Importance Of Minerals In Dog Food
“You can trace every sickness, every disease, and every ailment to a mineral deficiency.”
According to two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling PhD
That’s a pretty powerful statement.
What I can tell you is from my own personal experience in trying to get healthier, deal with heart health issues of my own, and learning as much as I can about balanced diets….. Minerals Matter, and can change how your body functions and feels.
Minerals are essential nutrients that are needed in order for the body to function properly. They are essential for many different processes in the body, including cell growth, muscle contraction, and nervous system function.
The soil we grow our foods is becoming significantly depleted of minerals. Therefore we are not getting them in our food.
When we look at kibble based diets or even home cooked dog foods (remember the typical skinless chicken, rice and some green beans) — many vitamins and minerals are missing from the diet.
Your Dog Needs Minerals That Include:
Potassium — helps to control brain function, muscle function & nerve impulses.'
Food sources include: fruits, veggies, dairy and grain
Copper — supports red blood cell production, nerve cell health. Helps form collagen, bone and connective tissues
Food Sources include: seafood, legumes, nuts, vegetables, whole grains,
Iron — essential to supply oxygen to the body.
Food Sources include: Red Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes
Phosphorus — needs to be paired with calcium and helps with bones, teeth, proper growth, and cellular protection & repair.
Food sources include: animal tissues, meat, fish, dairy
Calcium — good for the bones, teeth, and cartilage. Calcium supports good blood clotting function and supports neuromuscular, cardiovascular, immune & endocrine systems.
Food sources include: dairy products, sardines w/ bones, bone, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans
Other Macronutrients are important too — zinc, iodine, selenium, manganese, magnesium, sulfur
A lack of minerals in the diet can lead to various health problems. For example, a lack of iron can lead to anemia, which is a condition where the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. This can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and an irregular heartbeat. A lack of calcium can lead to osteoporosis, which is a condition where the bones become weak and fragile. A lack of magnesium can lead to muscle cramps, anxiety, and headaches. A zinc deficiency can lead to skin and ear infections.
Kibble manufacturers are required to add in certain Vitamins and Minerals to “balance” nutrition in the bag, but unfortunately most vitamins and minerals added to kibble are synthetic. In fast, most drug store brands may be synthetic as well. Now some vitamins and minerals are better than none — but most of it may be flowing out the back end rather than being absorbed and used by the body.
I find lots of people recommending lots of supplements, but just like brands of oils, brands of CBD, or any other products we use on or in our body — we need to do a little research on supplement choices and quality.
Supplements are potentially life changing if we can’t get what we need in our food — and many times we just can’t. Learn more about them and explore where you and your dog may need a boost.
A great source of whole-food Vitamin-Mineral supplementation is Endurance from Volhard. It’s recommended for all kibble feeders & home cooks who aren’t quite certain that they are meeting the complete Vitamin Mineral needs in their recipe (hint, most are not)