caret icon Back to all discussions

Oatmeal, Good of Not Good for T2's?

I have type 2, A1C bounces between 7 and 8+ depending on how good or bad I am eating.

My Doctor gave me a handful of the Dexcom G7 devices to try. They seem to be a great diagnostic/learning tool, I'm discovering things I didn't know about eating.

My point today is about Oatmeal. There's all kinds of posted information about how it is a good food for T2's, even on this forum. My experience based on these Dexcom devices is that Oatmeal is not a good food for T2's.

I get the stuff in the big tub, it is not instant, it is not flavored, contains nothing but whole grain rolled oats. I put Cinnamon on it to flavor and sweeten, a little milk or half/half, that's it.

My fasting glucose was 171 when I ate breakfast, two hours later it was 218 and in the middle it peaked to about 250.

Assuming I have understood what I've read about T2 diabetes and these CGM devices, those oatmeal numbers do not look good to me.

I understand the water and fiber benefits of oatmeal. I understand how it is better than a trip to the waffle house, but from a blood sugar perspective I don't see how it is a reasonable food.

My same claim goes for grape nuts. That is documented to be T2 friendly but acts almost the same as oatmeal for me.

Am I misinterpreting the CGM? Is this device showing me more than I really need to care about? Is oatmeal really what it is documented to be?

  1. That's a great question, . We're not medical experts but, from what I understand, other factors can come into play that make you react differently from someone else or might make it appear that oatmeal is the culprit when it's really something else. For instance, maybe you didn't sleep well the night before or your hormones were a little off at that particular time.
    Have you tried it more than once using the CGM? If not, maybe you could try some oatmeal later in the day and see whether it makes a difference. The highest fiber option is steel-cut oats. They take a while to make, but there are recipes for making them overnight in the fridge. Rolled oats are a close second. It might also help to mix in a few slice almonds or a different nut if you like. The added protein should help stabilize your blood sugar.
    I hope you find that it works for you, but everyone is different. There might be something about oatmeal that causes a blood sugar spike in you while it's perfectly healthy for others. - Lori (Team Member)

  2. Interesting response, thanks. The oatmeal thing was several days in a ten day period, not a one off. By your response I presume that oatmeal does not act the way I described for most/many people. The documented "goodness" of oatmeal backs that up. It's too bad, I like oatmeal.

Please read our rules before posting.