The brand new Companion Animal Nutrition and Wellness Institute (CANWI) is taking on a massive pet food research project and they need the support of consumers.
Is highly processed food harmful to our pets? This is what CANWI research intends to examine. The science they will focus on is advanced glycation end-products (AGE) in processed pet food. Dr. Joe Bartges (veterinarian professor at University of Georgia, board certified in nutrition and internal medicine) – part of the CANWI team – explained to Dr. Karen Becker…
The heating and processing causes sugars to ‘glycate’ or stick onto the proteins — this reaction changes protein structures. The pools of AGEs in our body are increased by our intake of dietary AGEs found in heat-processed foods. This increase of AGEs in our bodies from eating heat processed foods has been associated with advanced aging and chronic disease states. In chronic disease states like diabetes, there are studies showing an association with the dietary intake of AGEs. We may like the flavors dietary AGEs give processed foods, but their accumulation in our bodies has been linked with aging, cancer, inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and others.
“With pet foods, there’s very little known about AGEs,” says Dr. Bartges. One study measured advanced glycated end-products in 60 to 70 dog and cat foods. “What was found,” explained Dr. Bartges, “is that when feeding heat processed pet foods the potential intake of AGEs was roughly 120 times greater for dogs than what an adult person would eat on a weight basis. They estimated that cats would consume roughly 40 times greater AGEs than what an adult person would eat. Now imagine this is at every meal, on every day for the life of our dogs or cats. Dogs and cats, because of the heat processing of the pet foods they eat every day, are potentially exposed to much more dietary AGEs than we are in our daily lives.”
From Dr. Karen Becker’s post: “This will be the FIRST independent, unbiased pet food study comparing dry, canned and fresh food. Please help us fund this critical research project! This week (May 21 through May 28, 2017), when you make a Donation to CANWI, Mercola.com will match funds to help get this critical research started.”
To learn more about the Companion Animal Nutrition and Wellness Institute – visit: http://www.companionanimalnutritionandwellnessinstitute.org/home.html
To donate to this very worthy cause – visit: http://www.companionanimalnutritionandwellnessinstitute.org/donate.html
To read more of Dr. Karen Becker’s interview with Dr. Bartges – visit: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2017/05/22/feeding-pets-fresh-food.aspx
Looking forward to the results of this research.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients? Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘rest of the story’ on over 4,000 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Click Here to preview Petsumer Report. www.PetsumerReport.com
The 2017 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods. Click Here
Have you read Buyer Beware? Click Here
Cooking pet food made easy, Dinner PAWsible
Find Healthy Pet Foods in Your Area Click Here
Tanya
May 22, 2017 at 6:25 pm
I just donated. Do I need to do anything to make sure Mercola matches or will they do that automatically? Thanks for all you do!!
Susan Thixton
May 22, 2017 at 7:29 pm
I think all donations received during this week are matched by Mercola – regardless of where they came from. Thanks so much!
Deziz World
May 22, 2017 at 9:57 pm
Sounds wonderful. It’s so nice to more educated about what we feed our pets these days. But does make me a little sad about the garbage I fed those who are no longer with me, and the impact it may have had on their lives.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Raena with mommy A
Reverend Jane Eagle
May 22, 2017 at 11:58 pm
Research like this always worries me: usually to determine toxic levels, the product is given to animals who either die to determine the lethal dose, or are killed to see what has happened inside their bodies. Any info on how this research will be done?
It kinda reminds me of experiments done some years back, where polar bears were dunked in oil to see how oil affects them: they licked it off their fur and died. I could have told them that for free.
Susan Thixton
May 23, 2017 at 8:18 am
Knowing Dr. Karen Becker – and she is part of the CANWI team – I would doubt they will do research that would harm animals. But…I’ve sent questions to the organization to confirm this. Will share when I hear back from them.
Susan Thixton
May 23, 2017 at 9:19 am
Here is the response I received from Dr. Raditic of CANWI: “The diabetic testing for A1C is actually an example of a measuring an AGE i.e. it is glucose chemically bonded to the hemoglobin which is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. We use the A1C test to monitor diabetics with a simple blood test – but is also demonstrates the effects of high AGE diets in people. We are looking to develop testing that in a similar manner can measure directly or indirectly the levels of AGEs in the body with blood, urine and fecal samples in companion animals. So it is no more than collecting these samples as we do every day in our patients.”
T Allen
May 23, 2017 at 7:32 am
Excellent! All this research helps us provide our pets with better food!
Barbara Mc.
May 23, 2017 at 9:45 am
I feed my dog Carn4 dry kibble as it is on your list of good pet foods. It is slowly baked to keep the nutrition in it.
Does it also contribute to high AGE levels? Is it okay for my Max? It is very expensive but he’s worth it.
Susan Thixton
May 23, 2017 at 10:17 am
I think this research will give some answers to those questions – we don’t know at this point.
Debra Weite
June 16, 2017 at 12:55 pm
Saw you in the Pet Fooled documentary. Nice job!! Its great to know ypu and all those other advocates are so passionate and dedicated to the cause. 🙂