Many people have fallen under the misconception that dry cereals can be healthy as long as they contain grains such as wheat, barley or oats.  Such grains are subjected to processing which deranges the nutrients that they contain, which is in part why dry cereals are commonly fortified with vitamins and minerals.  It seems counterproductive to strip grains of their nutrients, then add them back in, but this is a very common practice.

Many cereals also contain highly processed flours which also have been stripped of nutrients, and some even contain genetically  modified grains which can have questionable effects on the body when absorbed by the body.  Such flours can sit in the digestive tract for prolonged periods, interfering with absorption of nutrients and creating an environment which invites overgrowth of pathogens.

I must mention something here about instant oatmeal.  It never ceases to amaze me how many people turn to instant oatmeal, believing that because  it is oatmeal, it is healthy.  Patients will tell me that they like the convenience of having the instant variety around.  However, instant oatmeal has a plethora of  ingredients other than oats, such as oat bran, oat flour, salt, caramel color, and guar gum.  Vitamins and minerals are added to instant oatmeal to fortify it since the processing method strips some nutrients away.  Guar gum is used as a thickening agent and will bind liquids in the digestive tract.  Yet people think instant oatmeal is healthy!

A healthier cereal choice is to either find dry cereals which contain buckwheat, millet, quinoa or amaranth.  Another very healthy cereal choice is to cook old-fashioned dry oats.