Oats pack a large nutritional punch and are a powerful resource in a well-balanced diet. Let's take a look at why:

• Soluble fiber - reduces cholesterol and risk of heart disease, helps to prevent or manage diabetes, keeps you fuller for longer, and keeps the digestive system functioning regularly.
• Thiamine (B1) - plays an important role in creating ATP, a molecule that transports energy in the cells.
• Folate - helps produce DNA and form healthy new cells; prevents neural tube defects in fetuses, which typically present in the first trimester of pregnancy.
• Iron - carries oxygen (as part of the protein hemoglobin), from the lungs, out to the rest of the body; helps the muscles store and use that oxygen. 
• Magnesium - regulates muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels and blood pressure; aids in making protein, bone and DNA.
• Zinc - helps the immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses, and aids in both men's and women's reproductive health.
• Copper - prevents bone defects like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, promotes healthy connective tissue (hair, skin, nails, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels).
• Manganese - aids in bone production, maintains integrity of the skin, helps control blood sugar, and protects against cancer-causing free radicals.