Research proves that antioxidants are beneficial to the health and longevity of pets

Antioxidants play a key role in longevity, and high levels of antioxidants are common in people who live longer.

The slowing effect of an antioxidant-rich diet on brain aging has been demonstrated in several studies of older dogs.

In a seven-year study of 90 cats aged 7 to 17 years, those fed an antioxidant-rich diet had improved body weight and lean muscle mass; improved skin thickness and red blood cell mass; and reduced disease morbidity; overall quality of life improved; lifespan significantly extended.

The same goes for dogs. The more free radicals the body produces, the more antioxidants the body needs.

The current situation of insufficient antioxidants!

Most commercially available pet foods, even high-quality food formulas, contain synthetic vitamins and minerals. These vitamins and minerals often provide minimal nutrition rather than optimal nutrition.

Pet food formulator Steve Brown created the chart below to illustrate the nutritional content of a dog’s diet in the past (the diet of the dog’s ancestors) versus what is now recognized (AAFCO Minimum Nutritional Requirements )Differences between food nutrients:

As the chart shows, AAFCO's recommendations are minimum amounts to sustain life, but not amounts to nourish animals as nature would.

The embarrassing thing is, how many dog ​​foods on the market can meet the AAFCO standards?

Get antioxidants from fresh food:

The vitamins in fresh food contain antioxidants, and your pet’s body is more efficient at obtaining antioxidants from fresh food.

These beneficial ingredients and sources include:

Vitamin A and carotenoids, found in liver and bright fruits and vegetables, such as apricots, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, peaches, pumpkin, sweet potatoes , tomato

Vitamin C: Found in citrus fruits, strawberries, green peppers, broccoli and green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin E: Found in nuts and seeds, Selenium, found in proteins such as nuts, fish, chicken, beef and eggs.

Phytochemicals also contain antioxidant properties, including:

Flavones/polyphenols are found in berries, lycopene is found in tomatoes and watermelon, and lutein is found in dark green vegetables such as spinach. , broccoli and kale. Lignans are found in seed foods.

In addition, there are some additional antioxidants:

Coenzyme Q10, astaxanthin, etc.

If you cannot replace the current dry food considering convenience and balance, then you can at least give your pet some fresh ingredients to help supplement antioxidants.