Let's look at some of the most recent research on human nutrition:
"Consuming a diet rich in plant foods will provide a milieu of phytochemicals - nonnutritive substances in plants that possess health-protective benefits."
"Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, herbs, nuts and seeds contain an abundance of phenolic compounds, terpenoids, sulfur compounds, pigments, and other natural antioxidants that have been associated with protection from and/or treatment of conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer."
Craig W, Beck L. Phytochemicals: Health Protective Effects. Can J Diet Pract Res. 1999 Summer;60(2):78-84.
Many of these phytonutrients are not heat stable, especially when cooked extensively, as with commercial dog foods.
Considering the high temperature, high pressure, and processing that commercial dog foods receive, we can expect that these dog foods are totally devoid of the beneficial nutrients mentioned by Dr. Craig in this well-respected study.
In recent years, the practice of recommending commercial diets as the only source of food for dogs has come under increasing scrutiny, often by trained animal nutritionists.
It has been stated by one veterinarian with a Ph.D. in nutrition that we "are killing our pets with commercial diets". Most dog and human holistic doctors agree that the best diets are those with home-prepared foods that are at least part of the diet.
Many conventional veterinarians will at least agree that diets will improve when we offer some fresh foods and use variety.
"I have seen the health of almost all dogs deteriorate, in general, when fed commercial diets. Conversely, when my canine patients are placed on wholesome diets, fully a third of the dogs that arrive in our practice diagnosed with a chronic, incurable disease return to complete health just by the change in diet!" He said.
