Understanding Free Radicals
May 14, 2011 by Paris Permenter and John Bigley
Filed under Health, Tips
Free radicals. No, it’s not a political slogan. Most of us have heard the term but I never really understood what it meant. I’m ashamed to say that the term always provoked a humorous response in me as I visualized tiny bits of matter resembling Leon Trotsky bouncing around inside an organism. I guess I just wasn’t paying attention, instead, hearing echoes of my hippie days.
Well, I now have a better understanding of free radicals, thanks to an eye-opening information session at the Pedigree headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. We were there with a group of pet bloggers to learn more about pet nutrition and to evaluate how recently reformulated Pedigree brand pet foods meet the nutritional requirements of dogs. We learned a lot from these sessions and will focus on some of the other aspects of dog nutrition in future posts.
Pedigree, through their research facility in Waltham, England, has developed a comprehensive theory of dog nutrition. This theory is expressed as involving four general needs: 1) a healthy skin and coat, 2) healthy gums and teeth, 3) healthy digestion, and 4) a healthy immune system.
It is the latter need which is concerned with the theory of free radicals which are essentially damaged molecules with a single unpaired electron. In the body’s cells (in animals and humans), high concentrations of free radicals are associated with deterioration of the organism and are also suspected of having a direct role in the onset of cancers, arthritis, diabetes, cataracts, and other debilitating conditions. These unstable compounds can be produced in living cells through stress, age, or disease.
Against this barrage of free radicals, proper nutrition containing antioxidant agents can mitigate the effects of free radicals by boosting a dog’s immune system. Research at the Waltham Institute has established that nutrients such as zinc and copper, in proper amounts, as well as ingredients containing Vitamins E and C can directly boost a dog’s immune system.
Since dogs spend much of their time investigating their environment by sniffing and licking, their immune system needs to be strong enough to cope with various pathogens they invariably pick up. Combating those free radicals is definitely something we should consider when choosing a diet for our dogs.
–John
For More Information:
- visit www.pedigree.com
Photo credit: Clipart.com
About Paris Permenter and John Bigley
DogTipper publishers Paris Permenter and John Bigley are a husband-wife team of full-time writers. The couple has authored over two dozen books and 2,500+ magazine articles.
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