It can 'cure' high blood pressure, can lower high cholesterol and even lower blood glucose, though how it does that is rather a mystery because it is still starchy carbohydrate which is not good for diabetics.
My question is this: why does Scotland have the highest rate of heart disease in the UK when they eat more porridge than anywhere else in the UK ?
There,s a question. All i can say is that porridge gives me heartburn. Now that,s another question, why?
Had a look in Google.
Porridge could be key to a long and healthy life, says Harvard University
Eating porridge, brown rice or corn each day could protect the heart against disease, Harvard University has found.
A small bowl of porridge each day could be the key to a long and healthy life, after a major study by Harvard University found that whole grains reduce the risk of dying from heart disease.
Although whole grains are widely believed to be beneficial for health it is the first research to look at whether they have a long-term impact on lifespan.
Whole grains are also widely recommended in many dietary guidelines because they contain high levels of nutrients like zinc, copper, manganese, iron and thiamine. They are also believed to boost levels of antioxidants which combat free-radicals.
The new research suggests that if more people switched to whole grains, thousands of lives could be saved each year. Coronary heart disease is Britain’s biggest killer, responsible for around 73,000 deaths in the UK each year. Around 2.3 million people are living with the condition and one in six men and one in 10 women will die from the disease.
Health experts said the study proved that whole grains were beneficial to health
Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietician at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This is an interesting study and reinforces existing dietary recommendations to eat more foods high in fibre.
Well, if they do eat the most porridge, then they also drink the most too which could account for the rate of heart disease. My husband on his visits to Scotland complains about the huge fried breakfasts he is served up daily. And he is a person who loves his food! Perhaps the porridge idea is a myth.
Spent time in Google looking for data to find an answer for this (My question is this: why does Scotland have the highest rate of heart disease in the UK when they eat more porridge than anywhere else in the UK ?).
I am afraid I am unable to get any data from the Internet even though there are a lot of data!
There are many studies in LCHF diet, may be soon people in UK will be educated on LCHF diet.
Last year's Heart UK conference there were couple of study given on health in general in Scotland.
May be Heart UK administers can answer the question.
Maybe it is the deep fried porridge?
I may have sounded quite flippant but actually it is a valid point, the Scots do have the highest rate of heart failure in the UK, or so I understand. Maybe they do deep fry it [!!] like the mars bars, or maybe the greasy fried breakfasts have something to do with it. Or perhaps it's the whisky! Goes to show - just don't take everything at face value.
Any question is a valid question, we need to find answers! since the introduction of fast food industry all over the world there are health issues. WHO needs to address this but politically this may be difficult to do. LCHF food needs to be communicated, how long are we going to wait on UK Government to implement this in UK, other food manufacturers may have their input al well.
There is a radio advertisement "SWAP IT" sugary drinks to non surgery drinks!, I wonder how many parents will go for it.
Hidden sugar is the killer.
I do so agree Bala about the sugar, we just accept it being added to all sorts of things yet get agitated about salt and fat. For some time now I've been believing that sugar can cause inflammation, I don't know if I'm right or not but I'm sure it isn't good for us. As for porridge I used to always have it in the winter and other cereals in the warmer weather. Determining to reduce [well try and reduce!] my blood pressure I ditched ALL breakfast cereals,amongst other things like added salt, added sugar, most alcohol and margarine of all sorts. ie. Flora and Benecol specifically. Instead for breakfast I eat a boiled egg and a slice of brown toast with butter, real unsalted saturated butter !! My weight just fell off and the bp went down. Not far enough though so I still have to take medication. Of course there were other factors like exercise and cutting out cakes and biscuits.
I eat porridge every day and have done so since I became diabetic on insulin in 1992. From a Diabetes point of view it passes slowly through the stomach and releases carbs very slowly. I find that I do not have many hunger pangs during the day and my daytime blood sugars are very stable. On the other hand I had a triple by pass 5 years ago but I blame diabetes and Hypothyroid for that.
It is also well known that Scots eat their porridge with salt and are generally high consumers of sodium which you will know is a major problem in Cardiac Disease, High Blood Pressure and Stroke. BTW I use granulated sweetener in my porridge.
Many of the health problems in Scotland are closely associated with poverty. Unfortunately, you need to be able to afford to pay for electricity/gas to cook porridge, it's not going to be a breakfast choice for many.
Sorry Penel, I don't believe it. Ignorance perhaps but even in Scotland people aren't that poor that they can't boil up some porridge. It's about the cheapest food there is - think Oliver Twist !
As a Scot, I'm feeling slightly perturbed at the tone of some of the comments here. Huge fried breakfasts are not traditional and are usually reserved for Sundays unless you eat in a transport café. In fact in hotels where it is an option, fried breakfasts are known as 'Full English'. Neither do we eat many deep fried Mars bars. In fact I have never tasted one and don't know many who have. We probably eat no more porridge than is eaten in the rest of the UK now. I don't believe the high level of heart disease in Scotland is purely about diet although there is high alcohol and sugar consumption. There is a major genetic factor, the impact of generations of poverty as well as lack of sunlight and low vitamin D levels which impact on dietary choices and general health. I have heart disease, early in life for a woman. I have a very strong family history on both sides with no grandparents reaching the age of 70 and no parents reaching 75. Although I have was brought up with a healthy diet and am financially able to eat well, historically my family in previous generations were poor and often went hungry. The interaction of genes and environment are what we need to study, not one aspect and definitely not one item of diet.
I seem to have upset quite a few folk and I apologise for having asked the question, no malice intended but it was just a point that I have long wondered about. You don't have to go to Scotland to seek poverty though.
Your comments about lack of sunlight and Vit D sounds plausible Florence, but how does that compare I wonder with Scandinavia and Canada, to name just some countries that are even further north than Scotland.
I've never had a deep fried mars bar either but I imagine they might be rather nice !!
That is my point gardengnome. I think it is the interaction of genes with these things rather than the individual environmental factors on their own. There is a great difference between the small dark Celts and the tall blonde Vikings and Nordic people genetically. They along with others have mixed to make the Scots of today. I think it would be interesting to evaluate the genetic history of Scots with heart disease and compare with those who don't. I watched a programme about the ice man who was found not so long ago and who was discovered to have died from heart disease. He was healthily fed going by the contents of his stomach and his physical condition. He must have been strong and fit to use the tools he used. He was found to have lived a very physical life and yet he had heart disease. The scientists concluded that genetic factors must have played a major part in his demise.
Interesting theory. I have opened a can of worms though. sorry
Thanks gardengnome.
Please read this article:
From Starbucks skimmed-milk pots to trusted favourite Quakers, six different oats are put to the test to find out... Which posh porridge is worth its salt?
Read more: dailymail.co.uk/femail/food...
On average 4g of sugar= 1 tea spoon.
one example Oat so simple had nearly 2 spoons of sugar and another example has 11 tea spoons of sugar!
Is hidden sugar contributing to health issues?
Actually when I used to eat porridge I would always make it with water, not milk and added a little salt then go and blow it all with sugar - lots of it! As a child we would have it with golden syrup - oh dear !!
"how it does that is rather a mystery" Is it? I thought it was the beta glucan in the oat bran that lowered cholesterol. See heartuk.org.uk/cholesterol-...
Time for a drug review?
Lowering Cholesterol 
Lipid Clinic Confusion (again!).
Diet - totally confused. 😩