Nutrition: Is it Directed by Modern Science, Ancient Code or Both? Meg SmartDVM, PhD

To understand nutrition a nutritionist must keep an open mind and be familiar with many of the disciplines that impact on or are influenced by nutrition. The following is an incomplete list:

·       Soil and plant sciences

o   Factors that impact on nutrient availability

·       Animal science:

o   behaviour

o   environment, climate, housing

o   water quality and supply

·       Veterinary Medicine

o   livestock and pet wellness

o   toxicology

o   immunology

o   physiology and patho- physiology  

·       Cellular  biology

·       Microbiology

·       Genetics

The following definitions apply to the topics that I will be covering in this paper (These definitions with much more detail can be found in Wikipedia):

·       Epigenetics:

o   “Functionally relevant changes to the genome that do not involve a change in the nucleotide sequence. Examples of mechanisms that produce such changes are DNA methylation and histone modification, each of which alters how genes are expressed without altering the underlying DNA sequence. Gene expression can be controlled through the action of repressor proteins that attach to silencer regions of the DNA. These epigenetic changes may last through cell divisions for the duration of the cell's life, and may also last for multiple generations even though they do not involve changes in the underlying DNA sequence of the organism instead, non-genetic factors cause the organism's genes to behave (or "express themselves") differently”

·       Nutrigenomics:

o    the scientific study of the interaction of nutrition and genes, especially with regard to the prevention or treatment of disease

o   is the study of the effects of foods and food constituents on gene expression

·       Metabolomics:

o   The scientific study of the set of metabolites present within an organism, cell, or tissue.  

o   is the "systematic study of the unique chemical fingerprints that specific cellular processes leave behind"

o    The metabolome represents the collection of all metabolites in a biological cell, tissue, organ or organism, which are the end products of cellular processes

·       Generational effects of nutrition

All natural ecosystems experience variability in food availability necessitating organisms to adapt to these times of shortages through phenotypic plasticity depending on the life stage involved especially during a juvenile state and can cause irreversible changes in them in adult hood or even further into the next generation.

·       Nutriepigenomics:

Is the study of food nutrients and their effects on human health through epigenetic modifications. There is now considerable evidence that nutritional imbalances during gestation and lactation are linked to non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. If metabolic disturbances occur during critical time- windows of development, the resulting epigenetic alterations can lead to permanent changes in tissue and organ structure or function and predispose individuals to disease

Some interesting links From The Pet food Industry

Research:http://www.petfoodindustry.com/blogs/7-adventures-in-pet-food/post/5958-pet-food-needs-more-shared-science-and-research

586 dogs’ nutrition needs analyzed by scientists: http://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/5966-dogs-nutrition-needs-analyzed-by-scientists

Links to Snap by Meg Smart DVM, PhD

Apple store

Google Play

SNAP Smart Nutritional Advise for Pets

Finally my long awaited App is available through  Google Play Apps and the Apple Stores. Please ignore the screen shots as they are a disaster. If you can find the errors let me know and I will recognize you on my blog as an astute observer.

An independant review of dog foods

I was recently approached by a company called review.com this company does unbiased non partisan  reviews on a variety of topics. The following review was done after extensive research into what constitutes a desirable dog food. http://www.reviews.com/dog-food/ and is well worth reading.

SNAP Update by Meg Smart DVM,PhD

I am happy to announce that my app – SNAP: Smart Nutritional Advice for Pets – will be available in the iTunes Store and on Google Play within a week!

SNAP allows the pet guardian, nutritionist or pet store owner to keep a concise dietary and health history for the lifetime of their furry friends or clients. SNAP helps to eliminate some the guess work associated with feeding our pets by providing:

·         A personalized profile for each pet – picture, birthdate, current and target body weight, current health status, activity level, vaccines, diet, etc.

·         A personalized diet analysis  and comparison to both the current industry minimum  and the ancestral nutrient requirements  for each pet based on their individual profile as well as nutritional calculations of the food and treats currently being fed.

·         A comprehensive and exportable dietary and health history to share with your veterinarian.

Understanding your pet’s dietary requirements and the impact on their health will be a SNAP with detailed nutritional analysis of the daily food and treats you are currently feeding. Using a simple kitchen scale and the details of their present diet (manufacturer, product name, cost, dietary goals, etc.) you will be able to create a personalized diet analysis that can be adapted for new health goals and changes in the food you are feeding.

Feedback from the user community is welcome; I invite you to send me your comments and suggestions so they can be incorporated in to future versions of the app.

Thank you for your continued support!

Meg Smart, DVM PHD

petnutritionbysmart.blogspot.com

petnutritionaladvice@hotmail.com

Read on for updated Blog version:

Part 2: Who manufacturers Pet Foods by Meg Smart DVM PhD

Part2: The Pet food Manufacturers

Branded vs Private Label/Co-packing

Most pet food companies co-pack all or some of their diets. Co-packing  can involve dry and wet foods and most of the major pet food companies have some of their diets manufactured for them or they will also co-pack diets for large grocery chains such as Costco, Walmart, Loblaw’s. These chains can in fact have several co-packers making their diets. All the co-packer needs is the nutrient profile of the diet and  the company’s bags .  The co-packer may formulate the diet using their ingredients or they will use the ingredients requested by the company they are making the diet for. The company that owns the brand may not have any input as to the source of ingredients.

The only way the consumer can tell if the diet is co-packed is by looking on the label which will state: “product Manufactured for” or manufactured by.

Pet food ingredients and transparency : Is it possible? By Meg Smart DVM, PhD

Complexity of the Pet Food Industry and Why Transparency is Almost Impossible: Part 1 by Meg Smart DVM, PhD**

Introduction:

 For more detailed information pet foods visit http://truthaboutpetfood.com/about-truthaboutpetfood-com/

Take a hand full of kibble and look at it. Appearances alone will not support the marketing claims made by the manufacturer and it is very difficult to find unbiased information to support these claims. Thus you must rely on the integrity of the manufacturer. The industry claims to be highly regulated especially after the Congress in the USA passed the” Food Safety Modernization Act”. The date of implementation and enforcement of this act by the FDA has been hotly debated. Since given this responsibility the budget for the FDA has been significantly reduced making enforcement reactive instead of proactive. This article is my attempt to introduce you as pet owners how complex the pet food industry is, and how the pet food manufacturer being responsible for the quality and safety of their diets are potential “scape goats” when the big picture is disclosed. This makes it difficult for the pet owner to find definite answers.

SNAP (Smart Nutritional Advise for Pets) Soon to be released for Apple and Android Devises

Main Features of SNAP (Smart Nutritional Advice for Pets) by Marion (Meg) Smart DVM, PhD                   (petnutritionbysmart.blogs.com):

With SNAP the pet guardian can keep concise dietary and health information for each individual pet over the pet’s life. If used properly, the pet guardian will not need to guess about what they are presently feeding or what they have fed in the past.

A Tribute to Bronx Butler by Meg Smart DVM, PhD

A Tribute to Bronx Butler(May 20^th2003-Feb22nd 2016)

During my career as a veterinarian and a clinical nutritionist, certain clients and their pets have played a significant role in changing my thoughts on the role of nutrition in health and the quality of life. Veterinary therapeutic diets claim to give the veterinarian an instant “scientifically proven” way to nutritionally manage a particular disease. All the controversy surrounding the purity and safety of many of the major ingredients, the integrity of the suppliers, and the marketing strategies of the manufacturer brings into question the true nature of the science behind many of these diets sold to the pet owners.

Evolution, Nutrition, and God: My Thoughts by Marion (Meg) Smart DVM, PhD

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Why would I link nutrition to Evolution and God? What I mean by God is not the secular view but a universal one. God is responsible only for evolution and sustainability of life on earth. Once accomplished; how we conduct our lives is up to us. All life from the simplest one cell organisms to complex mammals are linked by Evolution and God.

The article is written for you to think about the evolution of life over billions of years and how all life forms are linked intimately together. I do not give references for this theory on the evolution of life but through understanding and a political will we may help preserve and stabilize the health of our planet , thus our own survival.

NUTRITION IS AS COMPLEX AS LIFE ITSELF: MEG SMART DVM PhD

I have been retired from academia for over a year now during that period of time I have had time to reflect upon my career and the impact that I might have had on the veterinary students that I was fortunate enough to teach over my academic lifetime. Although I taught in large animal medicine, pathology, clinical pathology, animal science and finally small and medicine the main focus of my academic career has been nutrition. As a veterinary student and as a new  academic, I accepted as truth what my professors and what the pet food industry representatives told me concerning nutrition.. When I started teaching nutrition I embraced pet food industry I invited them to come in and talk to my students about their products, I recommended their products to clients I really had only a superficial understanding of nutrition and its influence on both the health and longevity ourselves and pets.

SNAP Smart Nutritional Advice for Pets by Meg Smart DVM PhD. Veterinary Clinical Nutrition

SNAP Smart Nutritional Advice for Pets:  An app for android and Apple phones

SNAP will individualize the nutritional needs and the health status of pets over their life time. A pet’s current diet can be evaluated or you can use SNAP to evaluate potential diets. Treats can be included in this evaluation. SNAP is a diary of a pet's diet and health.

 No longer will guesstimates be part of a pet's dietary history.A pet's current nutrient intake can be compared to the  industry nutrient standards and/or to the ancestral or prey diet.. You   will be able to evaluate and score  pet store, specialty and  veterinary diets; both kibble or alternative, to determine if they are suitable.


SNAP is a valuable tool for pet owners, veterinarians, veterinary animal health technicians and veterinary  students, or any one interested in pet nutrition

Looking for theSafest,Healthiest Pet Foods? Good Luck with That. by Zach Carter, Senior Political Economy Reporter, The HuffingtonPost

a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pet-food-safety_55b67875e4b0a13f9d1976e7?kvcommref=mostpopular">Looking for the safest, healthiest pet food?Good Luck with that. 
This is a link to article that sums up the complex interactions among the pet food industry, government, FDA and the Food Safety Modernization Act. This was originally posted on the American Academy of Veterinary  Nutritionist Discussion site. by Craig Datz AAVN  President

A Broad Definition of Nutrition: Nutrition is more than ingredients Meg Smart DVM, PhD

Go to your backyard or the park and pick up a handful of soil, smell it,  run it through your fingers even taste , fell the texture and check the moisture. If each reader did this and then submitted their findings to me to summarize; the results in most cases would be  significantly different depending on your location.This close scrutiny of the soils still does not tell you the soil pH, nutrient content and availability, the amount of fibre and organic matter. As well we will have no idea of how healthy the soil 's microorganisms are. In many cases that soil represents the types of soil  that our food is produced on whether primary crops or as feed for livestock and poultry. But do all these different soils produce crops of similar nutrient value and do  we understand all those factors that influence the nutritional adequacy of the plants grown on soil or do we care?