Oat Groats

Oat mills clean harvested grain and remove its tough hull to make groats. The groat is the useful kernel, not a milling leftover. Mills commonly heat it to slow the breakdown of its oils during storage.^5,6

1. 01 // Source Harvested oats Whole oat grains arrive at the mill with their tough outer hulls still attached.
2. 02 // Process Clean and sort Screens remove field debris, and separators group kernels by size for more even dehulling.
3. 03 // Process Remove hulls A rotating dehuller knocks hulls loose; air and sorting equipment separate them from the groats.
4. 04 // Process Heat and dry Steam and heat slow the oil breakdown that would otherwise give stored groats rancid flavors.
5. 05 // Output Oat groats The dry, dehulled kernels retain their bran and germ and may be ground for kibble.

1. 01

   Supplies usable starch

   Cooking makes groat starch accessible to dogs. In a controlled cereal comparison, dogs digested most of the energy in processed oat groats.²

2. 02

   Helps form kibble

   Starch cooks during extrusion and helps the pieces hold their shape. A feeding study made complete dry food with groats as its main grain.^1,2

3. 03

   Provides an economical base

   Cereals supply inexpensive energy for dry food. Milling adds a step, but removing the poorly digested hull leaves a more useful grain ingredient.^2,5

How much A controlled feeding trial put about 40% oat groats into complete extruded diets for healthy adult dogs.¹

1. Brands say

   Dogs digest cooked oat groats well

   Evidence

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

   In a 12-dog comparison, dogs digested about 86% of groat energy. A separate 10-dog trial found good digestion and formed stools on a 40% groat diet, although protein and fat digestibility were significantly lower than with rice.^1,2

2. Brands say

   Oat groats improve gut health

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   In a 10-dog trial, groats raised fecal short-chain fatty acids and changed some bacterial counts compared with rice. Those measurements show fermentation, not better health. The grain supplier funded the study.¹

3. Brands say

   Oat groats lower a dog's cholesterol

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   A pet food company reported about 15% lower cholesterol in 48 beagles fed 20% groats for 8 weeks. A separate 14-dog study used isolated beta-glucan, not groats. Neither proves a benefit from an unspecified bag amount.^4,10

4. Brands say

   Oats release energy slowly and steady blood sugar

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   A 10-dog groat trial found no glucose advantage over rice. In a separate 18-dog trial, a diet with rolled oats produced a greater total glucose response than wheat. The second trial tested rolled oats, not groats.^1,3

5. Critics say

   Oat groats are just filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   Groats average 61.5% starch on a dry matter basis. In a 12-dog trial, their energy was well digested. Calling them filler ignores their job as a carbohydrate and energy source.^2,6