Oat vs. Wheat

What is the difference between oats and wheat? We often hear these names on TV ads, or see them labeled on popular food boxes at the groceries. One thing is for sure, these products are cereals, which means that they are edible items; not to mention, they offer their consumers some health benefits, for example, their protein content.

Oats, as what these cereals are commonly called, are scientifically named as Avena sativa. They are one of the popular cereal species that has being grown to harvest its seeds. Due to their nature, oats are used in various ways. These products can be eaten by humans, for example, the popular oatmeal or rolled oats. Animals can also make use of these products in the form of oat feeds. Two familiar animals that consume this product are horses and cattle. Although nowadays, oats is being incorporated in the foods of certain domesticated animals, like cats and dogs.

On the contrary, wheat, or Triticum spp., is actually a kind of grass. It has become widely commercialized throughout the world, and is nowadays ranked as the third most produced cereal-like product, following maize and rice. As it is produced almost everywhere, it has become one of the staple foods, and is currently being used to make flours for breads, cakes and pastries.

Amazingly, wheat products are not only limited to baking, because this grass is highly fermentable, which makes it a very good choice for beer production. Its environmental importance is also not hidden to the public, since this grass is one of those plants that have been used to harness natural fuels, termed as biofuels. Moreover, its value does not end there, for wheat can also be used in the realm of construction. Actually, its straw is used as a thatch for roofing.

In a carefully observed scientific study done in 2002 at the Colorado State University, these two products were shown to have a very big impact on the overall nutrition and diet of an individual. An under accurate lipoprotein analyses with the subjects revealed that an oat diet was able to reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) by 2.5%, whereas, a wheat diet propelled the value by 8%.

1. Oats are typically eaten by humans as oatmeal or rolled oats, while wheat is a raw product that is used to make flours for baking cakes and pastries.

2. Wheat can also be used in construction, harnessing fuels, and for making beer or other similar alcoholic beverages.

3. An oat diet tends to lower LDL levels when compared to a wheat diet. In turn, this makes oats the best cereal to counter heart diseases.