Pre-Biotics

Question from Keith:
Ilea has been getting dry Natural Balance Synergy and she loves it. I have been investigating about 1000 different dry food products and picked that one for awhile. It is high protein (28%) that she probably needs with her level of activity. I do not trust the food companies to not do things of no benefit just to gain a marketing edge. What are your thoughts on prebiotics?

Reply:
If it was a pro-biotic, I’m all for it. But, here’s the thing about this pre-biotic called FOS (fructooligosaccharides). For me, it has very conflicting information so I do not use it. Mainly b/c this is what “Sweet & Low” and the other diet sweeteners are made with and I don’t think dogs should have it. Second, there are two classes of it being processed either enzymatically or chemically and God only knows what’s used during that! Third, most of this comes from Japan and other countries overseas so you have to bet for dog food they are getting the cheapest one. Now if they are using “chicory root”, which has the natural occurring FOS, that’s great but I’ve read the concentration is typically low and you probably won’t get enough of the health benefits for the gut from it. Does FOS feed the “good” bacteria in the gut and help with absorption? Yes, but I think I would rather add the fruits and vegetables that contain it like asparagus, garlic, banana’s and tomatoes and try to get some of the benefits naturally. My guess is that the dog food companies are not using that much of the FOS in their food anyway, so it probably won’t hurt them. That was one of “Iam’s” big “HEALTHLY DOG” promo’s. There is no doubt that all our dogs need PRO-biotics since 65% of their immune system is in the gut! Either a maintenance dose if they are very healthy or a therapeutic dose if they have some problems. The gut is where most disease starts, so it is really important. PRO-biotics or enzymes cannot tolerate any kind of heat b/c it kills them, so if a food claims that it contains it, it should also say that it was applied to the food AFTER processing AND the food would not have a long shelf life because of this. Dr. Becker says that most probiotics on the vet market do not have sufficient amounts of the correct ingredients. She says:

1. They only contain one or two strains of beneficial bacteria for dogs and cats.
2. Viability, potency and purity have not been evaluated in many of the strains.
3. The number of colony-forming units of really beneficial bacteria per gram is only between 1 million and 4 million.

She actually developed one for Mercola Healthy Pets called “Complete Probiotics For Pets” which you can get on line.

Here are a few other quotes to ponder: “According to a study conducted by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the Food and Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO), the consumption of FOS may cause intestinal problems, such as bloating, abdominal pain, and copious amounts of gas.”

* “There are a number of additional reasons why some manufacturers of high-quality probiotics do not add FOS to their products. They are:

* “FOS is manufactured by chemical synthesis. The ingredient is, therefore, not natural, but a chemical additive and may pose toxicological dangers.
* “FOS is a sugar derivative, therefore, those with a yeast infection should avoid it. (I can’t imagine food with FOS would be good for a dog that has yeast issues!)
* “The stability of FOS is poor. The industrial production of purified FOS is a problem and still in the developmental stage.
* “FOS is inert in the mouth and small intestine because it is not digestible (similar to olestra). It is digested in the colon by the bacteria and may, therefore, change the metabolic activity of the colon, resulting in abnormal functions.
* “FOS stimulates the growth of Klebsiella and possibly other pathogenic organisms. In one study, Klebsiella has been associated with the autoimmune disease ankylosing spondylitis.
* “FOS is known to be species as well as strain specific. In other words, not all beneficial bacteria like it.

*FOS is currently not approved for use in baby formula in Canada

*FOS use has been approved in the European Union; allowing addition of FOS in restricted amounts to baby formula

*The Food Safety Authority warned parents of babies that a major European Baby-Formula brand made in New Zealand does not comply with local regulations, (because it contains fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS)) and urged them to stop using it.

So, it’s a little controversial for me. I called Dr. Becker to see what her views were on it. Just got a call back from Michelle, Becker’s assistant. Becker said that FOS is a bad idea for any dog or cat with any kind of IBD problems b/c it creates an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut causing upset. So if any dogs have yeast or stomach problems, they should probably choose a food without it and not take a chance. But a good Pro-biotic would be good for it.