Oatmeal

Oat mills remove the tough outer hull to make groats, then prepare those groats as flakes or ground meal. The separated hull has other uses, including production of insoluble oat fiber.⁶

1. 01 // Source Harvested oats Whole oat kernels arrive at the mill with their tough outer hulls still attached.
2. 02 // Process Clean and dehull Cleaning removes debris and unsuitable kernels before milling separates the hull from the groat.
3. 03 // Process Heat and steam Heating helps prevent oat fat from breaking down; steaming softens the groats for rolling.
4. 04 // Process Roll or grind Rollers flatten groats into flakes, which may be ground into a finer ingredient.
5. 05 // Output Prepared oatmeal Dry oat flakes or ground oats are packed for use in a food recipe.

1. 01

   Supplies starch for energy

   Dehulled oats are mostly starch on a dry basis. Cooking that starch in an extruded recipe provides energy and helps the kibble hold its shape.^1,4

2. 02

   Adds fermentable material

   Some oat carbohydrate reaches the colon. In a dog feeding trial, the oat groat diet produced more fecal fermentation products than the rice diet.¹

3. 03

   Uses an existing grain supply

   Mills already produce rolled oats and oat flour as dry goods, giving kibble makers a cereal ingredient that is readily available through existing milling supply chains.⁶

4. 04

   Offers a wheat alternative

   Oats supply grain starch without intentionally adding wheat. For a dog that must avoid wheat, the rest of the recipe and possible cross contact still matter.^4,8

How much Dog studies tested oat groats at 40% of a complete diet and ground rolled oats at 25%; neither gives a usual commercial amount.^1,2

1. Brands say

   Oatmeal gives dogs useful, digestible energy

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In a 10-dog crossover trial, a complete diet containing 40% oat groats was well digested and produced stools in the ideal range. That supports oatmeal as a workable grain, without showing an advantage over other grains.^1,4

2. Brands say

   Oatmeal feeds beneficial gut bacteria

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   The 10-dog oat groat trial found more fecal short-chain fatty acids than its rice comparison. An 18-dog grain comparison found no clear shift in total fecal microbiota composition with oats. Neither measured better gut health.^1,2

3. Brands say

   Oatmeal lowers a dog's cholesterol

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A 14-dog trial found lower cholesterol after feeding concentrated oat beta-glucan. It tested an extract, not oatmeal. The result cannot be assigned to the amount of oatmeal in a food on a bag.³

4. Brands say

   Oatmeal keeps a dog's blood sugar steady

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In the 10-dog oat groat trial, glucose and insulin responses did not differ among the grain diets. That controlled comparison gives no support for selling oatmeal as a blood sugar benefit.¹

5. Critics say

   Oatmeal is just filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Dehulled oats average about 61% starch on a dry basis, and dogs digested a complete oat groat diet in a controlled trial. Oatmeal supplies energy; the label does not reveal exactly how much is present.^1,4,7