Oatmeal particle size alters glycemic index but not as a function of gastric emptying rate.

Alan R Mackie, Balazs H Bajka, Neil M Rigby, Peter J Wilde, Fatima Alves-Pereira, Ellen F Mosleth, Anne Rieder, Bente Kirkhus, Louise J Salt

September 2017 Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol

Synopsis of Social media discussions

The group consistently emphasizes that minimal processing and intact fiber are crucial for health, citing examples such as whole oats vs. processed oats, nuts vs. nut oils, and grains vs. powders; their tone and word choice reflect a shared belief in the importance of food structure for both digestion and microbiome health, demonstrating strong consensus and interest in the subject.

A
Agreement
 Strong agreement

Most participants strongly agree that food structure and particle size influence health, digestibility, and microbiome health, referencing specific examples like oats, nuts, and grains.

I
Interest
 High level of interest

Discussions are highly engaging, with many exploring scientific concepts, implications for diet choices, and health outcomes, showing widespread curiosity.

E
Engagement
 High engagement

Comments delve into detailed explanations about food processes, microbiome effects, and nutritional impacts, indicating deep involvement.

I
Impact
 High level of impact

The discussions could influence dietary habits and nutritional thinking by emphasizing the importance of processing and food structure, which are highly relevant topics.

Social Mentions

YouTube

3 Videos

Bluesky

1 Posts

Facebook

3 Posts

Twitter

40 Posts

Blogs

2 Articles

News

8 Articles

Metrics

Video Views

460,905

Total Likes

6,137

Extended Reach

489,085

Social Features

57

Timeline: Posts about article

Top Social Media Posts

Posts referencing the article

Understanding the Impact of Oat Particle Size on Glycemic Response

Understanding the Impact of Oat Particle Size on Glycemic Response

Oatmeal has long been considered a heart-healthy breakfast but is it really as good for us as we think. This episode explores how oat particle size affects blood sugar levels and digestion, highlighting the importance of food structure in nutritional health.

ZOE

March 6, 2025

460,386 views

Optimizing Oatmeal for Lower Glycemic Response and Digestive Impact

Optimizing Oatmeal for Lower Glycemic Response and Digestive Impact

The key to a healthy lifestyle is making it sustainable. You can make a huge batch of this delicious steelcut oatmeal base every week to enjoy throughout the week with various mix-ins. Studies show that oat particle size influences blood sugar levels and digestion, with larger particles leading to a lower glycemic response.

Aegean Delight

August 7, 2020

503 views

Science-Backed Superfoods for Effective Weight Management and Satiety

Science-Backed Superfoods for Effective Weight Management and Satiety

Struggling with hunger cravings or weight management? You don't need crash diets—just the right science-backed foods. This video reveals the top 5 powerhouse foods that help control hunger, stabilize energy, and support healthy weight loss without deprivation.

Nel Wellness

March 10, 2025

17 views


  • @nelwellness.bsky.social (Bluesky)


    view full post

    March 10, 2025

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @nutrition_facts Whole grains vs processed grains Whole nuts vs processed nuts Whole everything vs processed everything https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    November 16, 2024

    1

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @Lainsitzprinz @GardnerPhD Forge the X.Xg/kg protein. Just eat more whole plants or less whole plants for more or less muscle. Everything we eat except jello has complete protein and if you eat more, you get more protein as needed. Not everything we eat has intact fiber #health https://t.co/EklKErsli0 https://t.co/QuXsaJhf3G
    view full post

    October 18, 2024

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @NutritionMadeS3 Somehow I suspect an obvious opportunity cost? https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    September 2, 2024

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    Why are markets & subsidies are out of control. #Economics of scale of processed oats should not reach a stage where processed is cheaper than unprocessed. At best the price of scale for processed should come close to unprocessed, not go below #overshoot https://t.co/EklKErsT7y
    view full post

    August 30, 2024

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @brockpierson Also - eat more whole. When we eat stuff without intact fiber, most calories are consumed by the mammalian cells and not our bacterial cells in the gut. 1 cal is not 1 cal. Keep it whole and plant based. https://t.co/EklKErsT7y
    view full post

    August 22, 2024

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    For that reason, processing matters. More intact fiber, more food for bacteria and less for the mammalian cells. In short
    view full post

    August 17, 2024

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @ScepticalAnna Everyone should read this imo. It explains the difference between feeding our gut
    view full post

    August 15, 2024

  • Rx Readmore Livemore
    @SopitaSirirata1 (Twitter)

    RT @hugopottisch: @TamarHaspel @TheEconomist NO! We have 2 cells
    view full post

    August 12, 2024

    2

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    RT @hugopottisch: @TamarHaspel @TheEconomist NO! We have 2 cells
    view full post

    August 11, 2024

    2

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @TamarHaspel @TheEconomist NO! We have 2 cells
    view full post

    August 11, 2024

    1

    2

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @theproof Extracted powders like carb powders or protein powders or 100% extracted fat only are not needed or good https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    July 21, 2024

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @TamarHaspel Healthy weight loss requires two words coming together: Intact fiber https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    May 14, 2024

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @PlantChompers @ScepticalDoctor What is wrong with iron in real food? Also, why have they destroyed the oats? Do you know? https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    April 30, 2024

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @WardWriting High in intact fiber. Meat products and extracted nutrients like sugar, protein powder, dairy products or oil lack intact fiber. https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    April 18, 2024

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @Neonomide @ScepticalDoctor We lose health when we reduce particle size. When we extract, even more so. Olive oil is healthier than butter (less SF) but not healtheir than whole olives. Same with walnut oils vs whole walnuts. One doesn't need to make this ideological about brigades? https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    April 6, 2024

    1

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @ScepticalDoctor @Alan_Watson_ @ggkuhnle Just the particle size can have an impact but when we isolate single nutrients
    view full post

    March 9, 2024

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @jeffreyboadi_ The oats and seeds all have good protein? The frutis too. Just add more real foods to get more protein? But careful - particle size matters if one is diabetic as unnaturally small particles feed the gut less and host cells more. https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    February 29, 2024

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @ScepticalDoctor Reminder: Just the process of turning whole food into powders is bad? https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    February 27, 2024

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @waiterich Not sure we should call these "food". More like a recreational drug given their particle size? https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    June 3, 2023

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @TamarHaspel All animals have evolved for whole foods by definition. The less we process, the healthier our food is. Just changing the particle size of oats while keeping everything else equal will cost us health wise. https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    May 1, 2023

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @ScepticalDoctor @PlomeekSoup Adding some berries and soy milk to some oatmeal is rather fast too? It improves health rather than destroying it? Particle size matters however. https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    March 29, 2023

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @Nutradvance Reducing particle size feeds the human hosts cells more and the gut microbiome less. It's not a healthy step. https://t.co/EklKErsT7y
    view full post

    March 12, 2023

    1

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @saulohidalgo22 @ScepticalDoctor Are you saying we need a study to show if processing foods is bad compared to eating them whole? 1 week eating nut oil only compared to 1 week eating whole nuts only? Do we... really need this, or is it obvious and clear somehow? https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    December 12, 2022

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @mario_kratz Thanks for this good
    view full post

    December 2, 2022

    2

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @Alan_Watson_ @AnnieLeymarie @ScepticalDoctor Not what I mean. On paper we can consume the same nutrients with different health outcomes. Eg https://t.co/EklKErsT7y
    view full post

    November 5, 2022

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @ScepticalDoctor A large potato has 8g intact fiber. I cannot find info about the bar but it will no be intact I assume but powdered. https://t.co/EklKEraJTq
    view full post

    October 14, 2022

    3

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @ScepticalDoctor https://t.co/EklKErsT7y
    view full post

    September 22, 2022

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @ScepticalDoctor Isolated anything is not healthy compared to whole foods. Also protein and fat. We should try and eat at least half of our calories from whole intact plants? Note: No need to isolate to decrease health. Merely pulverizing plants costs us. https://t.co/EklKErsT7y
    view full post

    September 18, 2022

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @ScepticalDoctor We want intact fiber & phytochemicals. If cell structure is destroyed, we feed our host cells and not our bacteria cells. This leads to low SCFA and higher GI. Foods low in fiber: - Animal products - Sugar powders - Grain powders - Protein powders - Oils https://t.co/EklKEraJTq
    view full post

    August 27, 2022

    1

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @hezy1a @ScepticalDoctor @sraosha One has to eat a lot of processed food (powders & oils) or meat to stay at 23-25 g/d of fiber. Processed fiber (not intact) and meat doesn't feed our bacteria cells (90%) but our host cells (10%). This leads to low SCFA and metabolic issues. E.g. https://t.co/EklKEraJTq
    view full post

    August 26, 2022

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @DBelardoMD Interesting study regarding the difference of the whole plants vs plant powder. https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    August 23, 2022

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @ScepticalDoctor Since we do not want to exclude ANY plant groups, please self test within groups only? Whole oat berries vs oat powder https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    August 5, 2022

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @MacroFour @NutritionMadeS3 @ArkhamFantasy @FeliceJacka I cannot follow again. What does 'adding fiber' mean and come from? When I think of fiber, I only consider whole plants by definition. Processed fiber is NOT the fiber we are discussing. Intact fiber from whole plants is what we want. E.g. https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    August 3, 2022

    1

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @ScepticalDoctor Why are whole peanuts healthy, but not processed? https://t.co/uDMmwLSgP7 Why are whole oats better than processed oats? https://t.co/EklKErsli0 Does that mean that we should never eat peanut butter? No. But we should be aware of it?
    view full post

    July 10, 2022

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @timspector It's the level of processing that determines how many calories we consume for our host cells vs our bacteria cell? https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    June 25, 2022

    1

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @NutritionMadeS3 Are processed oats as healthy as whole oats? https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    June 23, 2022

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @MichaelAlbertMD @JohnSpeakman4 Even for humans, whole is better than processed. Whole beets are better than sugar Wheat berries better than powder Whole peas better than powder Whole nuts better than oil Meat isn't healthy to start with but process it and it gets even worse too. https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    May 17, 2022

    1

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @MacroFour @ScepticalDoctor @NanciGuestRDPhD We came up with GL before we started to get on top of the microbiome around 2005? We ignored fiber, cell structure and particle size. Dates have more sugar than tofu, but they have more fiber too. More pre- & probiotic food would be good. This & above: https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    May 11, 2022

    1

  • Hugo
    @hugopottisch (Twitter)

    @ScepticalDoctor @Maclagan_was_OK Level of processing counts. Brown rice has more fiber than white and is hence better for weight loss? Particle size of oats determines hunger and later weight? https://t.co/EklKErsli0
    view full post

    May 6, 2022

  • Anlat İlke
    @Anlatilke (Twitter)

    Kaynak: https://t.co/eIM4pmOB66
    view full post

    January 13, 2021

Abstract Synopsis

  • The study found that oat particle size affects the glycemic response, with oat flakes producing a lower blood sugar increase compared to oat flour, due to their more intact structure.
  • Differences in gastric emptying partly explain these effects, but the structure of oats influences how quickly they leave the stomach, impacting blood glucose and feelings of fullness.
  • Overall, food structure plays an important role in digestion and glycemic response, suggesting that nutritional advice should consider not just what we eat, but how the food's physical form influences digestion.]