“Carrots are good for your eyes.”
This is one of those old-fashioned health tips that can actually be backed up by modern science. Carrots do have high concentrations of vitamins that help maintain good eye health and vision. And increasingly, pet owners are starting to wonder if what’s good for people is also good for dogs. It turns out that beta carotene has the same great health benefits for dogs as it does for people. So what do dog owners need to know about the health benefits of beta carotene?
What is beta carotene?
Beta carotene (B-carotene) is classified as a carotenoid. These chemicals give foods their bright orange, red, or yellow coloring. Carrots, naturally, are high in beta carotene, but other foods such as peppers and tomatoes also carry it. Beta carotene is an antioxidant, which protects against cell damage by soaking up free radicals. It is also the precursor to vitamin A. Our bodies, and those of our dogs, make vitamin A out of beta-carotene.
What does beta carotene do?
Beta carotene is a powerful nutrient in its own right. As an antioxidant, it soaks up free radicals in a dog’s body. Free radicals are unstable chemicals left over from reactions in the body. They are influenced by environmental factors such as pollution or too much sun exposure. These chemicals can cause major cell damage if not neutralized by antioxidants such as B-carotene.
B-carotene has a positive effect on many of your dogs’ bodily functions. Clinical trials have shown that dogs supplemented with B-carotene have a heightened immune response, which protects them from illness and infection. Increased immune response is especially helpful to puppies and older dogs. Other studies have shown that B-carotene can improve reproductive function in dogs. While it is not known exactly why B-carotene has these effects, it is assumed that the antioxidant properties play a key role.
Once B-carotene is converted into vitamin A, it goes on to have a wide range of health benefits. The most well-known function of vitamin A is in eye health and sight. It also plays a role in skin and coat health. Dogs with a deficiency can suffer from decreased vision and skin sores and lesions.
While most commercial dog foods have synthetic vitamin A, very few contain B-carotene. Natural B-carotene is not able to stand up to the harsh processing that most commercial dog foods go through. Manufacturers are starting to add whole vegetable chunks such as yam and carrot to their food to get some of the B-carotene benefits that cannot be covered through vitamin A alone. Dog owners that would like to supplement their dogs with B-carotene can simply feed them carrots! They can be chopped up and added to the diet, or given as low-calorie treats throughout the day.
Sources
Dr. Martin Karutz. Stable B-carotene Formulation for Pet Food. DSM Nutritional Products
The Dog Food Project Vitamin A
More Dog Nutrition Articles
Nutritional Tips for Senior Dogs
Importance of Fiber in Your Dog’s Diet
Healthy Teeth for Dogs: Vitamins and Minerals
