Why Your Pets NEED Antioxidants
Source: petmd.com
Antioxidants are finally getting the respect they deserve.
The Health Benefits of Antioxidants for Pets
Antioxidants play a major role in maintaining your pet's health. They are beneficial in large part because they counter the effects of damaging free radicals in the body.
Free radicals are a natural by-product of metabolism and are produced in greater than normal amounts when pets are sick, elderly, exposed to toxins, or suffer from poor nutrition. Free-radicals contain oxygen and are missing an electron, which makes them highly reactive. They attack and take electrons from cell membranes, proteins, and DNA. The molecule that loses an electron to a free radical often becomes a free radical itself, continuing the cycle.
Antioxidants are different, however. They can donate electrons to free radicals without becoming free radicals themselves, thereby breaking the cycle of molecular and cellular damage. Therefore, an ample dietary source of antioxidants is essential if a pet is to maintain a strong immune system throughout its life and age in a healthy manner.
For example, a series of studies conducted on dogs found that older dogs provided with an antioxidant-enriched diet were able to learn complex tasks with more success than those on a control diet. This, researchers hypothesized, was consistent with the assumption that oxidative damage contributes to brain aging in dogs.
Another study that used an antioxidant-enriched diet found that older dogs (≥7) were less likely to suffer from age-related behavioral changes associated with cognitive decline, such as excessive licking and patterned pacing. Dogs consuming the antioxidant-enriched diet were also able to recognize their family members and other animals more easily than the control group, as well as display greater attributes of agility.
Antioxidants have even been shown to help dogs and cats that suffer from allergy or coat and skin problems. They also have been shown to promote immune system activity in young animals before vaccination has been implemented.
With all these great benefits, it is imperative that ANTIOXIDANTS are in your dog or cat's diet.
