Oatmeal vs. Corn FlakesWhich Keeps You Fuller Longer?

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day; although I cheat and have two: fresh fruit and a nut bar, and later in the morning I eat eggs, turkey bacon and a tortilla. Others prefer to have their breakfast in a bowl or on-the-go. And given that food manufacturers are making breakfast cereals better than ever, nutritionally that is, starting your day with a bowl of corn flakes or oatmeal makes sense.

But beyond nutrition, many consumers eat breakfast for weight management and to boost satiety. The trouble is which types of breakfast affect appetite? Well, researchers at Columbia University had the same question. They compared two the satiating effects of two high-fiber cereals—oatmeal and cornflakes—and water (Ann Nuti Metab. 2015;66(2-3):93-103). A total of 36 subjects (18 lean, 18 overweight) were assigned to three conditions in a randomized sequence on different days. Ratings of hunger and fullness were obtained concurrently with blood samples for measuring concentrations of glucose, insulin, glucagon, leptin and acetaminophen (gastric emptying tracer).

Lunch meal intake was the lowest after eating oatmeal, which was lower for overweight subjects than lean subjects. Fullness area under the curve (AUC) was greatest and hunger AUC was the lowest after consuming oatmeal. At 180 minutes, blood glucose was lowest after the corn flakes. Insulin AUC was greater for both cereals than water. Leptin AUC and glucagon AUC values did not differ between conditions. Acetaminophen concentrations peaked latest after consuming oatmeal, reflecting slower gastric emptying. Overall, the researchers said satiety was greater and ad libitum test meal intake lower after consuming oatmeal than after corn flakes, especially in the overweight subjects.

And there you have it.