McCann's Irish Oatmeal, Steel Cut Oats, 72-Ounce Packages (Pack of 6) Review

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(More customer reviews)These McCann's IRISH Oats are a real treat! They are steel cut, but cut finer than other steel cut oats, so they cook up more tender. I have also read that Irish style oats are easier to digest and quicker to turn into ENERGY because of the way they are milled. My experience is that a bowl of them for breakfast will keep me satisfied well into the afternoon. Recommended for many reasons, oats lower cholesterol when consumed daily. They also regulate blood sugar, digesting slowly, so are good for eliminating blood sugar highs and lows, AND they control appetite! In addition, studies show that oats provide protection from some cancers. High in fiber and carbohydrates, oats also provide protein, calcium, iron, and B vitamins. More findings about this wonderful grain follow, if you have the time and interest:
Studies show that oats have beneficial effects in diabetes. Type 2 diabetes patients given foods high in oat fiber (or given oatmeal, or oat bran rich foods) experienced much lower rises in blood sugar compared to those who were given white rice or white bread. Starting out your day with a blood sugar stabilizing food such as oats may make it easier to keep blood sugar levels under control the rest of the day, especially when the rest of your day is also supported with nourishing whole grains.
Oats and other whole grains are a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion (issues in diabetes.) The FDA permits foods that contain at least 51% whole grains by weight (and are also low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol) to display a health claim stating consumption is linked to lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Now, research suggests regular consumption of whole grains also reduces risk of type 2 diabetes!
For instance, risk of type 2 diabetes was 31% lower in women who frequently ate whole grains compared to those eating the least of these magnesium-rich foods. When the women's dietary intake of magnesium intake was considered by itself, a beneficial, but lesser-19%-reduction in risk of type 2 diabetes was found, indicating that whole grains offer special benefits in promoting healthy blood sugar control.
A steaming bowl of fresh cooked oatmeal is the perfect way to start off your day, especially if you are trying to prevent or are currently dealing with heart disease or diabetes. Oats, oat bran, and oatmeal contain a specific type of fiber known as beta-glucan. Since 1963, study after study has proven the beneficial effects of beta-glucan on cholesterol levels. And, studies show that in individuals with high cholesterol (above 220 mg/dl), consuming just 3 grams of soluble oat fiber per day (an amount found in ONE bowl of oats) typically lowers total cholesterol by 8-23%. This is highly significant since each 1% drop in serum cholesterol translates to a 2% decrease in the risk of developing heart disease. High cholesterol levels correlate with the build up of plaques in blood vessel walls. If these plaques become damaged or simply grow too large, they can rupture, blocking a blood vessel and causing a heart attack, stroke, or making blood clots elsewhere in the body. Lowering high cholesterol levels can therefore significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Also, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as oats, helps prevent heart disease. Almost 10,000 American adults participated in this study and were followed for 19 years. People eating the most fiber, 21 grams per day, had 12% less coronary heart disease (CHD) and 11% less cardiovascular disease (CVD) were compared to those eating the least, 5 grams daily. Those eating the most water-soluble dietary fiber (as in oats) fared even better with a 15% reduction in risk of CHD and a 10% risk reduction in CVD.
Oats, via their high fiber content, are already known to help remove cholesterol from the digestive system that would otherwise end up in the bloodstream. Now, the latest research suggests they may have another cardio-protective mechanism. The antioxidant compounds unique to oats, called avenanthramides, help prevent free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
When Vittamin C (an antioxidant) is consumed WITH the whole grains, all the benefits were enhanced. Our advice: Eat an orange (which is rich in vitamin C) in quarters, or enjoy a glass of orange juice along with your oats (or simply eat a chewable Vitamin C tablet.) If you prefer some other grain for your breakfast cereal, top it with a heaping spoonful of oat bran.
Oats also have helped heart disease patients, even in the elderly! Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization among the elderly in the United States. Success of drug treatment is only partial, and its prognosis remains poor.(ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers are typically used; no evidence has found statins safe or effective for heart failure.) A follow up of 2445 discharged hospital patients with heart failure revealed that 37.3% died during the first year, and 78.5% died within 5 years!

Since consumption of whole grain products and dietary fiber has been shown to REDUCE the risk of high blood pressure and heart attack, Harvard researchers decided to look at the effects of cereal consumption on heart failure risk and followed 21,376 participants in the Physicians Health Study over a period of 19.6 years. After adjusting for confounding factors (age, smoking, alcohol consumption, vegetable consumption, use of vitamins, exercise, and history of heart disease), they found that men who simply enjoyed a daily morning bowl of whole grain (not refined) cereal, had a 29% lower risk of heart failure.
And eating a serving of whole grains, such as oats, at least 6 times each week is an especially good idea for POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN with high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Women who faithfully consume whole grains, especially oats, will:
Slow progression of atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque that narrows the vessels through which blood flows.
Lessen progression in stenosis, the narrowing of the diameter of arterial passageways.
Enhance Immune Response to Infection - Since our non-specific immune defenses are the body's first strike forces against invading pathogens, starting your day with a bowl of oatmeal may boost your immune response in addition to your morning energy levels!
In addition to its fiber benefits, oats are also a very good source of selenium. A necessary cofactor (helper) of the important antioxidant, glutathione peroxidase, selenium works with vitamin E in numerous vital antioxidant systems throughout the body. These powerful antioxidant actions make selenium helpful in decreasing asthma symptoms and in the prevention of heart disease. In addition, selenium is involved in DNA repair and is associated with a reduced risk for cancer, especially colon cancer.
When researchers looked at how much fiber 35,972 participants in the UK Women's Cohort Study ate, they found a diet rich in fiber from whole grains, such as oats, offered significant protection against breast cancer for pre-menopausal women. Pre-menopausal women eating the most fiber (>30 grams daily) more than halved their risk of developing breast cancer, enjoying a 52% lower risk of breast cancer compared to women whose diets supplied the least fiber (

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McCann's steel cut oats from Ireland in the familiar white box with black and gold writing is an outstanding outmeal. The minimal processing helps the steel cut oats retain their distinctive taste and nutritional value.

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