabetes treatment. But it does indicate that in some people oats can be show some beneficial results.
Nutritional Facts About Oats
The most well known thing about oats is they are a high fiber food source.
Fiber – is amazing! We need it for healthy digestion, feeding gut bacteria, reducing cholesterol, helping us feel full, keeping the bowels moving, improving metabolism, and managing blood sugar.
Majority of people don’t get enough fiber. We need around 30 g a day, but most people get around half that much. In particular, oats are a good source of soluble fiber. β-glucan comprises a fairly large component of the soluble fiber of oats – it is a nondigestible polysaccharide at a rate of 2.2-7.8%.
The fact that oats/ oatmeal do contain fiber, is one of the major reasons it is considered a healthy food. And overall, when it comes to cereals, oats are definitely your best option. You certainly don’t want to be eating packaged choc pops or something like that!
| Foods | Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Net Carbs |
| Oats 1 cup (39g) | 151.75 | 6.58 | 2.64 | 25.84 | 4.12 | 21.72 |
| Instant Oats 1 pack (28 g) | 101 | 3.34 | 1.93 | 19.47 | 2.8 | 16.67 |
| Quaker instant oatmeal 1 packet (41g) | 150 | 6.56 | 2.58 | 27.47 | 4 | 23.47 |
| Oats, regular quick 1 packet (81g) | 307 | 10.65 | 5.28 | 54.84 | 8.2 | 46.64 |
As you can see from this table, oats are quite high in carbs. If you do eat it, you only want to be eating about 1/4 cup at one sitting. And while oats do contain fiber, so do vegetables. And vegetables compared to oats contain more fiber and less carbohydrates. For example, 1/2 avocado has 6.7 g fiber. 1 cup broccoli has around 5 g fiber and 1 carrot has nearly 2 g fiber.
So the question arises: Is your blood glucose and A1C going to be better without oats and with the inclusion of more vegetables?
Glycemic Index of Oats and Oatmeal
Glycemic index is just another indication of how different foods influence blood glucose on a 0 to 100 scale. The lower the number, the lower GI. Foods under 55 are generally considered low GI, while those over 55 are considered high GI foods.
The GI of oats and oatmeal according to The University of Sydney’s Glycemic Index:
- Uncooked rolled oats GI 59, 30 g serve, 19 g carbs.
- Traditional porridge oats, made from whole oats GI 51-58, 250 g serve, ~21 g carbs.
- Oat Bran/ Quaker oats GI 50-60, 10 g serve, 5-6 g carbs.
- Quick oats/ One minute oats/ instant porridge GI 65-66, 250 g serve, 26 g carbs,.
- Instant oatmeal porridge, from packet GI 83, 250 g serve, 23 g carbs.
Do’s and Don’t’s of Eating Oats
DO choose whole oats – If you’re going to eat oats, the research indicates that whole oats are the best choice, which is kind of a common sense thing. Skip the instant and quick cooking stuff.
DON’T add fruit and honey – given that oats already contain a higher amount of carbs, you don’t want to go adding fruit, raisins and honey, which further skyrockets carb count. Try adding nuts, seeds and vanilla extract to balance out the carbs with healthy fats and protein.
DON’T overeat oats – you need to watch your portion sizes because like most higher carb foods, it’s easy to overload. Try limiting your serving size to just ½ cup of oats at one serve.
DO test and see how oats influence you – try testing to see if oats influence your results. At the end of the day, each individual person with diabetes has a different carbohydrate tolerance. Some may be able to tolerate oats, while others can’t.
DO eat more fiber rich foods – change up your breakfast ideas. Opt for eggs and a veggie filled plate, or a delicious mixed veggie omelet. We have cereals ingrained into our brains as breakfast foods but there are plenty of other great breakfast options.
We don’t include oats in our meal plans because they do have mixed results for different people. Instead, we prefer to encourage higher intake of non-starchy veggies, which contain valuable phytochemicals, flavonoids, vitamins, minerals and fiber too.
Do you eat oats and oatmeal or not? Chime in and leave your comments below.
I’ve been recently diagnosed T2 (just borderline) and I’ve been eating oatmeal most mornings. It helps lower cholesterol, gives me energy for my morning workout, and keeps me satisfied until lunch. I don’t sweeten it at all, I add a teaspoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of parmesan cheese. My BG after ONE hour is around 140, after TWO hours is about 130, and at THREE hours is back to my pre-meal level in the 110s. So is this considered an unacceptable spike in BG, or is this normal? (I’m not on any meds.) I am confused about what acceptable and unacceptable pp BG levels are.
The ideal level two hours after meals is under 140. Read more about normal levels here. Pairing the oatmeal with olive oil and cheese is a good idea because the fats will slow down the spike in carbs.
With my oatmeal I just add cinnamon to it for flavor it seems to work for me so far anyway
Cinnamon is a great food to include in your diet! As you read in the article just make sure to watch your sugar levels are eating and know how your body responds to oatmeal.
I STARTED EATING STEEL CUT OATMEAL FOR BREAKFAST WITH 2 SLICES OF 100% GRAIN WHEAT BREAD. HOWEVER MY BLOOD SUGAR JUMPS TO OVER 280. SHOULD I STOP EATING IT?
The answer is Yes Diane. The breakfast you describe is purely based on high carbohydrate foods and carbohydrates are the thing that influences you blood sugar levels to go up so much. Try switching to a lower carb breakfast and you will find your levels will stay much lower, which is important to your health. You can find some breakfast alternatives here.
My A1C is at 9.3 and i was wondering if cinnamon pills also help lower the blood sugar, I need to get surgery on my foot but they think my sugar is to high at this time.
Also would like to know if Steel oats are better then instant?
Thank You,
Tyna
You can find info about cinnamon over here Tyna. Have you made dietary changes? Lowering carbs? Exercise? Lifestyle changes are your best bet because there is no magic pill fix. Your A1c is a direct reflection of the amount of glucose in your blood stream over a 3 month period. So lowering carbs often reduces A1c and because exercise increase insulin sensitivity, your body utilizes glucose better – meaning less left in your blood stream.
Both instant oats and steel cut are the same in terms of carbs, and in your case you’d probably be best to avoid both. Always check with your doctor before lowering carbs too much, in case you meds need to be changed.
Hello Tina I am a diabetic and I used to have feet problems too we’re going to operate in my foot but I went in and got laser treatment on my feet and it took away my foot paint this is just some information for you I’d rather stay away from getting under the knife anyway most chiropractors do laser treatments on your joints I would stay away from cutting open my body if I if you have other options good luck with that have a good day
My A1C started out at 8.7 when i found out i was diabetic. I have lost 22 ibs since then and watch my diet most ofthe time. It is now at 6.6. Still trying to loose 10-15 more ibs. We eat oatmeal 3-4 times a week. I use minute and use 1/4 cup, add eithe blueberries, strawberries, splenda brown sugar or Chia seeds, the rest of the time we have eggs and wheat toast. I use a lot of peanut butter. 2 hours after test blood it usually is 110-150. I am 72 yrs old and trying to stay healthy as long as i can.
As long as you’ve found what works for you that’s great Lavonne. And it sounds like you’re going pretty well.
hi Jedha, I’ve been following your low carb meal/snak advice for about three months now. I’m a 77 year old male, and went from an A1c reading of 7.9 to 6.0; also lost 22 pounds. Thanks for all the help! Paul O
WOW Paul, great stuff. Congrats on your efforts and thanks for sharing. That’s why we do what we do.
I am prediabetic. Small amounts of cooked Old fashioned oatmeal raises my post meal glucose levels too high. I wonder if adding chia seeds for fiber and coconut oil for healthy fat would allow me to eat it without a glucose spike. I haven’t tried yet. My insulin resistance is High. Trying to manage without drugs through diet. Can insulin resistance ever be healed so one can eat starches again?
You would have to try it Amber, though oats already have lots of fiber so if your body is reacting badly without the additional fiber and fat, it’s probably best to avoid them. As for insulin resistance, yes you can regain your insulin sensitivity but and may be able to eat small amounts of starches, but in most cases going back to your old habits will never happen. In the Western diet, starches are consumed way too frequently overall.
I don’t eat oatmeal that much as it does hike up my blood sugar but i have added some cottage cheese for protein. It looks nasty but is quite tasty.
Good idea. Adding protein to a carb makes the blood sugar spike less. Keep an eye on it though, you may still be better off without it.
I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I’m still trying to get my fasting readings down near 100 in the mornings; I’m usually 117-129 or so. Metformin was just increased to 2,000 mg/day. My problem is I’ve lost 10 lbs. in 2 months since I cut so many carbs from my diet. I wasn’t overweight to begin with so am struggling to regain some weight. I’ve started adding snacks between meals but still struggling to gain some weight back. Having to safety pin waist in slacks. HA! Bet you don’t hear that too often, do you?
Not too often but occasionally Pam! Try including more healthy fat sources such as avocado, nuts, olive oil – these are more calorie dense yet still healthy options.
I went to dr for a uti while I was there they found my blood level was 456 went to hospital for insulin drip. I saw the book on what to eat could not put in my info to access it. Ca n you send it to me?
Hi Diane, please contact our support desk for help with this. Thanks 🙂
Hi Beverly
My morning readings are anywhere fro 4.9 to 5.8, usually in between. I eat cereal for breakfast about 5 days a week mostly shredded wheat, the odd time oat meal or oat bran. Day 6 is toast day 2 slices of diet bread @7gm of carbs per slice. Day 7 is full breakfast day, poached eggs, peameal bacon and a slice of that toast.
Exercise, Mon. Wed, Fri we’re at the gym in the morning, Tues/Thurs in the evening. In the gym free mornings we do brisk 9 block return walk to the store.
If I have a “bad food” day usually happens on a weekend, I’l up my Merformin to 625mg from 500, Dr says that’s OK
I’m not perfect by any means but in the near year since I’ve been diagnosed I’ve lost 27lbs.
That’s it in a nut shell, and BTW I eat a few of those too.
I add a scoop of plain protein powder to my oatmeal.
Delicious and another good way to eat it!
Concerning cinnamon tea is it possible that you can chew on the cinnamon stick instead of making the tea and if so how much of thecinnamon stick do you use?
You could chew the sticks, though, have you tried it? It’s not the best. The tea tastes way better! As for how much, as much as you can bear – a small piece.
Good article on oatmeal. This is pretty much my standard breakfast and I seem to have no issues with it. I like to make it with some herbal tea I make in advance and keep in the fridge, apple and cinnamon being my favorite to add some flavor.
Think I am going to start adding some flax or chia to it as well. I like that idea.
For me, eating oatmeal every morning became part of a diet that let me loose the weight to solve the problem.
Also going to have to try that turkey meatball dish.
Yeh, the flax and chia are awesome sources of fiber and will further slow down the release of carbs too.
I think oatmeal is a great option for some provided it’s made correctly. My favorite way of doing oats is overnight oats–adding equal parts unsweetened almond milk and oats along with 1 T chia or flaxseed (adds some fiber and protein). The next day add some low carb mix ins–cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin or carrots with walnuts or a few blueberries, delish and no need to cook them so it doesn’t get gummy.
Another option is while cooking, whip in a raw egg right toward the end of cooking time stirring continually. The egg will cook right into it setting it up like a baked oatmeal and along with some cinnamon & vanilla will give a sort of ‘french toast’ flavor while increasing volume and adding some healthy fat & protein to slow down glycemic rise!
Hi Im looking some advise.
My HBTIC result was 42… so apparently not in the pre-diabetic zone. ( i suffered from gestational diabetes during my pregany 6 yrs ago- managed through diet).
Ive been sent away with 2 website addresses and ordered to loose 2 stone in weight by my doctor and take regular exercise. Thats the onky support ive received
Should i be eating a diet that would be suggested for a pre-diabetic and by doing.ao at this early stage should i see significant benefits?
Would you consider the coutch25k programme as sufficient exercise ( having not done any exercise in over 6 yrs).
Thanking you in advance
Beverley
Beverly, the normal range of A1C is between 4-6%, so you don’t have diabetes and you’re not prediabetic. Your doctor has probably told you that so you don’t become prediabetic – given your number is slightly high.
Losing weight will help, so really, it is good advice. A diabetic diet, such as a lower carb diet that we encourage here is a VERY healthy diet and will help you lose weight. So yes, you should see significant benefits. I’ve never heard of the exercise program you speak of, but any exercise is better than none. Try to aim for 30 minutes a day, but start with just 5 minutes, then build to 10 and so forth.
You can do this!