DO phytonutrients really work? Meg Smart DVM , PhD

"Processed foods represent nature stripped away with little bits added  back as fortification” (Prescott and Logan 2016)

While doing research for the advanced on line nutrtion course  for Dogs naturally magazine I came across a review section on the role of a healthy gut microbiome in the production of active phyto chemicals from the relatively indigestable phytonnutrients found in the cell wall of  inggested plants (The Secret Life of  Your MIcrobiome Prescott S.L. and Logsn A,l.2017 New Society Publishers).I felt that this was important as I feel just feeding a natural source of phytonutrients to pets that are  nutririnally  and/ or environmentally stressed and sufferiing for symptoms of  chronic inflammation (diabetis,allergies, obesity, auto immunity), may not be effective unless the  associated disfunctional gut mircobiome is corrected. Life is far removed  from the benefits derived from nature. Urbanization results in diets filled with sugar, rich foods, and beverages, ultra- processed, fast foods. Our moods and that of our children are being controlled by antidepressants, anti-anxiety, attention deficit and sleep enhancing medications. 30,000 dietary supplements emphasize our need for a fix. All market propaganda promising us a better life. Stress related problems are on the rise especially in children. We see these problem in our pets as a reflection of ourselves.

QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL SENTIENT BEINGS: A UNIVERSAL RIGHT By Dr Michael W. Fox

         I would like to share with my readers This tribute written by my dear friend and collegue Michael Fox. Durig this period of pollitical uncertianty  and conflict we must heed the warnings of concerned individuals with life experieinces and before it is too late open our minds, We have a responsibilty to act and protect this planet we live on. Meg Smart DVM, PhD

  QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL SENTIENT BEINGS:  A UNIVERSAL RIGHT

                                                           By Dr. Michael W. Fox

In memory of Dr. Alan Wittbecker, (1946-2018), dear friend and my former graduate student who dedicated his life to the recovery of our humanity and the conservation and restoration of the natural environment, indigenous animal and plant species and communities with the designs of sustainable human communities and eco-economies. (See his writings at athttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7966854.Alan_Wittbecker).May his spirit live on in all we embrace.

The deteriorating human condition, paralleling and aggravating the deteriorating condition of the environment, cannot be denied unless we ignore the rapidly declining indices of quality, health, viability and sustainability of planetary life: Of ecosystems, biodiversity, individual animal and plant species and communities including indigenous human peoples along with their culture and native wisdom, many already extinct.

The planetary drivers of the rising tsunami of anthropogenic planetary dystopia---overpopulation, pollution and over-consumption, coupled with increasing emotional and cognitive detachment from the natural world---if not arrested by political, financial and educational intervention, will mean the escalation of transgenerational suffering as the wastelands spread along with famine, pestilence and war.

These drivers are surely in our reach to control since, after all, we are the drivers. To invest in the future is to commit to the present, the existential crisis of declining quality of life on Earth. Otherwise, if our “Manifest Destiny” fails to embrace the global bioethics of respect and reverence for all life, humankind will surely join the Dodo: And if not physically extinct we will be extinct in spirit, of those qualities of humility, empathy and compassion that make us human.

Are these ethical and therefore moral and political imperatives---to serve, protect and facilitate the collective good of all life--- not part of what being human means for every transient one of us on is the planet?  Or is the rising tsunami of our collective inhumanity toward forests and mountains, whales and wolves and the life community of Earth to be the nemesis of Homo sapiens? This tsunami is already upon us in the quickening and inexorable deterioration of the Earth’s climate and accelerating loss of biodiversity. President Donald Trump’s virtual dissolution of the Environmental Protection Agency and withdrawal from the international community of other industrial nations to stem climate change highlights the drivers of the nemesis of unbridled capitalism spurred by America’s 19^th century imperialistic ethos of “Manifest Destiny”. Our collective existential angst could lead us to self-destruction in a culture of bio-fascism and is pause for concern since such an absurd and ignoble destiny is not preordained by nihilism, rational materialism or religious fundamentalism but by our individual and collective states of mind and heart.

So a first step is to give equally fair consideration to all living beings with scientific understanding of their place in the life community and healthful ecosystems, and of animals’ sentience and suffering under our inhumane dominion. To rectify the pathology and harmful consequences of anthropocentrism and replace it with an evolving eco-centrism, compassionate action and service is enlightened self-interest. (For further details see Animals & Nature First by M.W Fox & Alan’s books at Amazon.com).

Generations to come will experience internecine strife and wars

 So long as we fail to control and lower our consuming and breeding scores:

 Do not try to heal the planetary sores from our poisons, sucks and gores:

Do not feel the pain, beauty and life force in all sentient cores.

 Can we not hallow all covenants of peace established through laws

That protect all life (especially the insect kingdom) with harmonizing mores?

Arguments Against the Sale of Veterinary Prescription and Wellness Diets by Veterinarians

A student paper written  as a final assignment for SACS 455 Year 3 Nutrition Elective  Western College of Veterinary Medicine;  Supervisor  Meg Smart DVM, PhD, Professor  in Clinical Nutrition

Veterinary Prescription Diet Debate

Arguments Against the Sale of Veterinary Prescription and Wellness Diets by Veterinarians

Introduction

In 400 B.C. Hippocrates stated “Let food be medicine,” and this central dogma constitutes the foundation of the practice of veterinary nutrition. According to the Veterinarian’s Oath, it is the professional and moral obligation of every practicing veterinarian to uphold the highest standards of care in order to integrate their medical knowledge with current industry standards to provide a well-rounded approach to the health and well-being of their veterinary patients, and this includes providing professional advice to clients regarding the nutrition requirements of their pets in a manner that is consistent with the principles of veterinary medical ethics. According to the Veterinarian’s Oath, it is the professional and moral obligation of every practicing veterinarian to uphold the highest standards of care. Veterinarian's must strive to integrate their medical knowledge with current industry standards in order to provide a well-rounded approach to the health and well-being of their veterinary patients. This includes providing professional advice to clients regarding the nutrition requirements of their pets in a manner that is consistent with the principles of veterinary medical ethics.

With the advent of retailing in the veterinary profession and inherent economic basis of the retail pet food market, there is some speculation that the immediate goal of providing high-quality veterinary care to our patients has taken a back seat to potential conflicts of interest associated with the use of retailing and the commercialization of the veterinary industry. The sale of “premium” pet food products for therapeutic benefit and maintenance in healthy animals is believed to constitute 10-30% of the income in many private veterinary practices and constitutes approximately 10-11% of hospital-wide profit (Jerving-Bäck and Bäck 2007), associated with an average 40% markup in price. At present, the most popular veterinary therapeutic products are Hills (Prescription Diet), Medi-cal, Purina and Iams, all of which provide not only “high quality pet nutrition” but also opportunities for financial benefit to veterinary profession in the form of feeding programs, research and educational funding and pet food merchandise, to name a few. Although the distribution of veterinary therapeutic and wellness diets through veterinary clinics has the potential to promote a more complete and balanced health care approach within the private practice setting, the constitutions underlying the use of “prescription” or “therapeutic diets” in veterinary practices are only ethical if the products provide potential benefit to the patient, if the veterinarian is not biased in their recommendation of a particular brand, and if the sale and use of these diets are not misleading to the client (Jerving-Bäck and Bäck 2007).

This article appraises relevant information regarding the potential pitfalls which may be associated with the sale and distribution of these diets due to the poor regulatory standards of pet food, the lack of superiority of veterinary therapeutic diets, the current deficit of nutritional education held by veterinarians. Veterinarians need to keep in mind that public perceptions of their nutritional recommendations are that they are “credible” and central to dietary selection.

The great nutrient collapse The atmosphere is literally changing the food we eat, for the worse. And almost nobody is paying attention. By HELENA BOTTEMILLER EVICH 09/13/2017

Micheal W Fox sent me this article  https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/09/13/food-nutrients-carbon-dioxide-000511 which should be read by all nutritionist involved with plant, anmal and human nutrition as they are all connected .Read it and think!

Evaluating Nutrional Research for Pets - Update by Meg Smart DVM, PhD

Nutrition an Ancient Science is the Cornerstone of All Animal Research The first organisms formed on earth survived if they could extract the necessary nutrients available from their environment for their survival. The science of nutrition is as old as life. Because of this association nutrition is found to impact on or influence many diverse disciplines. These complex relationships makes large scale nutrition research in both man and their companion animals difficult to control. On the other hand, small controlled studies are limited in their application to the general population. Nutrition is the cornerstone for all scientific research done on live organisms. Any research involving live plants, insects, microbes or animals is first and foremost a nutritional experiment. Unfortunately this concept is not held by many in the scientific community who study the impact of their experimental design on the research animals they use... The diets for these animals are often not described or they are commercial diets formulated to meet the book requirements for the animals studied. And not necessarily the genetic groups the researchers are using. The argument is if the diets are the same for all control and  treatment groups then there is not a problem as they are investigating the impact that a certain pharmaceutical, vaccine, genetic mutation, or myriad other alterations have on a certain outcome. But what if the genetic mutations have different nutrient requirements than the original organism, could this impact negatively or positively on the outcome of the research result? We have determined through research what the basic nutrient requirements are for many species of plants and animals.  But these survived, grew and reproduced on foods long before nutrient requirements were known.

My 50 Year Career as an Academic Teaching Veterinary Students: What Nutrition Means!

Not Fit For a Dog

Marion Smart DVM PhD

I am privileged to be a co-author of “Not fit for a dog! The truth about manufactured dog and cat food.” This book opens a new and exciting chapter in my academic career as veterinary clinical nutritionist. I have always been an academic and I would like to share with you my background and my thoughts about nutrition, the pet food industry, the veterinary curriculum, and our profession.

Nutritional education of veterinary students has changed very little over the last 40 years with the primary emphasis being on food animal production and feed stuffs. At the same time, the demographics of our students and society have changed from rural males to urban females. In keeping with these changes, the veterinary curriculum has adapted to the shifting demographics and the advances made in pharmacology, traditional medicine and surgery. Yet in most veterinary colleges, small animal nutrition is subsidized by — if not wholly dependent on — lectures, brochures, pamphlets and samples from major pet food manufacturers.  

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.