A leading doctor has issued a serious health warning about one of the United Kingdom's most popular and trusted breakfast foods. While porridge is widely celebrated as a nutritious start to the day, medical expert Dr Sam Watts cautions that choosing the wrong type can lead to dangerous spikes in blood sugar.
The Nation's Breakfast Habits and a Hidden Risk
According to the Weetabix Great British Breakfast Survey, cereal remains the UK's favourite morning meal, followed by toast, with porridge securing a strong third place. Over the last decade, porridge has earned a reputation as an affordable, filling, and healthy option. The NHS confirms it contributes to daily intakes of iron, fibre, B vitamins, and protein, providing slow-release energy.
However, Dr Watts explains that the health benefits are not guaranteed. "Porridge oats are one of the healthiest breakfasts we can possibly start our day with," he stated, noting links to better cholesterol and weight management. "But one of the concerns I hear all the time is that it causes blood sugar spikes. And that's both right and very wrong."
Instant Oats vs. Jumbo Oats: The Crucial Difference
The key, according to Dr Watts, lies in the processing of the oats. He warns that processed or instant oats, which are rolled very finely for quick cooking, are digested and enter the bloodstream rapidly. "We get very big and very significant blood sugar spikes, which is really bad for us," he emphasised.
These glucose spikes can negatively impact sleep, energy, mood, and concentration. Repeated spikes and subsequent crashes can pave the way for serious long-term conditions, including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
In contrast, jumbo oats are a much healthier choice. "These haven't been rolled, they haven't been broken down anywhere near as much," Dr Watts said. "Because of that, when we eat them, it takes much longer for the sugar in them to reach the blood. And these jumbo oats have actually been shown to lower or at least stabilise blood sugar."
Expert Backing and the Importance of Fibre
Professor Tim Spector, an expert in genetic epidemiology at King's College London, supports this analysis. "Are oats healthy or not? It's a question I often get asked and it depends," he said. "It depends on your own body, how you respond to sugars, and it also depends on which ones you pick."
He advised against highly refined, ground-up oats from quick-cook sachets, recommending unrefined oats with plenty of bran instead for their superior fibre content. All porridge oats are wholegrains containing beta-glucan, a soluble fibre that can help reduce cholesterol if 3g or more is consumed daily. A standard 40g serving provides about 2g of this beneficial fibre.
The consensus is clear: porridge remains a nutritional powerhouse, but consumers must be selective. Opting for minimally processed, jumbo or steel-cut oats over instant varieties is a simple switch that can protect metabolic health while delivering all the celebrated benefits of this classic breakfast.
