Superfoods Have Roots Not Fur

Ask anyone to name a superfood, and I bet you dollars to donuts no one answers with chicken, beef, or pork. In fact, the odds of an exotic protein like kangaroo or crickets making the list are as likely as those donuts.  

Plants are superfoods.  They prevent and heal disease. Science proves it.  Holistic medicine demonstrates it.  We know it intrinsically.  Would you rather give an itchy dog Apoquel®  or prednisone when quercetin, herbs, or dietary change remedy the issue?

Vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts are superfoods, and for many dogs and cats they should make up 15% - 30% by weight of a healthy recipe.  Does that sound like a lot?  Well, here’s the magic: this diet calorically can be high in animal protein, moderate in healthy fat, and low carb.  It’s the calories that feed the dog, not the weight of the ingredients in the bowl. 

Think about it. Meat and bone are not just protein.  They are loaded with fat, moisture, and ash (minerals) too.  Human nutritionists look at human food in terms of the calories from macronutrients protein, fat, and carbs, not the weight of the ingredients on the plate. 

Read this post to learn how to calculate macronutrient calories from pet food labels.

According to a 2020 study that looked at 90% of commercially made dog and cat foods, leafy and cruciferous greens make up .05% of the bowl.  Here are five amazing reasons to incorporate more of these superfoods in your pet’s diet.

1. Avoiding synthetics for better nutrition

Veggies are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Of the 38 nutrients that make up the AAFCO complete and balanced profile for adult dogs, lightly steamed broccoli satisfies all but four of them and provides only 7 calories per ounce. 

Plus, whole food nutrients are vastly better utilized and regulated by the body.  Synthetics can be less or more bioavailable than their natural forms and can bioaccumulate causing disease.  Copper chelates are one example.  This synthetic nutrient is formed by chemically binding copper to an amino acid or organic acid. It is linked to canine liver disease because the levels mandated by AAFCO for inclusion in pet food exceed the physiologic tolerance for many healthy dogs, according to Sharon Center, DVM. 

Synthetics like chelated forms of copper, manganese, iron, phosphorus, zinc and other minerals all have bioavailability exceeding their natural forms.  Folic acid (synthetic folate / B9), vitamin D, choline and others all behave differently in the body than natural forms of the nutrients found in whole foods.  Since some nutrients affect the absorption of other nutrients, excesses or deficiencies in one nutrient can cause deficiencies or excesses in others.

2.    Detoxification

Disease fighting carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin are found richly in kale, spinach, and broccoli.  The body’s most valuable dietary antioxidants – like carotenoids, flavonoids, and polyphenols – all come from plants. 

Glutathione is the mother antioxidant. It is made in the body from alpha lipoic acid, another antioxidant, found richly in Swiss chard, spinach, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts.

Alpha lipoic acid’s benefits extend to managing blood sugar, protecting nerves and blood vessels, and combating cancer.  

We live in an increasingly toxic world.  Exposure to pollution, contaminants in drinking water and the food supply, and household chemicals cause chronic disease.  Feeding a rainbow of vegetables and fruits is a powerful tool in your detox toolkit.

3.    Good Gut Health

The best human diets from around the world relate their benefits to the richness and diversity of antioxidants, polyphenols, soluble fiber, and fermentable carbs found in plants. 

Together these things promote tight cellular junctions in the gut wall, a bountiful and diverse microbiome, a properly functioning immune system, and healthy cellular signaling.  
Lactobacillus and Bacteroides, two genera of gut bacteria, can be missing in dogs fed diets short on non-starchy plant matter.  These bacteria produce short chain fatty acids (SCFA) butyrate and propionate that are fuel for the epithelial cells that line the colon and are involved in proper immune and metabolic function.  These bacteria eat plants. When plants are not present in a dog’s diet, these bacteria can starve and die. The resulting SCFA deficiencies may manifest as irritable bowel, hypersensitivities and food allergies, itchy skin, behavioral abnormalities, metabolic disorders and more.

4.    Polyphenols for Longevity

More than 10,000 polyphenols in plants have been identified and they work synergistically to combat chronic, degenerative disease and improve health span.  Quercetin, found richly in broccoli, kale, plums, apples, asparagus, and blueberries for example, lowers histamines making it helpful in combating allergies, anxiety, and sleep disorders. It also reduces blood sugar and triglycerides; protects endothelial cells and neurons; prevents oxidative damage in the liver and pancreas, and the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in the body.  

AGEs are formed in the cooking process when food is baked, fried, or broiled; and endogenously when foods are digested. Hyperglycemia can increase AGE production in the body.  AGEs can be carcinogenic and damaging to DNA. These heat-induced toxicants also scar pancreatic and kidney tissue putting a body at risk of pancreatitis, diabetes, and kidney disease.  

Chlorogenic acid and kaempferol are other examples of polyphenols that promote metabolic health. Kaempferol is especially protective of the pancreas, heart, eyes, and nerves from damage caused by AGEs and hyperglycemia.  Chlorogenic acid can protect endothelial cells, the single layer of cells lining all blood vessels which are responsible for exchanges between the tissues and blood stream.  Endothelial dysfunction is a microcirculation problem, and it is linked to aging, pain, and virtually all chronic diseases.

These longevity-boosting plant compounds are plentiful in kale, spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli, plums, apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, and sunflower seeds.

5.    Optimizing Macronutrients

Most dogs do well on diets that are high protein, moderate in healthy fat, and low carb.  Currently, the macronutrient calories are printed on the labels of human foods, but not most pet foods. The guaranteed analysis on a pet food label fools consumers into thinking that most dry foods have more protein than frozen food.  They don’t.  And the labels of raw foods proclaiming 90% meat and bone confuse consumers into thinking they have more protein than lightly cooked ones with veggies.  Many don’t either. 

Goodness Gracious® makes a lightly steamed and fresh frozen food where the plants comprise about 30% by weight of the recipe, but only about 7-10% of the calories, and has a glycemic load of 1.  On a caloric basis, it is one of the protein-richest foods on the market today.  

By picking the right nutrient dense, but low-calorie vegetables like dark leafy greens, and avoiding starches like grains and white potatoes you can feed your dog or cat an optimal diet.

That diet is high in animal protein and loaded with antioxidants, polyphenols, soluble fiber and fermentable (zero-calorie) carbs which support your dog’s health span and lifespan. 
To find out how to calculate macronutrient calories from pet food labels like human nutritionists do, read here