Cape Town - The Banting diet can go to the dogs.
No, really – animal nutrition expert Paul Jacobsen from Vondi’s Holistic Pet Nutrition recently published a blog post on why canned meat and pellets are like fast food for dogs, and our four-legged friends would be much healthier on Banting.
“I am a huge supporter of Professor Tim Noakes and the Banting diet,” Jacobsen said. “I can find no reason why a Banting diet would not be perfect for dogs.”
He said the canned meat or pellets commonly fed to dogs failed to meet their nutritional needs by overloading either on processed carbs or acidic meat.
Advocating for carb-free canines, Jacobsen said the value of a good diet is all in the pH.
“The true judge as to whether a diet is ‘perfect’ for both dog and human is based on whether it is able to provide the correct pH balances, with a leaning towards alkalinity,” he said. “The Banting Diet, promoted by Professor Tim Noakes, fulfils this requirement.”
Jacobsen said the high-fat nature of the diet helped maintain correct pH, because fat did not significantly raise or lower acidity. In addition, in Noakes’s Real Meal Revolution recipes, the acidity of the meat is balanced out by alkaline vegetables.
“Looking at commercial pet foods in pellet or kibble form, it is quite clear why such diets cannot perform,” Jacobsen said. “The main ingredients are refined carbs – brewers rice, wheat and corn gluten, potato meal, soya meal and animal meals. Such refined carbs are rated as extremely acidic and their contribution way overrides any alkaline ingredients that may come from this diet.”
But it won’t do to feed your pet pure meat either, whether it’s raw or cooked.
“In the last few years, there has been a trend to feed our companion animals a high raw meat diet,” Jacobsen said. “Meat, too, is extremely acidic. Acidosis will lead to inflamed cells, reduce immunity and an array of health ailments like skin disorders, arthritis and the formation of kidney stones.”
A June study conducted by animal science researchers in California showed that dogs fed a diet of whole foods instead of kibble and cans experienced improvements in health.
“The recent landmark veterinary studies support what human nutritionists have been advising for decades – stay clear of heavily processed foods, and eat wholesome, balanced meals that are prepared fresh from the highest quality ingredients available, are lightly cooked, and have no preservatives. This same advice appears to be true for our canine best friends.”
Cape Argus