Carbs have been blamed for everything from canine obesity to cancer. This is not only a shame but potentially harmful because the healthiest foods on the planet and the bulk of anti-cancer foods contain \u2014 get ready for it \u2014 carbs.<\/p>\n
In this article, I speak up for the carb and talk about why your dog needs to be eating the right kind for optimum health.<\/p>\n
What are carbohydrates?<\/strong><\/p>\n Carbohydrates are molecules made up of smaller glucose (sugar) units called monosaccharides that are linked together into varying length chains. Carbs are known as macronutrients because along with proteins and fats, they supply energy (calories) for the body to sustain its metabolic and physical activity needs.<\/p>\n Carbohydrates are further classified by the number of glucose units that make up the carbohydrate molecule, determining its chain length:<\/p>\n \u2724 Monosaccharides (one sugar unit per molecule \u2014 \u201cmono\u201d): Glucose, fructose, galactose<\/p>\n \u2724 Disaccharides (two sugar units per molecule \u2014 \u201cdi\u201d): Sucrose (table sugar), lactose (milk sugar), maltose<\/p>\n \u2724 Oligosaccharides (3 to 9 sugar units per molecule): Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS)<\/p>\n \u2724 Starch polysaccharides (non-fiber \u201ccomplex carbs\u201d \u2014 10-plus sugar units per molecule): Amylose, \u2724 Non-starch polysaccharides (fibrous complex carbs\u201d \u2014 10-plus sugar units): Cellulose, pectins, hemicelluloses, gums, inulin<\/p>\n We talked about the benefits of fiber (non-starch polysaccharides) in the previous column, so let\u2019s focus on non- Photography \u00a9 Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The answer to this question is where things get really interesting. If we ask, \u201cDo dogs have a metabolic need for carbs to supply energy?\u201d the answer is typically no (although some dogs might for specific health reasons).<\/p>\n Like people, dogs require glucose for energy because glucose is the primary form of fuel used by the body. Unlike people, dogs can make glucose in two ways \u2014 either by eating dietary carbohydrates or by synthesizing it themselves in the liver and kidneys (providing they also get enough dietary fat and protein).<\/p>\n But, viewing carbohydrates as merely an energy-producing nutrient is like viewing dogs as merely four-legged creatures with fur. There is so much more to them than that!<\/p>\n Photography \u00a9 Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Understanding the true health benefits of carbs for dogs involves looking at the types of foods that fall within this dietary classification. Yes, sugar, white flour and other non-nutritious \u201cjunk foods\u201d are carbs, but so are some of the healthiest foods on the planet.<\/p>\n Healthy carbs are packed with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (plant nutrients) that promote optimum health at the cellular level, including destroying tumor cells. These are known as \u201cfunctional\u201d carbohydrates, and we don\u2019t want our canine companions to miss out on their benefits.<\/p>\n Photography \u00a9 Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Phytonutrients,<\/strong> also called phytochemicals, are a large group of compounds that occur naturally in plants (\u201cphyto\u201d means plant in Greek) and convey important health benefits for those who eat them.<\/p>\n Thousands of different phytochemicals are found in unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Carrots, winter squash and apricots, for example, get their bright orange color from a class of phytochemical called carotenoids, while the deep blue, red and purple pigments of berries, cherries and eggplant come from anthocyanins, phytochemicals in the flavonoid class.<\/p>\n Phytochemicals provide some pretty amazing benefits, including:<\/p>\n \u2724 Act as antioxidants (substances that help protect cells from oxidative damage caused by free radicals)<\/p>\n \u2724 Block tumor activity<\/p>\n \u2724 Cause cancer cell death (apoptosis)<\/p>\n \u2724 Enhance the body\u2019s immune system to fight disease<\/p>\n \u2724 Protect against heart disease<\/p>\n \u2724 Prevent and repair damage to the DNA<\/p>\n \u2724 Reduce inflammation<\/p>\n \u2724 Regulate hormone metabolism (including estrogen, to prevent excesses that can increase the risk of cancer)<\/p>\n \u2724 Repair DNA damage caused by exposure to environmental toxins<\/p>\n I hope you can see why the recommendation to \u201ceat all the colors of the rainbow\u201d applies to dogs as well as people. We want to be sure our canine companions also reap the benefits of these health-promoting, disease-busting phytonutrients!<\/p>\n Carbs to avoid<\/strong><\/p>\n While you want to fill your dog\u2019s bowl with vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient-rich whole plant-based foods, you of course want to avoid unhealthy \u201cjunk carbohydrates.\u201d These are the low-nutrient or no-nutrient carbs that give this food group a bad name.<\/p>\n The key is identifying which carbs are healthy and which are bad, which is easy to do. For healthy carbs, think unprocessed foods like whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Processed carbohydrates such as white sugar and white flour fall into the unhealthy category. These are carbohydrates that have had their nutrients stripped away, contain empty calories and quickly raise blood sugar levels after eating them.<\/p>\n Note that while fruits contain the simple sugars fructose and glucose, whole fruits also contain lots of healthy fiber, which insulates the sugar. Because it takes the digestive tract longer to break down the fiber, sugar from fruit is absorbed into the bloodstream slowly, avoiding any sharp rises in blood sugar. Fiber in fresh fruit also helps promote optimal GI functioning and weight loss. Avoid giving your dog fruit juice, which without the fiber is a sugary fiasco!<\/p>\n I hope this article has shown that just because some carbohydrate foods are unhealthy doesn\u2019t mean we should avoid the ones that are nutritional powerhouses. After all, you wouldn\u2019t avoid giving your dog healthy fats like coconut oil and flaxseeds because hydrogenated oils and restaurant grease are also fats, would you? There\u2019s some food for thought!<\/p>\n Try these healthy carbohydrates as inspiration to boost your dog\u2019s intake of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients:<\/em><\/p>\n Cruciferous vegetables<\/strong><\/p>\n Bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens (avoid for hypothyroid dogs or cook Whole fruits<\/strong><\/p>\n Apples, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, pear, raspberries, watermelon (avoid grapes and Gluten-free grains<\/strong><\/p>\n Amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum, teff, gluten-free oats<\/p>\n Leafy greens<\/strong><\/p>\n Lettuce, parsley, spinach<\/p>\n Legumes<\/strong><\/p>\n Black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, pinto beans<\/p>\n Red\/orange vegetables<\/strong><\/p>\n Carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, winter squash<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s note:<\/strong>\u00a0This article first appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet\u2019s office?\u00a0Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you!<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Tell us:<\/strong>\u00a0What supplements or superfoods for dogs are you a fan of?<\/p>\n Thumbnail:\u00a0Photography \u00a9chendongshan | Thinkstock.<\/em><\/p>\n Read more about dog food and dog nutrition on Dogster.com:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The post Do Dogs Need Carbohydrates?<\/a> by Diana Laverdure-Dunetz, MS<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post Do Dogs Need Carbohydrates?<\/a> by Diana Laverdure-Dunetz, MS<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n Carbs have been blamed for everything from canine obesity to cancer. This is not only a shame but potentially harmful because the healthiest foods on the planet and the bulk of anti-cancer foods contain \u2014 get ready for it \u2014 carbs.<\/p>\n In this article, I speak up for the carb and talk about why your dog needs to be eating the right kind for optimum health.<\/p>\n What are carbohydrates?<\/strong><\/p>\n Carbohydrates are molecules made up of smaller glucose (sugar) units called monosaccharides that are linked together into varying length chains. Carbs are known as macronutrients because along with proteins and fats, they supply energy (calories) for the body to sustain its metabolic and physical activity needs.<\/p>\n Carbohydrates are further classified by the number of glucose units that make up the carbohydrate molecule, determining its chain length:<\/p>\n \u2724 Monosaccharides (one sugar unit per molecule \u2014 \u201cmono\u201d): Glucose, fructose, galactose<\/p>\n \u2724 Disaccharides (two sugar units per molecule \u2014 \u201cdi\u201d): Sucrose (table sugar), lactose (milk sugar), maltose<\/p>\n \u2724 Oligosaccharides (3 to 9 sugar units per molecule): Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS)<\/p>\n \u2724 Starch polysaccharides (non-fiber \u201ccomplex carbs\u201d \u2014 10-plus sugar units per molecule): Amylose, \u2724 Non-starch polysaccharides (fibrous complex carbs\u201d \u2014 10-plus sugar units): Cellulose, pectins, hemicelluloses, gums, inulin<\/p>\n We talked about the benefits of fiber (non-starch polysaccharides) in the previous column, so let\u2019s focus on non- Photography \u00a9 Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The answer to this question is where things get really interesting. If we ask, \u201cDo dogs have a metabolic need for carbs to supply energy?\u201d the answer is typically no (although some dogs might for specific health reasons).<\/p>\n Like people, dogs require glucose for energy because glucose is the primary form of fuel used by the body. Unlike people, dogs can make glucose in two ways \u2014 either by eating dietary carbohydrates or by synthesizing it themselves in the liver and kidneys (providing they also get enough dietary fat and protein).<\/p>\n But, viewing carbohydrates as merely an energy-producing nutrient is like viewing dogs as merely four-legged creatures with fur. There is so much more to them than that!<\/p>\n Photography \u00a9 Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Understanding the true health benefits of carbs for dogs involves looking at the types of foods that fall within this dietary classification. Yes, sugar, white flour and other non-nutritious \u201cjunk foods\u201d are carbs, but so are some of the healthiest foods on the planet.<\/p>\n Healthy carbs are packed with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (plant nutrients) that promote optimum health at the cellular level, including destroying tumor cells. These are known as \u201cfunctional\u201d carbohydrates, and we don\u2019t want our canine companions to miss out on their benefits.<\/p>\n Photography \u00a9 Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Phytonutrients,<\/strong> also called phytochemicals, are a large group of compounds that occur naturally in plants (\u201cphyto\u201d means plant in Greek) and convey important health benefits for those who eat them.<\/p>\n Thousands of different phytochemicals are found in unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Carrots, winter squash and apricots, for example, get their bright orange color from a class of phytochemical called carotenoids, while the deep blue, red and purple pigments of berries, cherries and eggplant come from anthocyanins, phytochemicals in the flavonoid class.<\/p>\n Phytochemicals provide some pretty amazing benefits, including:<\/p>\n \u2724 Act as antioxidants (substances that help protect cells from oxidative damage caused by free radicals)<\/p>\n \u2724 Block tumor activity<\/p>\n \u2724 Cause cancer cell death (apoptosis)<\/p>\n \u2724 Enhance the body\u2019s immune system to fight disease<\/p>\n \u2724 Protect against heart disease<\/p>\n \u2724 Prevent and repair damage to the DNA<\/p>\n \u2724 Reduce inflammation<\/p>\n \u2724 Regulate hormone metabolism (including estrogen, to prevent excesses that can increase the risk of cancer)<\/p>\n \u2724 Repair DNA damage caused by exposure to environmental toxins<\/p>\n I hope you can see why the recommendation to \u201ceat all the colors of the rainbow\u201d applies to dogs as well as people. We want to be sure our canine companions also reap the benefits of these health-promoting, disease-busting phytonutrients!<\/p>\n Carbs to avoid<\/strong><\/p>\n While you want to fill your dog\u2019s bowl with vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient-rich whole plant-based foods, you of course want to avoid unhealthy \u201cjunk carbohydrates.\u201d These are the low-nutrient or no-nutrient carbs that give this food group a bad name.<\/p>\n The key is identifying which carbs are healthy and which are bad, which is easy to do. For healthy carbs, think unprocessed foods like whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Processed carbohydrates such as white sugar and white flour fall into the unhealthy category. These are carbohydrates that have had their nutrients stripped away, contain empty calories and quickly raise blood sugar levels after eating them.<\/p>\n Note that while fruits contain the simple sugars fructose and glucose, whole fruits also contain lots of healthy fiber, which insulates the sugar. Because it takes the digestive tract longer to break down the fiber, sugar from fruit is absorbed into the bloodstream slowly, avoiding any sharp rises in blood sugar. Fiber in fresh fruit also helps promote optimal GI functioning and weight loss. Avoid giving your dog fruit juice, which without the fiber is a sugary fiasco!<\/p>\n I hope this article has shown that just because some carbohydrate foods are unhealthy doesn\u2019t mean we should avoid the ones that are nutritional powerhouses. After all, you wouldn\u2019t avoid giving your dog healthy fats like coconut oil and flaxseeds because hydrogenated oils and restaurant grease are also fats, would you? There\u2019s some food for thought!<\/p>\n Try these healthy carbohydrates as inspiration to boost your dog\u2019s intake of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients:<\/em><\/p>\n Cruciferous vegetables<\/strong><\/p>\n Bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens (avoid for hypothyroid dogs or cook Whole fruits<\/strong><\/p>\n Apples, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, pear, raspberries, watermelon (avoid grapes and Gluten-free grains<\/strong><\/p>\n Amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum, teff, gluten-free oats<\/p>\n Leafy greens<\/strong><\/p>\n Lettuce, parsley, spinach<\/p>\n Legumes<\/strong><\/p>\n Black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, pinto beans<\/p>\n Red\/orange vegetables<\/strong><\/p>\n Carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, winter squash<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s note:<\/strong>\u00a0This article first appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet\u2019s office?\u00a0Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you!<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Tell us:<\/strong>\u00a0What supplements or superfoods for dogs are you a fan of?<\/p>\n Thumbnail:\u00a0Photography \u00a9chendongshan | Thinkstock.<\/em><\/p>\n Read more about dog food and dog nutrition on Dogster.com:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The post Do Dogs Need Carbohydrates?<\/a> by Diana Laverdure-Dunetz, MS<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
\namylopectin, maltodextrins<\/p>\n
\nfibrous carbohydrates, the type the body can break down.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/brocolli.png\")
<\/p>\nDo dogs \u201cneed\u201d carbs?<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/sweet-potato.png\")
<\/p>\nWhy feed carbs to dogs?<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/rasberries.png\")
<\/p>\nA key to healthy carbs<\/h3>\n
\nCarbs <\/strong>to try<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nto lower these foods\u2019 goitrogens)<\/p>\n
\nraisins, which are toxic)<\/p>\n![\"❤\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/12.0.0-1\/72x72\/2764.png\")
\u2004Feel free to experiment with your own healthy carbs, as long as they are dog friendly!<\/em><\/p>\n\n
\namylopectin, maltodextrins<\/p>\n
\nfibrous carbohydrates, the type the body can break down.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nDo dogs \u201cneed\u201d carbs?<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nWhy feed carbs to dogs?<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nA key to healthy carbs<\/h3>\n
\nCarbs <\/strong>to try<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nto lower these foods\u2019 goitrogens)<\/p>\n
\nraisins, which are toxic)<\/p>\n\u2004Feel free to experiment with your own healthy carbs, as long as they are dog friendly!<\/em><\/p>\n\n