Sunday, July 29, 2007

Oats potential to be rediscovered

Oat is an annual plant that belongs to the family of Graminaceae,and of which around 25 varieties are known that grow worldwide in all temperate countries. Cultivated oats can be planted either in autumn for an early summer harvest, or in spring for a late summer harvest.

This cereal is a relatively newcomer. In fact the history of oats is short compared to other grains.

Its origins are in the Middle East dating back to around 2000 B.C. : common oat is derived from wild species that were cultivated by the Germans and the Celts in the Bronze Age and used extensively by the Roman Empire.

Early use of Oats was probably for medicinal purposes; oats flour is quoted in the book “About Medicine” by Aulo Cornelio Celsio author of this fundamental medical work of the roman period.

Plinio, Columella, Teofrasto , and other roman writers described oats as a useful medicinal substance, especially in dermatological pathologies.

But there are references to oats as a cultivated crop just starting from the beginning of the Christian era. And the cultivation of this cereal was extensive in Europe prior to the discovery of the New World where pioneers carried the first seeds.

The fortunes of this grain derived from his capacity to adapt to conditions where wheat and barley won’t grow such as mountainous areas or where the climate is too cold and humid for others cereals, thus allowing the local populations to make the most of lands otherwise unproductive especially during harsh periods.

Also nowadays one of the biggest producer and exporter is Finland, situated at the same latitude as Greenland, where it is cultivated as high up as in the southern parts of Lapland.

The success of oats depended too on the large number of horses that were used for work in the countryside and for armies , and that were the main mode of transport for several centuries.

In fact the principal use of oats has always been for animal fodder (especially horses).

However things changed radically during the last century and this grain has rapidly lost its importance. The cause of the loss of interest is due to the better yields, facility of cultivations and economical returns from others cereals, such as wheat, maize or barley. The demand for oat as feed grain weakened progressively after the innovation in modern times of the internal combustion engine,and the consequent reduction in the use of horses.

Furthermore, consumer interest shifted to other cereals products that were easier to process and met the tastes of the market.

World production dropped sharply in the last 20 years following the “oat fibre boom” in North America. In 1980 41 millions tonnes were produced worldwide, representing 6% of all coarse grains. In 2001 production was around 27 millions tonnes just 3% of total coarse grains. The drop is due to spreading reduction of harvested area, particularly among producers such as Usa, where farmers have been free to plant crops that provided the highest market return.

All this despite the innumerable uses and the potentials of this multi-purpose cereal.

In fact, oats have so many properties that could boost its consumption again (presently just 5% of production is used for human food consumption).

Oats are the most nutritious of the cereal grasses containing over four times as much fatty acids and 19% more calories then wheat, with the 80% of this fats being unsaturated

The fruit contains alkaloids, such as granine, avenine, saponins,and flavonoids powerful antioxidant. Seeds are rich in iron manganese and zinc.It is a good source of vitamins B1, B2, D, E and an excellent source of carbohydrates and fibers.


Together with the unique nutritional properties, oats has been recognized to be : antidepressant, antispasmodic, demulcent, emollient, a good remedy for nervous exhaustion, insomnia, helpful in prostate disorders, and a tonic; they are believed to lower LDL cholesterol and thus possibly reduce the risk of heart disease.

Oats are considered a “cleansing grain” for their beneficial effects on the intestinal tract and as a blood purifier. The complex of carbohydrates that it contains have been linked to the reduction in the risk of cancer, and for the control of diabetes.

Human’s do not usually consume oats before they have been processed: like barley, it is a difficult grain to separate from the hull. Grains have to be cleaned, and toasted, before being used as a ingredient in a wide variety of food products such as breakfast cereals, snacks, crackers, cookies, beverages.

Oatmeal is also an excellent soup’s thickener and a filler in meat loofs and casseroles; mixed with wheat flour it forms the basis for multigrain baked products.

The Scots and Irish made a cuisine out of oats: Samuel’s Johnson considered in his famous work of 1755, oats as ”a grain food for horses in England, but for men in Scotland ”to which the Scots’ reply was “Aye, and where do you find better horses or finer men?”

The most valued and major component of oats is the bran from which it is possible to extract an edible oil as well, that is very high quality but too costly for commercial application.

The list of uses of this flexible grain goes on: oat straw is used in corn dolly making, and is the favourite filling for lace-making pillows; the extract of Avena Sativa (Latin name for Common Oat) is said to free up bound testosterone in both men and women. Recently an oat milk has been developed that can be used as a base for making different milk free dairy products, such as yoghurt or ice creams; it apparently help with withdrawal symptoms from tobacco addiction, and is used in the cosmetic industry as talc replacers and in skin care products.

What will the future be for such a virtuous cereal?

In Nepal, and other areas of the Himalayas, green feed oats have helped significantly to improve nutritional standards; the breed of new adaptable species could improve food resource to alleviate starvation in certain regions of the world in the future.

Awareness among consumers in developed western countries of organic and not genetically modified products, is increasing rapidly as well as the demand for such products.

Oat-derived products represent one of the best examples of functional foods that, along with their nutritional capacities, have been shown to improve health or prevent illness. If governments and private companies, will promote and support the production, research ,and marketing, to full rediscover the potential of Oats, this cereal will have back the space that probably deserves.

THE TRUMAN

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