By steve
What is Oat Fiber?
Oat fiber is derived from oats, a type of cereal grain that is commonly used in livestock feed. Oat fiber is often extracted from the outer casing of the oat grain.
Common names for Oat Fiber
The most common name variations include other oat derivative products including oat hull, oat meal, and oat groats.
Why is Oat Fiber included in dog food?
Oat fiber is a good source of dietary fiber and is high in protein (although we prefer foods that use named meats and fish as their protein source). Dietary fibers have been gaining renewed interest in the pet food industry, due to their important role in the digestive process.
Is Oat Fiber a commonly used ingredient in dog food?
We found “oat fiber” in just over 2 % of dog foods. A more generic search found that “oat” is used in almost 28% of dog foods.
Common benefits or risks of Oat Fiber
Oat fiber provides fiber, which helps move food through the digestive tract slowly, which further helps to optimize the absorption of nutrients. Oat fiber can improve stool quality.
Oat fiber also is a source of protein. One ounce of oats provides over 4 grams of protein.
Oat fiber is rich in vitamins, including thiamin and folate, and minerals including phosphorous, magnesium, and iron).
Consuming too much oat fiber can cause some problems, including a potential calcium deficiency (possible due to a calcium / phosphorous imbalance).
Miscellaneous facts about Oat Fiber
Oat fiber can help to reduce cholesterol in humans.
Oats are also commonly used as feed for horses.
Slimdoggy Ingredient Comfort Level
Due to its rich source of fiber, oat fiber gets a “smiley” rating.
Sources and further reading
http://www.journalofanimalscience.org/content/70/4/1169.long
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oat_fiber
We’re joining the Tasty Tuesday Blog Hop sponsored by Sugar, the Golden Retriever and Kolchak from Kol’s Notes:
From: Dog Food Ingredients A to Z: Oat Fiber
