Feed the gut, protect the liver and support the brain is the recipe for optimal nutrition and a healthy dog. This statement, "feed the gut, protect the liver and support the brain" comes from Robert H. Lustig's, MD, MSL book titled Metabolical in which he meticulously explains the impact of processed food and the increasing occurrence of chronic diseases, like diabetes, hypertension and cancer in humans. He also discusses how the health span and life span of humans are declining and in turn, negatively impacting the environment.
This got me thinking about dogs. The same thing is happening to them too. Their health spans and life spans are decreasing as well. Sickness is the norm and it shouldn't be. Dr. Lustig's solution to this disease endemic is with food and not drugs. He says many chronic diseases are "foodable," not "druggable" and to "feed the gut, protect the liver and support the brain." He proposes that humans achieve health by eating real food that is low on the glycemic-index and eliminate processed foods. I truly could not agree more and believe this applies to dogs as well. Eliminate all processed food like kibble and feed a nutrient-dense diet and you can watch your dogs' chronic diseases improve or heal themselves with food alone. By feeding nutrient-dense food you are able to feed the gut, protect the liver and support the brain which will help to create optimal health.
About 2,500 years ago, Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, said, "all disease begins in the gut." Feeding your dog's gut, protecting the liver and supporting the brain is so important for their health span and life span. Every single time our dog eats, drinks, takes a medication, is vaccinated, exercises and is exposed to whatever other good or bad things in their environment, we are either helping to feed the gut and protect the liver.
The gut, also called a microbiome is made up of trillions of bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses that coexist symbiotically. When the microbiome becomes imbalanced due to infections, certain diets, extended antibiotic use or other bacteria-destroying medication, the result is dysbiosis and sickness and disease will occur. In order to feed the gut, feeding your dog foods with high quality insoluble and soluble fiber help keep glucose levels lower beginning in their microbiome. Feeding raw or home-cooked is the way to go.
A healthy diet should feed the gut, protect the liver and support the brain. The liver is the primary organ for detoxification and has limits to what it can do. Think "the dose determines the poison." So if you bombard the liver with a lot of toxins like glyphosate, BHT and or BHA, PFAs, and excessive refined seed oils or too much sugar, the result is insulin resistance and metabolic disease. You can read more on this here. In order to protect the liver, you can limit the consumption of all of the above by feeding a high-quality and nutrient dense diet, like raw or home-cooked and not kibble.
A healthy diet should feed the gut, protect the liver and support the brain. Kibble is ultra-processed and not only is extremly high in advanced glycation end products, but is also characterized by increased consumption of omega-6 fatty acids, which is linked to inflammation and a lack of omega-3 fatty acid intake, which is crucial for optimal brain health. This excess of omega-6 intake coupled with excess sugar, a high intake of refined carbohydrates and a reduced micronutrient intake is a significant driver of the major diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer that we see in humans and dogs alike.
Feed the gut, protect the liver and support the brain is the goal of nutrition and will keep your dog thriving. If you need some guidance on what to feed your dog, click here for raw, here for home-cooked and here for supplements.
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