Are Vitamin Supplements Necessary?
by Terri Symonds Grow
Just as with our own diets, water, protein,
carbohydrates, and fats are the basic building blocks of
a good diet for our pets. Yet, these are only the starting
point for our pets' healthy diet, vitamins and minerals
too are essential. Because vitamins and minerals are so
necessary, AAFCO (Association of Animal Feed Control Officials)
has set recommended daily levels like our RDAs formulated
by the FDA. It is important to understand that these levels,
the same guidelines commercial food manufacturers are required
to follow, are not intended for promoting optimum health,
but are only the amounts needed to prevent deficiency in
the "average" pet.
Ideally, quality prepared foods would
provide our animals with a healthy diet, completely balanced.
Yet, what is considered complete and balanced? And as each
animal is different, can we expect one nutritional diet
formula to suit every pet's need? Active and working dogs,
pets under stress, on restricted diets, fighting illness,
recovering from surgery, or on medication may need higher
than normal amounts of nutrients. In today's polluted environment,
our pets may need additional nutrients yet without the additional
calorie intake as our pets' activity levels are decreasing.
Cooking and processing also destroy nutrients, making it
more difficult to get even the recommended vitamin levels.
Studies have shown that larger dosages of vitamins can help
improve function to enhance health. But here again balance
is necessary as a nutrient excess can produce symptoms similar
to a deficiency.
Vitamins regulate the metabolism and assist
the biochemical processes that release energy from digested
foods. There are two types of vitamins: water-soluble that
must be replenished daily, such as Vitamins C and B-complex,
or fat-soluble that are stored for longer periods of time
in fatty tissue and the liver, such as Vitamins A, D, E
and K. At the same time there are two groups of vitamins:
synthetic and natural. Synthetic are produced in laboratories
to mirror their counterparts found in nature. Natural vitamins
are derived from food sources. Chemically there are no differences,
however the synthetic supplement contains only the isolated
vitamins, which works well in a deficiency situation. Natural
supplements often contain other nutrients not yet discovered
and may offer more benefits as with whole foods.
Minerals are needed for the proper chemical
balance of our pet's body fluids, the formation of blood
and bone, the maintenance of healthy nerve function, and
the regulation of muscle tone. There are two groups of minerals:
bulk (macrominerals) which include calcium, magnesium, sodium,
potassium, and phosphorus, and trace minerals (microminerals)
that include boron, chromium, copper, germanium, iodine,
iron, manganese, molybdenium, selenium, silicon, sulfur,
vanadium, and zinc. As with vitamins, supplemental minerals
should be taken in balanced amounts, otherwise they may
not be effective and can be potentially harmful. For example
too much zinc depletes copper or excessive amounts of calcium
affects magnesium absorption.
Whether you are seeking to correct a deficiency,
supplement a commercial diet or boost nutrient density,
it is important to recognize that vitamins and minerals
work synergistically. In other words, there is a cooperative
action between supplements promoting absorption and assimilation.
This means that it's not simply the replacement or increase
of a vitamin or mineral, which may be ineffective or dangerous,
but a balancing act between supplements for the most effective
nutrient assimilation. For example, high doses of an individual
B vitamin have been shown to cause depletion of other B
vitamins. This is why in most instances, a balanced vitamin
and mineral supplement should be taken in addition to any
single supplement.
From home-prepared recipes to commercially
prepared foods, a growing range of options now offers pet
owners convenience and reassurance for bettering their pet's
diet. Supplementing with vitamins and minerals helps enable
your pet's immune system to function to its fullest potential.
Nutritional supplements are now developed for pets in a
range of forms for a range of health applications to eliminate
the dosage questions and risk of using human supplements.
Multi-vitamins flavored for greater palatability are available
for cats and dogs in chewable treat tablets or powders for
mixing in foods. Natural supplements made from whole foods
and herbs are now more readily available in formulations
for pets. Discuss your pet's diet with your veterinarian
and get him/her started on a healthier, nutritionally balanced
diet based on your pet's individual needs.
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