Oreo cookies are one of the most popular and the most recognized brand of cookies in the whole world. They are known for their trademark creamy filling sandwiched in between two layers of round dark chocolate biscuits. Oreo, which is manufactured and distributed by Nabisco, a multinational confectionery producer is claimed to have been marketed in over 100 nations.
Indeed, its huge popularity also motivated Oreo to be produced in a wide range of regional flavours and variations to cater the different tastes of where Oreos are sold. Have you ever wondered what are the health benefits of Oreo cookies? Well here they are.
Ingredients of Oreo Cookies
The following are the ingredients used to make classic “black-and-white” Oreo cookies.
- Sugar
- Unbleached Enriched Flour (Composed of wheat flour, niacin, iron, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, folic acid)
- Canoila Oil, High Oleic Canola Oil or Palm Oil
- Alkali-treated Cocoa
- High-fructose Corn Syrup
- Leavening Agents (Such as Baking Soda or Monocalcium Phosphate)
- Corn Starch
- Salt
- Soy Lecithin
- Vanilla Extract
- Chocolate
Nutritional Facts of Oreo Cookies
- Calories – 55 g
- Total Fat – 2 g
- Saturated Fat – 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat – 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat – 0 g
- Trans Fat – 0 g
- Cholesterol – 0 g
- Sodium – 45 mg
- Potassium – 0 mg
- Total Carbohydrate – 8 g
- Dietary Fiber – 0 g
- Sugar – 5 g
- Protein – 1 g
- Vitamin A – 0%
- Vitamin C – 0%
- Calcium – 0%
- Iron – 3%
The percentages shown above are in relation to a 2000-calorie diet.
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What are its Health Benefits?
Here are the health benefits of Oreo cookies:
- Oreo Contains Folic Acid and Iron
Folic acid is a form of water-soluble B vitamin, that is sourced from folate inside foodstuff such as pasta, cereal, flour, bread, pastries, cookies and more. Folic acid is primarily used to avoid kidney diseases, folic deficiency, anemia, to other neurological problems such as memory loss or Alzheimer’s disease. Aside from that, folic acid also supports the proper biological development of human body and also the production of DNA.
While in the meantime, iron is an essential mineral that is much needed by the body in order to be able to effectively transport oxygen all throughout the body and of course to prevent iron deficiency from taking place. Iron is an important compound of hemoglobin or red blood cells, and lack of red blood cells is indeed iron deficiency itself. If this happens, less than optimal amounts of oxygen get transported all throughout the body, which leads to quick fatigue, exhaustion, headache and loss of energy.
- Oreo Contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2 as well as Vitamin B3
There are many health benefits of Oreo cookies. Vitamin B1 or also known as thiamine can be found inside yeast, grains, beans, nuts or meat. Thiamine is seen as useful to treat poor appetite, ulcerative colitis or continuous diarrhea. Thiamine, which is also needed to properly process carbohydrates can also be used to boost energy, as a stress relief, or to prevent memory loss.
Second, vitamin B2 or in other words riboflavin is another form of B vitamin that serves as one key to normal cell growth and function, such as in skin, digestive tract lining, blood cells or the brain. Riboflavin can also be found in protein sources for example, milk, eggs, meat or nuts plus green vegetables.
And finally, vitamin B3 or niacin is important by the body to achieve a generally good health, by improving HDL cholesterol levels and reduce triglycerides plus cardiovascular risks. On some people, it also reduces the likelihood of atherosclerosis, or the hardening of arteries. Niacin can be obtained through vegetables, poultry, meat, seafood or eggs.
Warnings and Precautions
In the meantime, Oreo is also famed for having high sugar and calorie content. One normal-sized Oreo cookie itself already contains 70 calories, meanwhile the recommended serving for Oreo per person is 140 calories, which is equals to only 2 cookies.
However, due to its small size, people often end up eating much more than they intend to. That habit makes Oreo seem to be addictive for its consumers. At the end of the day, apart from increased calorie intake, you are also likely to experience a gain in weight.
Second, Oreo contains enriched flour. Enriched flour is a type of flour which contains specific nutrients that have been lost and regained in preparation, such as iron, or the B vitamins that include thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Enriched flours are commonly used in baked goods, ranging from cereals, cookies to bread and pastries. A quarter cup of enriched flour contains as much as 110 calories, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fibre, 3 grams of protein plus iron and B vitamins, unlike the health benefits of kodiak cakes. The calories that compose enriched flour are mainly carbohydrates that are digested and absorbed quickly, which in return can rapidly increase blood sugar.
Third, Oreos are also known to have high sugar fat content, thanks to its filling, and one Oreo cookie itself contains at least 2 teaspoons of sugar plus 7 grams of fat. Again, its size unconsciously persuades its consumers to nibble on more than they intend to. Apart from weight gain, high sugar and fat content also leads to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and several other serious health problems.
In fact, scientists have been relating the addiction caused by high sugar and calories to be similar to that of drugs. Perhaps that is the reason why people often finish an entire pack of Oreo in one session without them realizing.
Those are the health benefits of Oreo cookies. Consuming Oreos may be fun and tasty, but if you do it right, sure you’ll receive the best of its health benefits.
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