Episode 4: Nutrition – Does heat-processing adversely affect nutrition? – OneVetMed.com – Holistic, Integrative Pet Care Information and Advice | Natural Pet Care

Episode 4: Nutrition – Does heat-processing adversely affect nutrition?

Continuing to examine the big concepts in pet nutrition

Effects of heat-processing in commercial foods-
- Manufacturing affects nutrient quality and bioavailability
- Extruded 320ºF
- Canned 500ºF
- Heating effects: Alterations in protein structure
  - Maillard reactions
    - Bonding of sugar (glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose) with free amino group (such as lysine)
    - Digestive enzymes do not cleave the peptide bond adjacent to the amino acid with attached sugar molecule
    - May increase microbial degradation of taurine in colon
    - Affected proteins are of no nutritional value
    - Allergenic?
Other “unusual crosslinking” of amino acids and peptides which result in compounds “not found in nature”
- “These compounds are not well-used by animals”
- “Processing EFA in pet foods may affect their biological activity”

{Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 4th Ed pp.55, 61}

Heating effects: Alteration of fatty acids
- Trans configuration
- Metabolized for energy and incorporated into lipid storage
- Cannot function as EFA’s because they are not further metabolized to eicasanoids
  - C18:1 trans isomers inhibit hepatic carnitine and lead to increased liver triacyglycerol by lowering hepatic oxidation of fatty acids

{Giudetti AM, Beynen AC, et. al. Hepatic fatty acid metabolism in rats fed diets with different contents of C18:0, C18:1 cis, and C18:1 trans isomers. Br J Nutr. 2003 Nov;90(5):887-93}

More pieces to the puzzle of heat processing effects:
- Carprofen half-life in cats
  - Recent study showed variation 17 hours to 44 hours
  - Difference in liver enzyme activities attributed to diet
  - Fresh, whole foods enhanced liver detoxification
  - Commercial diets detrimental effect
Propranolol half-life in cats
- Study done ~20 years ago showed variation from 1-2 hours to >12 hours
- Diet effects as seen with carprofen
- Major pet food manufacturer had no interest in investigating why the variation in metabolism

{Dr. William Muir, lecture delivered at Veterinary Chiropractic Convention April 2003, and personal conversation.}

Study of food allergy in dogs
- After successful elimination diet, introduced commercial canned or kibble ‘equivalent’ diet
- 25% recurrence of clinical signs (pruritus)
- “With every treatment diet tried, some percentage of dogs redeveloped pruritus.”
- Explanations/Speculations
  - 3-D protein structure altered with heating?
  - Decreased digestibility?
  - Loss of important co-factors?

{Rosser, EJ. Diagnosis of food allergy in dogs. JAVMA, Vol. 203, No. 2, July 15,1993 pp.259-262

Pottenger’s Cats
- Nutritional study completed 1932-1942
- Multigenerational study
- Nine hundred cats
- Four basic feeding groups
- Optimum diet groups
  - 2/3 raw meat, 1/3 raw milk, Cod Liver Oil
  - 2/3 raw milk, 1/3 raw meat, Cod Liver Oil
  - Deficient diet groups
    - 2/3 cooked meat
    - 2/3 cooked milk (pasteurized, sweetened condensed, evaporated, metabolized vitamin D)
  - Effects observed with deficient diet
    - Dental disease
    - Reproductive abnormalities
    - Allergies
    - Immune disorders
    - Skeletal disease and osteoarthritis
    - Cardiac abnormalities
    - Renal disease
    - Respiratory abnormalities
    - Gastrointestinal abnormalities
    - Hepatic abnormalities
    - Behavioral abnormalities
    - Endocrine abnormalities
    - Ocular abnormalities

{http://www.amazon.com/Pottengers-Cats-A-Study-Nutrition/dp/0916764060 }

{http://ppnf.org/ }

Multigenerational effects – demonstrated “epigenetics” prior to understanding of gene structure or tools to examine
Studies in epigenetics reveals that food affects more than just calories and deficiencies…it alters the essence of genetic expression…in the individual…and for subsequent generations
Understanding nutrition is critical to longevity and health

{ NOVA | scienceNOW | Epigenetics | PBS }

{ NOVA | scienceNOW | Epigenetics: A Tale of Two Mice (Flash) | PBS }

{ http://www.amazon.com/Pottengers-Prophecy-Resets-Wellness-Illness/dp/1935052330 }

Developing a better paradigm for nutrition – beyond the “essential” nutrients
There are chemical compounds in plants (‘phytochemicals’), and a number of beneficial components in animal products, that have powerful and beneficial physiologic effects, including reducing cancer risk
- Ingredients vs. nutrients
- A diet that provides these nutrients in the form of intact foods is more effective for disease prevention than when nutrients are taken by themselves
- An optimal diet will contain a wide variety of minimally processed whole foods and whole-food based supplementation
- “Nearly every expert in the field agrees that a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables conveys many health benefits, including those pertaining to cancer prevention and cardiovascular disease. As is evident from the carotenoid story, a particular nutrient in that type of diet when taken alone does not necessarily provide that same benefit. The reasons for this are not clear.”

{ Russell RM, Mason JB. Carotenoids – A Lesson in Physiologic Versus Pharmacologic Doses of Nutrients. Cyberounds Nov. 1996. http://www.cyberounds.com/conferences/nutrition/conferences/1196/conference.html }

“…Among the possible explanations are that other compounds contained in fresh fruits and vegetables, such as the so-called “phytochemicals”, are the beneficial components. Also, taking a large bolus of a particular nutrient may not provide the same benefits that taking smaller doses over an extended period of time might.”

Food is a complex mixture of bioactive chemical compounds
- “Food is an extremely complex matrix consisting of thousands of natural components, many of which have not been characterized.”

{Rasooly L, Rose NR. Food toxicology and immunity. Nutrition and Immunology: Principles and Practice Gershwin, German, Keen Eds. 2000}

Leave a Reply Cancel reply