Pets are important members of the family. People who love their pets want them to be healthy. Unfortunately, many people are not aware that pets dont get all the nutrients they need from most processed pet foods. Part of the reason for this is due to the parts of the animals used. Wed all like to think that whole chickens are used to make chicken dog kibble, but that usually isnt the case. Instead, various parts, such as beaks, may be used. These parts have questionable nutritional value.
One important element sometimes missing from pet foods is antioxidants. Antioxidants are naturally occurring nutrients that have been shown to improve health by slowing the aging process and the destruction of cellular molecules. Their inclusion in a pets diet can help protect that pet from tissue damage and disease, as well as increase immunity.
How Antioxidants Work for Pets
The way antioxidants do this is by controlling free radicals. Free radicals are damaged molecules produced by normal cell function. These molecules are highly unstable and can begin to attack other molecules such as fats and proteins, thereby killing off cells. This process, when controlled, is not a bad thing. It eliminates cells that are no longer serving a purpose. The problem surfaces when free radicals run rampant. What antioxidants do is stabilize free radicals.
Antioxidants are important to the health of all animals, but the difference they can make in older pets is especially significant. Antioxidants can increase an older pets ability to learn. They also help older animals function better and reduce behavioral problems.
One essential antioxidant is vitamin E. This vitamin helps with proper functioning of the muscular, nervous, circulatory and immune system. It cannot be synthesized in a pets body. Natural vitamin E has been found to be more potent than synthetic vitamin E. While most pet foods do include vitamin E, some food manufacturers lead pet owners to believe this is natural vitamin E when in fact it is synthetic.
