[healthypets.mercola.com]
Is Your Pet Getting Too Much Dietary Fiber... or Not Enough?
November 19, 2012
Dr. Karen Becker Discusses Dietary Fiber
7:42 Minute Video
[www.youtube.com]
Download Interview Transcript […see below…]
By Dr. Becker

Story at-a-glance
• Dietary fiber is defined as complex carbohydrates that are resistant to digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract.
• When most people think of fiber, they think of plant fiber. However, the fur, bone, cartilage, tendons and ligaments of prey animals also function as fiber in the intestine of wild canines and felines, and recent research indicates this type of fiber is especially beneficial for cats.
• Fiber can be soluble, insoluble, fermentable, non-fermentable, or a combination. The fiber found in most commercial pet food includes beet pulp, grain hulls, guar gum, oat and other bran, peanut shells, and powdered cellulose (which is a fancy word for wood pulp).
• Many commercial pet foods contain entirely too much biologically inappropriate fiber. Other foods, including some raw food diets, can contain too little.
• There are several natural ingredients you can add to your pet’s diet – no matter what type of food you feed – to increase fiber content.

[mercola.fileburst.com]
Dr. Karen Becker Discusses Dietary Fiber
By: Dr. Karen Becker