(T3) Lecture 11a - Wellness Food Flashcards
6 Characteristics of BSc
- Understand mechanisms
- Be good with numbers
- Collect data and turn it into info and from it be able to make recommendations/decisions
- Problem solving/critical thinking
- Communicate clearly
- Work in team or as an individual
What do humans want for their pets?
health, happiness, and a long life
2 definitions of wellness
- A healthy balance of the mind, body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being
- The condition of good physical, mental and emotional health, especially when maintained by an appropriate diet, exercise, and other lifestyle modifications
*Wellness is not simply absence of disease
Wellness concerns
- Like humans, pets are also living longer
- Health concerns: arthritis, diabetes, digestion, intestine health, eye disease, vision deterioration, osteoporosis
- This aging pet population has created a demand for natural supplements that target pets’ physiological needs
Wellness Food
- May be: complete diet, supplements and treats (in addition to regular balanced diet)
- May promote well-being, health and longevity
- Prevention, but not the curing or treatment of any acute condition or specific health event
- Very costly to customer (pricey)
- Obviously, difference btw a good healthy diet and a wellness diet is hard to define
Market and opportunities for wellness food
- Large population of pets = more senior pets
- Health of animal is a direct fxn of its nutritional status
- Concepts in nutrition expanding to emphasize use fo foods to promote a state of well-being and health, and a reduction in disease
- High priced pet foods will be mkt driver; dietary formulas keeping health of pet in mind
- Provides a golden opportunity for natural product retailers offering pet products to increase sales to customers
What are 2 functional foods?
- Probiotics
- Prebiotics
Probiotics
- what is it
- 3 fxns
A viable microbial dietary supplement that beneficially affects the host through its effects in the intestinal tract
- lactobacilli and bifidobacteria
- fermented dairy products
Functions
- alleviation of lactose intolerance
- immune enhancement
- reduction of risk of disease
Prebiotics
Non-digestible (so potentially fermentable) food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of 1 or a limited number of bacteria in the colon
- inulin-type fructans
- resistant starch
- more viable to introduce in pet food than probiotics
Functions
- large bowel health
- reducing disease risk, tentative; constipation relief and reduction of the risk of obesity and possibly type 2 diabetes
How was the term nutraceutical created?
By combining 2 words, NUTRition and pharmACEUTICAL
- aka not only providing a nutrient to meet requirements, but you are adding a super dose of specific nutrients to use as a pharmaceutical
What is a nutraceutical?
Any substance that is considered a food, a part of a food, a vitamin, a mineral, or an herb that provides health benefits, including disease prevention or treatment
- Substances “produced in a purified or extracted form and administered orally to patients to provide agents required for normal body structure and fxn, administered with the intent of improving the health and well being of animals”
- Still, BEYOND a direct nutritional effect; use specific nutrient/compound as a pharmaceutical
Example of nutraceuticals to maintain eye health
Older animals are at risk of developing senile cataracts, an opacity of the lens that causes light to scatter.
Cataracts remain the leading cause of low vision among older dogs (rarely, cats)
Natural supplements can help maintain ocular fxn and decrease the risk of vision los
- Carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin
- Vit C, E
- Lycopene
- Zinc
- Flavonoids such as bilberry, black currant, green tea, French Maritime pine bark extract
- Omega 3 FAs, DHA and EPA
Example of nutraceuticals to support skin and coat health
Skin sensitive to inappropriate dietary levels of essential fatty acids (EFA)
EFA deficiency in pets causes congenital deficiency of hair, loss of hair, and scaly skin, increased
Most pet foods supply omega-6 FAs, but not omega-3 FAs
Fish oil or other marine sources contain high levels of EPA and DHA, omega-3 FAs capable of modifying inflammatory skin responses in healthy dogs
- flaxseed oil
- salmon oil
Example of nutraceuticals to support aging brains to promote thinking and memory
Older dogs may experience certain degree of physical limits
- pets lose sharpness of higher-level fxns of memory and cognition as they age
During aging, brain gradually loses essential characteristics:
- continuous action, plasticity and redundancy
Dogs can develop canine cognitive dysfxn (CDS), a memory-related disorder similar to Alzheimer’s disease that results in forgetfulness, disorientation, no longer recognition family members
Supplements formulated to:
- improve cognitive fxn and learning in older animals by helping boost neurotransmitter fxn, promoting circulation and reducing negative effects of external stressors
- Phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine, inositol, omega 3 FAs from fish oil (EPA and DHA), antioxidant vits A, C, E and minerals copper, zinc and selenium
Phosphatidylserine (PS)
A naturally occurring phospholipid present in biological membranes
- particularly enriched in the brain; may be used as a nutraceutical
- can be synthesized from phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylethanolamine
- some supplements containing PS licensed as adjuvant treatment for canine and feline brain aging
- CAN BE MADE IN THE BODY/BRAIN; is it essential then?
