A lot has been written about the dangers of feeding kelp (seaweed) to animals (and humans). To quote Owens & Huntington in "What's in a Label", seaweed contains "lots of iodine and precious little of anything else". They warn of iodine toxicity, amongst other things.
Let me explain what nonsense that is. Firstly, kelp contains 46 minerals, 16 amino acids and 11 vitamins. Hardly” precious little of anything else”. Secondly, the level of iodine in a good batch of kelp is negligible. If fed correctly (15g per day) the level of iodine is way below toxic levels.
Juliette de Bairacli Levy was the first to recommend seaweed as a nutritional supplement for animals, in the 1930s. Veterinarians of the day mocked her suggestion, but today she has been proved to have been correct. Kelp is now widely used and accepted as a valuable and inexpensive feed supplement for all livestock including horses and dogs.
Kelp is: anti-inflammatory, demulcent, emollient, protective against radiation, anti-cancer, anti-tumour, antibiotic, immuno-stimulant, anti-viral and soothing to intestinal mucosa.
The alginates in kelp:
- assist in the prevention of absorption of toxic metals like mercury, cadmium, plutonium and cesium.
- protect the body against radiation.
In dogs, it is recommended by Martin Zucker (The Veterinarians’ Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs”) for cancer, heart disease, mange, old age, stool eating and thyroid gland regulation.
Hilary Page Self (A Modern Horse Herbal) says that kelp is “used extensively for underactive thyroid, and as an excellent source of minerals for the body and used externally for compresses to reduce inflammation and arthritic pain.”
All in all, kelp is an excellent all-round supplement. Just be sure to obtain from a reliable source (like The Herbal Horse or The Herbal Pet). Kelp grown in polluted water can contain unacceptable levels of contaminants.
Showing posts with label dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dogs. Show all posts
Sunday, March 29, 2009
5-HTP versus Tryptophan
When your brain wants to send a message from one neuron to the next, it uses chemical substances called neurotransmitters. One of the major neurotransmitters in the brain is called serotonin. Studies in animals and humans have revealed that serotonin is responsible for feelings of well being, calmness, relaxation, confidence and concentration.
So, what happens if you don't have enough serotonin? Fear, aggression, anxiety. But serotonin deficiency is often simply due to dietary imbalances. Easy to fix.
This is how serotonin is made in the body:Tryptophan (an amino acid) is converted into 5-HTP (another amino acid) which in turn, is converted into serotonin (a neurotransmitter).
When we first started making herbal products, we formulated Calm mix using tryptophan. But we encountered a problem - the product seemed to become less effective with time.
A bit of research showed us where we were going wrong:
1. Tryptophan doesn't pass easily from the blood into the brain.
2. It is also used to make proteins - hence some of it is used elsewhere.
3. The liver breaks it down to a mildly toxic substance.
4. It feeds back on itself, and inhibits its own conversion to serotonin.
Because of these problems, we switched to using 5-HTP. 5-Hydroxy Tryptophan (5-HTP) is also a completely natural substance, derived from the seed pods of Griffonia, a West African plant. Side effects are very rare and 5-HTP has been shown to be VERY effective.
As far as I have seen, our Calm mix is the only product for horses which uses 5-HTP instead of tryptophan. This makes it a safer, more effective alternative.
It means that if you have a spooky, flighty horse or an overly aggressive dog, supplementation with Calm mix (for horses) or Serenity Formula (for dogs) might just help. Why don't you give it a try?
So, what happens if you don't have enough serotonin? Fear, aggression, anxiety. But serotonin deficiency is often simply due to dietary imbalances. Easy to fix.
This is how serotonin is made in the body:Tryptophan (an amino acid) is converted into 5-HTP (another amino acid) which in turn, is converted into serotonin (a neurotransmitter).
When we first started making herbal products, we formulated Calm mix using tryptophan. But we encountered a problem - the product seemed to become less effective with time.
A bit of research showed us where we were going wrong:
1. Tryptophan doesn't pass easily from the blood into the brain.
2. It is also used to make proteins - hence some of it is used elsewhere.
3. The liver breaks it down to a mildly toxic substance.
4. It feeds back on itself, and inhibits its own conversion to serotonin.
Because of these problems, we switched to using 5-HTP. 5-Hydroxy Tryptophan (5-HTP) is also a completely natural substance, derived from the seed pods of Griffonia, a West African plant. Side effects are very rare and 5-HTP has been shown to be VERY effective.
As far as I have seen, our Calm mix is the only product for horses which uses 5-HTP instead of tryptophan. This makes it a safer, more effective alternative.
It means that if you have a spooky, flighty horse or an overly aggressive dog, supplementation with Calm mix (for horses) or Serenity Formula (for dogs) might just help. Why don't you give it a try?
The Way of the Future is the Way of the Past
There are two main types of natural remedies that are administered orally (by mouth) to animals: herbal and homeopathic remedies. People often get confused between the two. I'd like to briefly explain the differences between the two.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of medicine very difficult to describe. This is because no one, not even the best of homeopaths, knows exactly how it works. Homeopathic remedies consist of very diluted solutions of substances to resolve symptoms that they would, in higher doses, cause. Say, for example you have a red itchy rash - a homeopathic dilution of urtica (stinging nettle, which would normally cause a red, itchy rash) would cure it. How fascinating is that!
The original substance in the dilution is usually natural - of plant, animal or mineral origin. This is progressively diluted (1 part to 100 each time), with violent shaking each time, up to 30 times. In molecular terms, it is very unlikely that any of the original substance exists in the final dilution. Yet somehow, a "memory" of the original substance remains and this triggers a healing response in the animal's body.
Herbalism
Herbal medicines are not diluted in this way. They are usually administered in the concentrated form or as a relatively strong solution. Consequently, they do not have the "opposite to expected" effect that homeopathic remedies do. (In other words, stinging nettle in an undiluted form causes a red itchy rash.)
Herbs consist of a "cocktail" of molecules, some of which are therapeutic in some way, some not. In fact, the effects and sometimes even the identities of all of the molecules present in herbs are not always known. Scientists, trying to pin down the therapeutic action of herbs to one molecule have come up with problems. For example, the anti-depressant qualities of St John's Wort were attributed to a molecule in the plant called hypericin. But synthetically manufactured hypericin had relatively little anti-depressant action. It was then discovered that several other molecules present in St John's Wort contributed to the anti-depressant action. (Message: don't mess with nature!)
History
Herbalism is a much older art than homeopathy. The use of herbs dates back to the Ancients Hippocrates (468 BC). Homeopathy was developed by a German doctor called Samuel Hahnemann in 1796.
Trends
The use of both forms of medicine, as well as other alternative therapies, is growing in recent years, for both humans and animals. This is partly a response to the failure of synthetic pharmaceuticals to treat the problem as a whole. Doctors and vets have tended to prescribe drugs to treat the symptoms of a disease, instead of treating the root problem. Holistic practitioners, on the other hand, using both homeopathic and herbal medicines where appropriate, look at the entire picture and treat each individual uniquely. Also, instead of treating the animal after catastrophe has struck, natural medical practitioners believe in maintaining good health in order to prevent disease. This said, it must be remembered that, in some circumstances, it is vital to call a vet and in no circumstances would it be wise to delay this.
So...This article is not intended to advocate either discipline - Herbalism or Homeopathy. It is intended to advocate a holistic approach to pet care.
Disillusionment with modern synthetic medicines has bought about a gradual, but definite growth in natural medicine. In recent years this has become known as the "herbal renaissance". This trend, which began in humans, has extended to horses and other animals. Animal owners are no longer relying solely on vets for advice. They are becoming more and more likely to consult alternative practitioners such as homeopaths, herbalists, chiropractics, etc.
In the words of Wendy Pearson of the Equine Research Centre in Ontario, Canada: "The way of the future is the way of the past".
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of medicine very difficult to describe. This is because no one, not even the best of homeopaths, knows exactly how it works. Homeopathic remedies consist of very diluted solutions of substances to resolve symptoms that they would, in higher doses, cause. Say, for example you have a red itchy rash - a homeopathic dilution of urtica (stinging nettle, which would normally cause a red, itchy rash) would cure it. How fascinating is that!
The original substance in the dilution is usually natural - of plant, animal or mineral origin. This is progressively diluted (1 part to 100 each time), with violent shaking each time, up to 30 times. In molecular terms, it is very unlikely that any of the original substance exists in the final dilution. Yet somehow, a "memory" of the original substance remains and this triggers a healing response in the animal's body.
Herbalism
Herbal medicines are not diluted in this way. They are usually administered in the concentrated form or as a relatively strong solution. Consequently, they do not have the "opposite to expected" effect that homeopathic remedies do. (In other words, stinging nettle in an undiluted form causes a red itchy rash.)
Herbs consist of a "cocktail" of molecules, some of which are therapeutic in some way, some not. In fact, the effects and sometimes even the identities of all of the molecules present in herbs are not always known. Scientists, trying to pin down the therapeutic action of herbs to one molecule have come up with problems. For example, the anti-depressant qualities of St John's Wort were attributed to a molecule in the plant called hypericin. But synthetically manufactured hypericin had relatively little anti-depressant action. It was then discovered that several other molecules present in St John's Wort contributed to the anti-depressant action. (Message: don't mess with nature!)
History
Herbalism is a much older art than homeopathy. The use of herbs dates back to the Ancients Hippocrates (468 BC). Homeopathy was developed by a German doctor called Samuel Hahnemann in 1796.
Trends
The use of both forms of medicine, as well as other alternative therapies, is growing in recent years, for both humans and animals. This is partly a response to the failure of synthetic pharmaceuticals to treat the problem as a whole. Doctors and vets have tended to prescribe drugs to treat the symptoms of a disease, instead of treating the root problem. Holistic practitioners, on the other hand, using both homeopathic and herbal medicines where appropriate, look at the entire picture and treat each individual uniquely. Also, instead of treating the animal after catastrophe has struck, natural medical practitioners believe in maintaining good health in order to prevent disease. This said, it must be remembered that, in some circumstances, it is vital to call a vet and in no circumstances would it be wise to delay this.
So...This article is not intended to advocate either discipline - Herbalism or Homeopathy. It is intended to advocate a holistic approach to pet care.
Disillusionment with modern synthetic medicines has bought about a gradual, but definite growth in natural medicine. In recent years this has become known as the "herbal renaissance". This trend, which began in humans, has extended to horses and other animals. Animal owners are no longer relying solely on vets for advice. They are becoming more and more likely to consult alternative practitioners such as homeopaths, herbalists, chiropractics, etc.
In the words of Wendy Pearson of the Equine Research Centre in Ontario, Canada: "The way of the future is the way of the past".
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