Pets shouldn't eat what they have a hard time digesting what they eat, right? That's just common sense! So why is it that most pet foods out there are filled with starches like rice or sweet potatoes? Probably because "Thats just how its always been," but its certainly not the scientific answer you'd expect to hear like, "It gives them the essential vitamins they can't live without," because that would be INCORRECT! They CAN live without starches and they should! Why? Here's a not-so-quick breakdown. We'll go into more detail later.
1. FACT! Carbs cause obesity and 40% of dogs in the US are overweight. Obesity is directly linked to diabetes in dogs and cancer. Conditions like these including others are exacerbated by eating too many carbs in people and pets.
2. FACT! A condition that KILLS cells throughout the body and brain, is a precursor to Diabetes, called Syndrome X. It is made worse by eating too many carbs and is the cause of many degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimers and finally to the 4th stage of canine obesity, Diabetes.
3. FACT! Cutting out carbs and starches can reduce and even eliminate yeast and fungal infections, black skin disease, allergy symptoms and slow the progression of many other diseases and cancers.
4. FACT! A recent study shows that sweet potatoes and legumes can cause heart disease in dogs. Its not a “grain-free” diet thats the problem, it the replacement of the rice with sweet potatoes and legumes thats the problem! (That study is available on NCBI.)
5. FACT! Dogs are mostly carnivores and Cats are just FULL ON carnivores. Why the haystack did anyone ever decide to add a potato and rice to pet food! To save money folks! But they had the world believing this was the right diet and no one really questioned it until the last decade and a half or so! We know better now though right??? One would hope.