This invention relates to a process involving the use of a pet food composition containing fermentable fibers to improve glucose metabolism, satiety, and nutrient absorption in companion animals such as, for example, dogs and cats.
Recent research has suggested that dietary fiber is important for its fermentation properties in the large intestine of dogs and cats. For example, Reinhart, U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,569, describes the addition of fermentable dietary fiber to a pet food composition for the purpose of maintaining normal gastrointestinal function and ameliorating chronic diarrhea in animals. Howard et al, FASEB J. (1996) 10:A257, teach that fermentable fiber consumption by dogs can result in the partition of waste nitrogen from the urine to the feces, increasing nitrogen excretion through the feces of the animal. Sunvold et al, J. Anim. Sci. (1995) 73:1099-1109, found that feeding moderately fermentable fibers to dogs could promote gastrointestinal tract health by optimizing short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in the intestines of the animals.
Certain animals, such as dogs, as well as humans, sometimes suffer from diabetes or have an impaired ability to regulate blood sugar levels. There are many causes of diabetes. Where diabetes or impaired blood glucose regulation has been diagnosed, medication and diet for the animal should be closely controlled. Currently, diets having high concentrations of nonfermentable fibers are used to treat diabetes. However, these nonfermentable fiber-containing diets often impair nutrient absorption by the animal, resulting in undesirable effects on the animal""s health and well being.
Certain animals also may have a tendency towards excess caloric intake which increases the risk of the animal developing diabetes or other chronic diseases. It would be desirable to be able to manage caloric intake through dietary means so that the animal would become sated after meals, but without excessive caloric intake.
Other animals may have difficulty in digesting and absorbing nutrients from their diets. For example, animals which exhibit exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), a condition in which there is an insufficient secretion of enzymes by the pancreas, struggle to digest nutrients normally, especially fats, in their diets. It would be desirable to be able to improve such animals"" nutrient absorption capabilities. Thus, there remains a need for additional dietary measures which will improve glucose metabolism, satiety, and nutrient absorption in companion animals without the adverse effects of diets containing nonfermentable fibers.
The present invention meets that need by providing a process for feeding an animal a diet which alters the function and morphology of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), a large lymphoid organ, in ways which are beneficial to the animal""s health and well being. The process involves feeding a companion animal such as, for example, a dog or cat a diet of a pet food composition containing fermentable fibers which have an organic matter disappearance (OMD) of 15 to 60 percent when fermented by fecal bacteria for a 24 hour period, the fibers being present in amounts from about 1 to 11 weight percent of supplemental total dietary fiber. The animal is maintained on the diet for a sufficient period of time to allow the fermentable fibers to ferment in the GIT of the animal. This fermentation results in an upregulation in the secretion of GLP-1 which improves glucose homeostasis and promotes satiety in the animal. The diet also enhances the absorption of nutrients by the animal by increasing the transport of D-glucose and lauric acid which are indicators of carbohydrate and fat absorption, respectively.
Preferably, the pet food composition contains from 2 to 10 weight percent of supplemental total dietary fiber of fermentable fibers. More preferably, the pet food composition contains from 3 to 9 weight percent of supplemental total dietary fiber of fermentable fibers. Most preferably, the pet food composition contains from 4 to 7 weight percent of supplemental total dietary fiber of fermentable fibers.
Preferably, the fermentable fibers have an organic matter disappearance of 20 to 50 percent. More preferably, the fermentable fibers have an organic matter disappearance of 30 to 40 percent.
In addition, the fermentable fibers are preferably selected from the group consisting of beet pulp, gum arabic, gum talha (a form of gum arabic), psyllium, rice bran, carob bean gum, citrus pulp, pectin, fructooligosaccharides or inulin, mannanoligosaccharides and mixtures thereof. More preferably, the fermentable fibers are selected from the group consisting of beet pulp, gum arabic and fructooligosaccharides. Most preferably, the fermentable fibers are a blend of beet pulp, gum talha, and fructooligosaccharides. A preferred weight ratio of beet pulp to fructooligosaccharides in the fermentable fiber blend is from about 3:1 to 6:1, and most preferably 4:1. A preferred weight ratio of beet pulp to gum talha to fructooligosaccharide is 6:2:1.5.
Accordingly, it is a feature of the present invention to provide a pet food composition and process for altering the function and morphology of the gastrointestinal tract to improve glucose metabolism and enhance glucose homeostasis, improve satiety, and enhance nutrient absorption in an animal. This, and other features and advantages of the present invention, will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.