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There is much myth and misinformation on the Internet regarding this topic of allergies and it‘s relationship to food stuffs. The internet is a tool to quickly disseminate information to a large portion of the general population. And with this capability, there is truthful information circulated, as well as the "intentional" distribution of misinformation or propaganda used in new marketing techniques.
Sometimes these tactics are done to try and dissuade the public from the use of a competitors product or to gain momentum for a particular cause. In short, the internet is the new venue for propaganda and it is often difficult for the average user to sort out the truth from the myth. One example of propaganda is the myth that corn causes allergies in dogs.
First, corn is one of the best natural sources of coat and skin conditioners like Omega 6. It has an overall digestibility is 90% and carbohydrate digestibility is 99%. In the instance of Eagle Dog Foods use of whole corn, Eagle grinds whole corn fresh for their products and they do not use any genetically engineered corn. It is bought from local farmers and no pesticides are applied from the day the seed is planted until the corn is picked. High quality whole corn is an excellent carbohydrate that is "used" as a carbohydrate source, not counted as protein source and it is not listed first on the ingredient panel. The fact is, legitimate research shows whole corn, to be considered very low on the list of foods that cause allergic reactions.
Before jumping on the bandwagon against corn used as a carbohydrate in a diet, you need to understand there is one cause for allergic reactions and that is a problem with an immune system. But there are many triggers for an "allergic type" reaction, some include: Genetic predisposition for Inhalant Atopic Dermatitis, Contact Dermatitis, Vaccines reactions (Purdue Study- Vaccine Mediated Responses), Candida Albicans (see Systemic Yeast Infections), Flea bite or Insect bite Determatitis, Thyroid and/or Hormones and in rare cases, food allergies.
Itchy skin is one of the most common complaints of pet owners but the reasons for itchy skin can be numerous.
*Poor quality kibble
*An unbalanced diet - raw, homemade or kibble
*Over supplementing with vitamins, minerals and oils.
*A disruption of a balanced kibble by adding vitamins, minerals and human foods
*An unbalanced Omega 6:3 Ratio (when owners start adding oils to an already balanced diet.)
*Missing dietary enzymes - lost in cooking and processing of food.
*Allergies to foods
*Intolerance to certain foods
*Contact allergies to other substances such as detergent, carpet fresh, lawn sprays.
*Suppressed immune function due to vaccines, medications and lack of variety in diet.
*Systemic Yeast Infections.
I think it is important to understand the difference between food allergies and food intolerance. A food intolerance will often cause a digestive 'upset' of some sort. A food allergy, on the other hand, causes an immune reaction when the offending substance is introduced.
Randy Wysong DVM writes: "Allergy is a breakdown in the immune system as a result of years of improper feeding and care. Anyone who is feeding singular diets day in and day out is inviting allergic disaster. Animals naturally crave and need variety just as humans do. Food allergy may in fact be a mechanism in the body to attempt to force us to eat different foods. Variety is not only the spice of life - it is fundamental to health."
Albert Townshend DVM writes: "Food allergy is rare; other causes of GI and/or dematologic sign are more common and some may also respond (for nonallergeric reasons) to dietary manipulation. There are two types of unpleasant reactions to food. The first is an immunologic reaction (a true food allergy). The second is a nonimmunologic reaction (what is termed a food intolerance). Food intolerance are much more common. Allergic reactions do occur to corn, however, depending on the research cited, corn is not thought to be a very common allergen. At least not as high on the list as soybeans, beef, wheat, eggs or dairy products. Even rice has been found to cause allergic reactions in a rare few animals."
The following is a partial list of conditions that may respond to dietary modification:
* food allergies
* food intolerance
* small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
* inflammatory bowel disease
* lymphangiectasia
* exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
* pancreatitis
* chronic gastritis
* gastroesophageal reflux
* gastric emptying disorders - and there are more. 1.
When it is suspected an animal may be allergic to a food, if tested you will see that in a heighten state of response, an animal or person "appears" to be allergic to numerous things. This kind of "heightened response" is the bodies alarm system telling you that you are not supplying my diet with the nutrients necessary so that my body can make the chemicals needed to "clean" any toxins from my body.
It is my experience working with many owners and breeders, that the majority of the times when they think the dog has a food allergy and they try a shift in diet, the dog drastically improves. Systemic Yeast infections are also responsible for similar reactions such as shedding, itchy skin, hotspots, redness between the toes, constant ear infections, yeast infections, urinary tract infections only to name a few.
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Beet pulp is probably one of the most misunderstood and maligned ingredients in manufactured dog foods. Take the time to understand to understand the role of prebiotics and probiotics in the maintenance of the healthy body. If this is done, then one can begin to understand the role of beet pulp in a feeding program.
This article speaks to misinformation that has been perpetrated about beet pulp, which is not just theory on my part. The input for this article is from scientists, medical and nutrition people who have studied in the area of prebiotics and probiotics. I will address villae clogging, use of fiber, and saponins. Please note that the negative information about beet pulp that has been circulating on the internet has no basis in science. It is important to clarify that beet pulp has no color, has no flavor and has no sugar left in it when it is used for fiber. It clear, hair like structures and it does not turn a coat red and it has no nutritional value other than a stool firmer and a valuable food source for the viable bacteria of the gut.
Statement: Beet Pulp clogs the villae in the intestine.
False ~ Beet pulp does not clog the villae in the intestine. There are no scientific studies which support this theory and there are several studies which show how beet pulp is beneficial in promoting a healthy digestive system.
What can clog the villae? If villae are blocked, the prime cause is typically insufficient or total lack of a probiotic colony in the gut. (More on that later.) Another cause of villae clogging is bentonite, which is a fine clay which is used in some cheap dog foods.
Statement: Beet pulp is an indigestible fiber.
True, but… While this statement is true, the beet pulp is not in the food for nutritive value to the dog. It is not supposed to be digested by the dog. The beet pulp has two purposes. First, the beet pulp provides nutrition for the probiotics, but beet pulp itself is considered a periodic. Having good food available (periodic) encourages the colonization of probiotics or reseeding of the gut with good intestinal flora.
Prebiotics, as defined by Gibson and Roberfroid (1995) is a "nondigestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon and thus improves host health," may include starches, dietary fibers, other non-absorbable sugars, sugar alcohol, andoligosaccharides.."
(Gibson et al., 1996). Gibson, G. and Roberfroid, M.B. 1995. Dietary modulation of the human colonic mibrobiota: Introducing the concept of prebiotics. J. Nutr. 125: 1401-1412. Gibson, G.R., Williams, A., Reading, S., and Collins, M.D. 1996. Fermentation of non-digestible oligosaccharides by human colonic bacteria.
Proc. Nutr. Soc. 55: 899-912.
The second purpose of beet pulp, besides being a food source for the probiotics of the gut, is to provide bulk to the stool which allows it to move through the digestive tract. at a rate which assures maximum digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Note: The probiotics cling to the wall of the intestine and dine. While the good bacteria
are present in ample quantities, the bad bacteria/fungus cannot gain a foot- hold and dominate the gut’s environment.
Statement: Saponins in the beet pulp might be responsible for bloat.
False ~ This could not be further from the truth.
In the paper, "Toxic Substances and Crop Plants" by the Royal Society of Chemistry states that "saponins at the levels fed in modern diets are not toxic but in fact exert a variety of health enhancing benefits, (*including providing fermentation (a food source) for probiotic (good bacteria) viability. )
A statement to me from Dr. K. Kern Wysong Corporation and Research Facility Jan 27, 1993.
"The claims ...... that saponins cause bloat in is not documented by any reference to any scientific literature. It is simply conjecture and assertion and not fact. Saponins are found in over 100 plant families. These foods have been a part of the mammalian and human diet for thousands of years. Saponin-containing foods are also known to be of therapeutic and health enhancing benefits. . There is no documented proof that feeding a pet food with micro-amounts of saponins causes gastrointestinal paralysis and vomiting(bloat)".
Below find information from documented scientific sources:
"Beet pulp has been found to be an ideal source of moderately fermentable fiber. Fiber sources such as cellulose, bentonite, peanut hulls or soy bean hulls are poor sources because they are not very fermentable. The correct amount and type of fiber is necessary for a normal healthy digestive tract. There are bacteria in the normal healthy digestive track. These bacteria have the ability to ferment or digest certain types of fiber. The ideal fiber is partially fermentable or digestible, i.e., beet pulp. We want some fiber left to provide that bulk to the stool that is necessary for a healthy digestive system, but we also want some of the fiber to be digested by the bacteria. 1
Beet pulp in a diet encourages colonization of those bacteria which best ferment or digest that form of fiber and discourage those organisms which do not effectively ferment fiber. It so happens that many good bacteria that commonly inhabit the large intestines can deal with beet pulp ( Lactobacillus acidophilus and Enterococcus faecium are just two) and many pathogenic bacteria are not supported by its presence (Clostridium sp.,Salmonella sp. and e. coli)2.
Because beet pulp is an ideal food source for these good bacteria, they tend to overgrow potentially bad bacteria (pathogens and gas producers) and make the gut much more resistant to these harmful organisms. As a result of this digestive or fermentation process, vital nutrients called short chain fatty acids are produced which provide superior nutrition to the cells lining the large intestine enhancing their ability to function.
These short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are the key to a healthy and efficient digestive tract. The cells that line the intestinal track feed voraciously on SCFA. These cells have a high turnover rate and rely on SCFA to provide adequate nutrition. 3
That portion of beet pulp left after the fermentation of bacterial digestive process promotes ideal nutrient digestibility. The volume of stool is not excessive thus allowing the motility of the gut to move the nutrients along at a rate which assures maximum digestion and absorption.4
1. Buterwick, Maxwell. The effect of level and source of dietary fiber on
food intake in the dog. Journal of Nutrition 1994 Vol. 124
2 Collins MD, Gibson Dr. Nutritional modulation of microbial ecology. American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition 199
3. Hallman JE, Moxley RA, et al. Cellulose, beet pulp and pectin/gum arabic
effects on canine microstructure and histopathology. Veterinary Clinical
Nutrition 1995;2:137-141
4. Albert s. Townshend DVM, Wellness for Life, Am Journal of Clinical
Nutrition 1999
