RE: [RC] Empower, XTN and rice bran - Susan E. Garlinghouse, DVM
I think it’s easy to go overboard in calculating the
exact, precise ratios of omega threes and sixes and nines and twenty-fours,
when the reality is that we still really don’t know exactly what the
ideal ratio really is. Most of the research in this area has been in
small animal dermatology trials and every month, there’s new information
that a different ratio (higher omega threes compared to omega six) seems to
benefit different conditions. That being the case, I don’t spend a
lot of time with spreadsheets deciding whether an animal needs an extra
teaspoon of flax compared to a half teaspoon of rice bran. I like flax
seed, and if I’m adding some of the other fat sources that provide a
bioactive source of omega-anythings, then I generally add some extra flax seed
as well so that the odds are good I’m feeding substantially more
omega-threes than omega-six. In some cases, I feed quite a bit of flax
seed---the arguments against its theoretic toxicity, etc are pretty much
baloney, and I’m perfectly happy feeding several pounds of it when called
for. If I were really feeding more than a pound or so a day, I would
crunch it through a spreadsheet to check the mineral ratios. Feeding more
omega-sixes etc lends itself to a fatty acid pathway that is more inflammatory
than the anti-inflammatory pathways lent by omega-3s, but it’s a relative
issue. Feeding omega sixes doesn’t mean that your horses hocks will
burst into flames or anything, its more that you’ve just lost an
opportunity to provide an anti-inflammatory source. Does that make
sense? It’s sort of like not taking advantage of your frequent flyer
mile program---maybe you’ve given up a free trip to Reno, but by doing
so, it doesn’t mean your aircraft is guaranteed to go down in flames.
There are numerous discussions in the archives about feeding
flax seed whole, freshly ground (or kept in the freezer) and/or cooking.
Whole is fine but you’re losing a lot of the benefits if you haven’t
done something to disrupt the seed coat, but at least you’ll have fat and
shiny birdies picking through your horse’s poop, and it’s certainly
the most convenient way of feeding flax and getting even a small amount of
benefit from doing so. Grinding is ideal, but labor-intensive and for me,
tends to be a good occupation/excuse for watching a movie on the weekends while
still being useful. There are flax meal products available on the market,
but I get suspicious of their shelf-stable claims and if I really needed to add
omega-3s, I’d take the time to grind it fresh myself and store it in the
freezer. Cooking will disrupt the seed coat, but then also renders the omega
fatty acids inactive, so it just becomes a source of fat calories without the
additional benefits of the omega-3s, so why bother.
JMO.
Susan Garlinghouse, DVM
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Nancy Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 10:14 AM To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] Empower, XTN and rice bran
I
was told that rice bran has the incorrect ratio of omega 3 to 6’s.
My understanding is this improper balance can cause inflammation. I was
told that flax seed has the proper balance of omega 3 to 6’s. If
this is correct you may need to just replace the rice bran with flax seed and
see how that changes your mare. Of course you then need to decide if you
are going to grind, cook or just feed the flax seed straight. My
apologies if this muddies up the discussion. Perhaps a vet can chime in
(Dr G?) as to whether or not my assumption is correct or not.
On
the same vein, I was also told black oil sunflower seeds also have the
incorrect balance of 3 to 6’s. Is that true? Sorry to add
more questions to the discussion, but I hope it will help in the long run.
And of course, I am considering caning my horses feed too!
Nancy
Reed (off to ride in this beautiful weather)
