Avena sativa
| Oat | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Oat plants with inflorescences | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Avena |
| Species: | A. sativa |
| Binomial name | |
|
Avena sativa L. (1753) |
|
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1,628 kJ (389 kcal) |
|
66.3 g
|
|
| Dietary fiber | 10.6 g |
|
6.9 g
|
|
|
16.9 g
|
|
| Vitamins | |
| Thiamine (B1) |
(66%)
0.763 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
(12%)
0.139 mg |
| Niacin (B3) |
(6%)
0.961 mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) |
(27%)
1.349 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
(9%)
0.12 mg |
| Folate (B9) |
(14%)
56 μg |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium |
(5%)
54 mg |
| Iron |
(38%)
5 mg |
| Magnesium |
(50%)
177 mg |
| Manganese |
(233%)
4.9 mg |
| Phosphorus |
(75%)
523 mg |
| Potassium |
(9%)
429 mg |
| Sodium |
(0%)
2 mg |
| Zinc |
(42%)
4 mg |
| Other constituents | |
| β-glucan (soluble fibre) | 4 g |
|
|
|
|
|
| Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. | |
The oat (Avena sativa), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural, unlike other cereals and pseudocereals). While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as feed. Oats are a nutrient-rich food associated with lower blood cholesterol when consumed regularly.
Avenins present in oats (proteins similar to gliadin from wheat) can trigger celiac disease in a small proportion of people. Also, oat products are frequently contaminated by other gluten-containing grains, mainly wheat and barley.
The wild ancestor of Avena sativa and the closely related minor crop, A. byzantina, is the hexaploid wild oat A. sterilis. Genetic evidence shows the ancestral forms of A. sterilis grew in the Fertile Crescent of the Near East. Domesticated oats appear relatively late, and far from the Near East, in Bronze Age Europe. Oats, like rye, are usually considered a secondary crop, i.e., derived from a weed of the primary cereal domesticates wheat and barley. As these cereals spread westwards into cooler, wetter areas, this may have favored the oat weed component, and have led to its domestication.
Oats are best grown in temperate regions. They have a lower summer heat requirement and greater tolerance of rain than other cereals, such as wheat, rye or barley, so are particularly important in areas with cool, wet summers, such as Northwest Europe and even Iceland. Oats are an annual plant, and can be planted either in autumn (for late summer harvest) or in the spring (for early autumn harvest).
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Wikipedia