Newsdate: July 29, 2020, 11:00 am
Location: TEMPE, Arizona
When evaluating supplements for horses prone to high insulin levels there are two basic areas to consider: the active ingredients and the base.
Horses enjoying a meal together
It takes a little vigilance to build a diet for a metabolic horse but the effort is well worth it to reduce laminitis risk.
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On the ingredients front, some things to generally avoid include:
- Added iron. These horses often have iron overload. Hays already have plenty of iron. Iron is often not listed in the analysis, so you have to check the ingredients list for items that say iron or ferrous.
- High doses of vitamin C (over 5,000 mg). High C intake can increase iron absorption and worsens oxidative stress in a high-iron environment.
- Glucosamine. While glucosamine does not disrupt glucose metabolism in normal individuals, there is evidence from humans that when there is insulin resistance, it can make it worse.
- Yucca. This herb contains compounds very similar to cortisol.
- Asian Ginseng. It stimulates insulin release. North American Ginseng or Rhodiola are safe.
- Anti-diabetic herbs used for humans. Most of these stimulate insulin release. Some examples are bitter melon (Momordica), Gymnema sylvestre and Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum).
Of great concern to many owners are the ingredients used as the base/carrier for supplements. Dextrose (glucose), maltodextrins, molasses, and grains all directly stimulate insulin release but the dose also matters. Rice and wheat brans also have starch levels high enough to trigger an insulin release.
If you spot a risky ingredient, the next step is to look at the dose. We may be talking about the difference between one bite from a Hershey kiss and the whole bag!
Let’s say your supplement dose is 20 grams and contains 10 grams of glucose. You are adding it to a meal of 2 lbs of 6% sugar and 0.3% starch hay pellets. The pellets are providing 54.5 grams of sugar. Adding the supplement takes the meal total to 64.5 and the % sugar to 7.1% – still well within safe limits.
Supplements and grain replacers/”balancers” fed in larger amounts are usually the ones you have to watch. If in doubt, get help determining the sugar and starch content.
Alfalfa is another potentially problematic element. For reasons that are still unclear, some horses have worsening of laminitis signs when they eat alfalfa. However, unless it is a true allergic reaction, where even tiny amounts could trigger a response, this is also a matter of dose. A small serving of a supplement with alfalfa in the base isn’t likely to be a problem.
There is some evidence (Loos, et al., 2019) that high protein intakes may cause an exaggerated insulin response in EMS horses. In that study, horses were fed a 12.5% ESC + starch, 31.1% protein feed, two meals of 2 g/kg (2.2 lbs for an 1,100 lb horse), 30 minutes apart, for a total intake of 4.4 lbs.
This is at least four times more than what would normally be fed. We also don’t know what the reaction would have been if the sugar + starch level were lower. For now, the best course would be to divide high protein components into multiple small meals if you need to feed them, and feed with other foods.
It takes a little vigilance to build a diet for a metabolic horse but the effort is well worth it to reduce laminitis risk.
About ECIR Group Inc.
Started in 1999, the ECIR Group is the largest field-trial database for PPID and EMS in the world and provides the latest research, diagnosis, and treatment information, in addition to dietary recommendations for horses with these conditions. Even universities do not and cannot compile and follow long term as many in-depth case histories of PPID/EMS horses as the ECIR Group.
In 2013 the Equine Cushing's and Insulin Resistance Group Inc., an Arizona nonprofit corporation, was approved as a 501(c)3 public charity. Tax deductible contributions and grants support ongoing research, education, and awareness of Equine Cushing's Disease/PPID and EMS.
THE MISSION of the ECIR Group Inc. is to improve the welfare of equines with metabolic disorders via a unique interface between basic research and real-life clinical experience. Prevention of laminitis is the ultimate goal. The ECIR Group serves the scientific community, practicing clinicians, and owners by focusing on investigations most likely to quickly, immediately, and significantly benefit the welfare of the horse.
Article by Eleanor M. Kellon, VMD - Press release provided by Nancy Collins