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Digestive Enzymes Essential for Dogs Overall Health
Digestive Enzymes are absolutely essential for the overall health of the organism.
They are produced by the Pancreas to break food down into nutrients small enough to be transferred from the intestines (through the Cilia) into the blood stream where they are utilized to build body parts and supply cellular energy.
For thousands of years dogs got supplemental enzymes in the raw meat they ate, but cooking food kills most of the natural enzymes. Their Pancreas has a limited ability to produce digestive enzymes and producing enzymes is very energy intensive so adding enzymes to the food saves energy and increases effectiveness of energy transmission.
Dogs, unlike humans, have very short intestines so there is less time for the digestive process to take place and the presence of digestive enzymes to accelerate the breakdown is very beneficial..
Adding Digestive Enzymes is a huge help to the System for the following reasons:
1) Adding Enzymes replaces the natural enzymes in the food that are destroyed by the heat of cooking. Enzymes added to dog food must be sprayed on after the kibble is cooked and has cooled down.
2) Added Enzymes initiate the digestive process sooner to help ensure the complete breakdown of the food
3) Enzymes reduce the energy drain on the overall system. Eating, digesting, and eliminating uses 45% to 50% of the bodies available energy and it can be even higher if the body is getting low quality ingredients and must work harder to break them down.
4) Enzymes reduce the stress on the Liver which is responsible for cleaning up the effects of poorly digested food in the system.
5) Enzymes save energy that goes toward strengthening the immune system, rebuilding damaged tissues and helps maintain robust health.
6) Adding digestive Enzymes helps prevent the development of Allergies when there is a Leaky Gut condition.
The three main Enzymes which are important to be included in dog food are Protease for Protein, Lipase for Fat, and Amylase for Starches. Cellulase, Lactase, and Hemicellulase, are also very helpful in breaking down plant based nutrients.
Plant based Digestive Enzymes are more effective because they can withstand stomach acid.
Allergies are created when the dog develops a Leaky Gut condition usually due to diets of high glycemic carbohydrates like grain products, potatoes , sweet potatoes, or sugar in any form) or the overuse of Anti-Biotics.
Leaky Gut is a condition where the cells that line the inside of the gut (called Enterocytes) develop spaces between their joints that allow fecal matter from the colon to pass through the gut wall into the blood stream (hence the name “Leaky Gut”).
When partially digested pieces of protein get through the gut wall into the blood stream the immune system identifies them as invading pathogens and creates cells to attack them if it encounters them again, which has a similar effect as an allergic reaction. This does not happen if the proteins are thoroughly broken down into their individual amino acids by digestive enzymes.
