Consumption of oatmeal and diabetes mellitus: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Oats have gained popularity as a diabetes-friendly option due to their rich soluble dietary fiber and the presence of bioactive β-glucan. These elements contribute to lowering postprandial glucose, enhancing insulin sensitivity, regulating glycemic control, and managing blood lipids. However, recent studies have highlighted that consumption of oatmeal could be related to an increase in blood level sugar. Opting for low-GI foods over conventional or high-GI choices has a modest yet clinically meaningful impact on mid-term glycemic control in individuals with diabetes. Milling and cooking practices seem to induce substantial alterations in the digestibility of starch in oat products. Therefore, the general aim of this study was to summarize the effects of different oatmeal products on blood sugar, particularly in diabetes mellitus patients. PRISMA guidelines were used as the method to find suitable sources for this systematic review from several scientific databases such as ScienceDirect, Taylor and Francis, Proquest, and EBSCOhost. The keywords used to identify the relevant studies were oat, oatmeal, diabetes, glycemic index. The initial search in the databases yielded 18 articles. This review reveals that types and different processing technologies applied to oat could lead to a various glycemic index of oatmeal.