Cranberries, Blueberries & Urinary Health in Pets
Cranberries are an excellent whole food that aids in the prevention of urinary tract infections. The PACs they contain do not allow infection-causing bacteria to adhere to the wall of the urinary tract. Cranberries are also a good source of Vitamin C, dietary fiber, manganese, Vitamin K, and they contain a wide array of phytonutrients.
Another whole food that benefits urinary tract health is the blueberry. Blueberries contain a compound called epicatechin, which acts similarly to the PACs found in cranberries.2 Blueberries also have the highest antioxidant content of all fresh fruits and are rich in Vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber. Incorporating whole foods that are good sources of Vitamin C in your dog or cat’s diet, like cranberries and blueberries, is yet another way to maintain the health of your pet’s urinary tract, as well as other important systems in his body.3
Whole Foods are the Best Source of Nutrients for Pets
While concentrated, synthetic supplements were used in the study, there are safer, more natural ways for pets to receive these important nutrients. The best sources of these vitamins, minerals and amino acids are whole foods. When vitamins and minerals are consumed from whole foods, they are delivered to the body along with many co-factors that help your pet utilize them to their fullest extent.3,4 The National Research Council has found that the bioavailability of some synthetic vitamins is only 15%. All of the nutrients essential to your pet's health can be found in their safest, most bioavailable form in real food.
Not only are synthetic vitamins not as beneficial as those derived from whole foods, there may also be considerable risk to pets ingesting them. Many man-made vitamins added to most pet foods, those not coming from the food itself, contain chemical preservatives. For example, fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D, E, and K, often contain the chemical preservative BHT. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Vitamin D3, published by BASF which manufactures it, shows that the synthetic vitamin also contains sucrose, gelatin, starch, sodium aluminocilicate, and BHT.5 Excessive levels of added synthetic Vitamin D3 was also the reason for the October 2010 Blue Buffalo pet food recall.6
It is a good idea to feed your four-legged companion a diet that includes the whole foods which aid in urinary tract maintenance. If pet parents want to avoid the potential health risks of concentrated synthetic supplements, they should select a pet food that gets nutrients from food, not chemicals. Nature’s Logic contains only whole food ingredients, including dried cranberries and blueberries, to provide the safest nutrition and overall health support using only 100% natural ingredients. High-quality animal proteins, fruits, vegetables, and other biologically-appropriate ingredients help dogs and cats thrive. For more information, visit www.natureslogic.com.
What do you do to make sure your pet stays as healthy as possible?
4 http://www.wellness-decisions.com/vitamin-evaluation.html
5 http://www.natureslogic.com/pdf/MSDS/D3.pdf
6 http://natureslogic.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-study-finds-heavy-metals-in-many.html#more
Vitamin Tolerance of Animals, National Research Council
Mineral Tolerance of Domestic Animals, National Research Council
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