Antioxidants and Canine Wellness

Antioxidants and Canine Wellness

happy-pittie

Many of us are familiar with the idea of antioxidants, and we know they are a good thing for both dogs and humans, but do you know why? There’s a reason we put so much thought and effort into our formulations at Life’s Abundance, and antioxidants are some of our favorite ingredients!

To understand why antioxidants are vital to health, you need to know about free radicals, a by-product of normal metabolism. When oxygen molecules are split into two oxygen atoms, they are missing one electron ... thus a free radical is born. These little guys are highly reactive, so they steal electrons from other molecules, which also become free radicals. Cellular components such as proteins, DNA and cell membranes can be negatively affected, further creating more free radicals. Why is this problematic for health? Well, the DNA damage causes cells to reproduce incorrectly, which can lead to abnormalities.

How do antioxidants work? They can donate an electron to a free radical without becoming unstable themselves. In fact, many scientists now refer to antioxidants as ROS, or Reactive Oxygen Species. In essence, they neutralize damaging free radicals and break the replicating cycle.

Why do dogs need antioxidants? As pets age, the free radical damage accumulates and accelerates. It contributes to the natural declines due to aging, and can trigger some illnesses due to damaged cellular DNA. So, how are free radicals counteracted? Perhaps the best, most natural way is through antioxidants!

Why are antioxidants so often linked with brain health? With aging, many canines experience some degree of cognitive decline. This can manifest as changes in behaviors, lapses in house training, altered sleep cycles, disorientation and repetitive behaviors such as pacing or licking. Learning and memory deficits may begin in pets as young as six years of age, though many pet parents don’t notice until pets are quite a bit older. There’s good news, however. Senior dogs fed a diet high in antioxidants actually perform better on tests that assess their ability to problem solve!

Who should be taking antioxidants? Everyone, including your dogs! While the benefits are most obvious for seniors, all of us are exposed to free radicals on a regular basis. Early nutritional support with antioxidants is a great way to maintain vibrant health. Even though the body produces some antioxidants on its own, the most significant way to get antioxidants into the body is through nutrition. Fruits, vegetables and even some herbs are high in antioxidants such as lycopene, carotenoids, lutein, and vitamins E and C.

antioxidant-health-bars
Antioxidant Health Bars help maintain a healthy immune system

What’s an easy way to make sure my dog is getting guaranteed amounts of antioxidants? This month, I encourage you to try one of our premium baked treats, Antioxidant Health Bars. Featuring the great taste of apples, peanut butter and honey, dogs just can’t resist these delicious bars, which also include oatmeal, brown rice, ground flaxseed, dates, rolled oats, flaxseed oil, eggs, cranberries and carrots. Since antioxidants are so important to maintaining a healthy immune system, we’ve added a hefty helping of vitamin E, vitamin C and beta-carotene. And the amounts of these important nutrients are guaranteed, so you know exactly how much nutrition your dog is receiving on a daily basis.

Thank you for everything you do to make the world a better place for companion animals!

Dr Jane Bicks  

Dr. Jane Bicks

Comments (6) -

  • Angie McKeever

    6/9/2017 1:56:00 PM |

    My pups love all the treats at life's Abundance!  Especially the Turkey Berry treats!Smile  Thank you for making it so easy to give my dogs what they need, so tasty for them!

  • Alyse Alexandra Azevedo

    6/16/2017 11:38:09 PM |

    People don't realize that antioxidants are very beneficial to pets just as they are humans.  This is a really great article to shed some light on this. Thank you Dr. Jane.

  • JoAnne Rando-Moon

    6/21/2017 11:11:21 AM |

    Great article, Dr. Jane.  Thank you for helping me keep my rescues healthy for the last 15 years!!!!!

  • Rebecca Forrest

    6/21/2017 12:23:22 PM |

    I can’t tell you how much our dogs love their Antioxidant Bars from Life’s Abundance. Any time we have a dog that’s slow to eat a meal, all we have to do is break up an Antioxidant Bar in the food, and the dog’s nose is down in the bowl. And of course we use them daily as supplements, too. (But don’t tell our greyhounds—they think the bars are big treats!)

  • Diane C. Brown

    7/6/2017 3:05:14 PM |

    Thanks for your sharing details. It's very helpful. My pups love all the treats at Life's Abundance!  Especially the Turkey Berry treats. I can’t tell you how much our dogs love their Antioxidant Bars from Life’s Abundance. Any time we have a dog that’s slow to eat a meal, all we have to do is break up an Antioxidant Bar in the food, and the dog’s nose is down in the bowl. And of course we use them daily as supplements, too. People don't realize that antioxidants are very beneficial to pets just as they are humans.

  • Amber R

    7/11/2017 5:53:24 AM |

    I can't wait to let my furbabies try these healthy treats!!

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