ANTIOXIDANTS FOUND TO COUNTER DOG BRAIN AGING
From Paulette Callen
Researchers have recently shown that antioxidants can
significantly mitigate the effects of aging on the brains
of dogs.
"Oxidative damage is the key feature in the aged brains of
animals and people," Dr. Carl W. Cotman, a neurochemist
employed by the University of California Institute for
Brain Aging and Dementia, told a New York Times reporter.
Studies funded by Hills Pet Nutrition, the National
Institute on Aging and the United States Army showed that
older dogs receiving a food fortified with antioxidant-rich
fruits and vegetables performed significantly better on
cognitive tests than elderly dogs fed a brand of
dog food
commonly found in supermarkets.
Researchers working at the United States Department of
Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging
(HNRCA) managed to delay and even reverse the effects of
aging on rats’ brains during a similar study by providing a
diet rich in blueberry, strawberry and spinach extracts.
"It's very plausible that antioxidant-rich diets would also
help older dogs," said one of the HNRCA researchers.
"Dogs are typically more than 11 years old when owners
first detect clinical signs of cognitive dysfunction
syndrome," said Gary Landsberg, DVM, a veterinary
behaviorist who practices in Thornhill, Ontario. "However,
in the laboratory, we can often see subtle changes in
cognitive function at 8, 9 or 10."
The signs of cognitive dysfunction in dogs due to aging
include disorientation and changes in behavior.
© 2002 Animal News Center, Inc.
http://www.anc.org
