Pet Food Benefits: Antioxidants | Diamond Pet Foods

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High-quality pet food ingredients provide the nutrients needed for pets to live happy, healthy lives, but did you know that some pet food ingredients have added benefits? When used as part of a complete and balanced diet, these ingredients (called functional ingredients) can provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Let’s take a look at one of those added benefits: antioxidants.

What are antioxidants?

The term antioxidant is probably familiar, as it’s commonly used in human health, but what exactly is an antioxidant? The answer to this question requires a quick lesson in Biochemistry 101, as it involves oxygen, missing electrons, and unstable molecules called free radicals.

During normal metabolism, the body produces free radicals, unstable molecules that contain oxygen and have an odd number of electrons (the negatively charged particles of an atom). This makes them reactive and charged with stealing an electron from molecules essential to maintaining animal health. Stealing the electron damages the other molecule and sets off a chain reaction of free radical production, as the damaged molecule can also become a free radical.

Antioxidants are the heroes, saving the day by controlling free radical production and protecting important molecules in the body. They do this using a number of methods, including neutralizing free radicals by giving them an electron. Antioxidants are stable enough that they can spare an electron without becoming a free radical themselves.

However, if more free radicals are produced than there are antioxidants to control them, health problems, such as cancer and heart disease, can occur. Some antioxidants are produced by the body, but it’s also important that your pet’s food ingredients contain antioxidant properties to help keep your pet healthy and control free radicals.

Antioxidant Health Benefits

As part of a complete and balanced diet, antioxidants can help keep pets healthy by protecting them from the damaging effects of free radicals. Antioxidants help support the development of the immune system of puppies and kittens and can help their immune system respond to vaccinations. The immune system of older pets can be helped by antioxidants, as older pets have an increased production of free radicals due to the aging process. Antioxidants can also make a healthy difference on the outside by promoting healthy skin and a shiny coat.

Sources of Antioxidants in Pet Foods

Antioxidants can come from a number of different ingredients in your pet’s food. From ancient grains like chia seeds and quinoa, which have a naturally high concentration of antioxidants, to superfoods like blueberries, oranges, spinach, and carrots, there are many natural sources of antioxidants available. See below for some examples of ingredients in Diamond pet food formulas that are a source of antioxidants to help support a healthy lifestyle for your pets.

If you’re wondering about an ingredient in a Diamond brand dog or cat food and why it’s there, be sure to check out our ingredient glossary, email us or call our service team. customer at 800-442-0402.

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