By Stephen Khang, KR Natural Pet Products

What are free radicals? They sound dangerous – and they are. You may have read about them recently in connection with the aging process and degenerative diseases. How are they formed? What kind of damage do they do? Most importantly how does the body protect itself against them?

Arthritis

One of the contributing causes of arthritis is the excess accumulation of free radicals in the joint capsule – the fluid-filled sac surrounding every joint in the body.

This fluid or “joint oil” is kept healthy with the help of enzymes produced by the body. The enzymes act like soap – they clean away the free radicals – keeping the joint properly lubricated and allowing free movement. Otherwise the free radicals would slowly eat away the lining of the joint capsule causing pain and swelling.

Those with arthritic animals know the stiff painful legacy of this disease as joints get seemingly “frozen” into position.

What can be done about this? First it helps to know where free radicals come from. Free radicals are formed during normal cellular metabolism when cells take in nutrients, assimilate and utilize the nutrients, and then excrete the waste products. Some of these waste products are free radicals. Wherever you find poor quality foods being eaten, you will also find an excess of free radicals.

See our high quality arthritis supplements.

Food Link

Rancid fats and moldy grains are two leading sources of free radical production in both animals and humans. Where do they come from?

Fat is an essential ingredient in any diet. Rancidity is caused by oxidation of fats during processing and storage of foods. Mold often occurs from storage conditions. Often chemicals which are sprayed or added to foods to help control other problems increase free radical production in foods. Chemicals and pollutants in our air, water, and food supply also significantly increase free radical production in the body.

Free radicals, if they are not neutralized by antioxidants, will cause damage to the body’s tissue systems.

There is, however, protection. Many cases of arthritis will respond effectively and quickly to a carefully selected diet of fresh foods avoiding rancid fats, moldy grains and chemicals that are often present in processed commercial foods. Since most owners must rely on the convenience of commercial foods, it becomes doubly important to supplement their animal’s diets with antioxidants.

SOD and Catalase

A highly affective antioxidant is the enzyme combination of Super-Oxide Dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT).

These two enzymes are produced in the cells of both animals and humans. We are each born with an enzyme “bank”. Babies have twice as much SOD – catalase as adults. These SOD-catalase enzymes are the most effective free radical destroyers. They also help remove other poisons and toxins.

The body’s ability to produce SOD – catalase decreases with age. There is good evidence that over time the excessive use of the body’s enzyme systems also decreases this enzyme production. Sparing the body’s enzyme “bank” or reserve by consuming raw foods that are rich in enzymes helps solve this free radical problem.

Another solution is to take SOD – catalase enzyme supplements. The most effective are derived from specially grown wheat sprouts. The wheat sprout tablet form of SOD – catalase is the most beneficial source of antioxidant protection because they are whole foods and contain both ‘live’ enzymes and all the nutritional co-factors needed for complete utilization.

These supplements have proven to be very helpful for arthritis and other geriatric degenerative problems in my practice as well as in the practice of other veterinarians throughout the country. SOD – catalase supplements are harmless and do not have any negative side-effects.

The amount given depends on the size of the animal and also on the severity of the condition. Sometimes amounts of six or more tablets are given daily to more quickly reduce the build-up of free radicals and other toxins in the body. This reduces the pain and inflammation of the condition allowing the veterinarian to prescribe lower doses as needed. Relief of free radical toxins also promotes vitality and speeds healing when an animal is injured or undergoes surgery.

Rather than treating arthritis and other degenerative problems in animals with heavy doses of steroids and other drugs – which have harmful side effects – we can instead rely on the use of these simple effective whole food antioxidants that work in harmony with the body assisting it in its daily routine, helping to alleviate pain, discomfort, and disease.

IMPORTANT!  The recommendations in this article are general suggestions for treating your pet naturally.  It is important to look at each pet individually and determine what works best for YOUR pet. 

I would highly consider an phone consultation.  A consultation will include a personalized diet and holistic program suggestions, all custom-tailored to your pet’s personal needs. This is particularly imperative in pets with complicated health issues, or if you’ve done outside reading and have conflicting information.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Purely Pets today!