Effect of different carbohydrate sources on glycemic index, starch fractions and cognition in dogs and cats

本研究的目的是确定不同碳水化合物来源对狗和猫的葡萄糖和胰岛素代谢的影响以及这些代谢变化是否影响认知。宠物食品中存在的碳水化合物的类型及其与血糖指数的关系以及食物的消化率也将被检查。低血糖指数食物已被证明对人类健康有益，如保持低血糖和胰岛素水平，促进体重管理。对于狗和猫来说，他们进化到消耗更低的碳水化合物，更高的蛋白质饮食，低血糖指数饮食的发展可能会对健康产生重要影响，包括认知障碍。由于方便，安全和相对较低的成本，大多数狗和猫喂养干挤压粗粒。碳水化合物是粗粒中保持形状和结构的关键成分。商业宠物食品通常含有碳水化合物来源的混合物，其分为三个主要类别：传统谷物（小麦、玉米）;新型全谷物（大麦、燕麦片、黑麦）和非谷物碳水化合物（豌豆、扁豆、鹰嘴豆、木薯、马铃薯、甘薯）。用于制造粗粒的高温、高压挤出工艺可对碳水化合物源的血糖和胰岛素血性质具有显著影响。宠物食品公司经常根据这些碳水化合物类别销售他们的产品，其中无谷物类别目前增长最快。然而，这些碳水化合物来源的健康后果是一个有很大争议的领域，已知人类血糖指数低的碳水化合物来源，如豌豆和扁豆，被吹捧为对宠物有益，尽管有限的科学数据可用于支持这些说法。因此，这项研究将为宠物食品制造商以及希望为宠物实现最佳健康和大脑功能的宠物主人提供有价值的信息。

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of different carbohydrate sources on glucose and insulinmetabolism in dogs and cats and whether these metabolic changes affect cognition. The types of carbohydrate present in pet foods and their association with glycemic index as well as the digestibility of the foods will also be examined. Low glycemic index foods have been shown in humans to offer health benefits, such as keeping blood sugar and insulin levels low and promoting weight management. For dogs and cats, who evolved to consume lower carbohydrate, higher protein diets, development of low glycemic index diets could have important health effects, including cognitive impairments. Due to the convenience, safety and relatively low cost, the majority of dogs and cats are fed dry extruded kibble. Carbohydrate is a key component in kibble for maintaining shape and structure. Commercial pet foods typically contain a mixture of carbohydrate sources, which fall into three main categories: traditional grains (wheat, corn); novel whole grains (barley, oatmeal, rye), and non-grain carbohydrates (peas, lentils, chickpeas, tapioca, potato, sweet potato). The high temperature,high pressure extrusion process used to make kibble could have significant effects on the glycemic and insulinemic properties of the carbohydrate sources. Pet food companies often market their products based on these carbohydrate categories, with the grain-free category currently showing the greatest growth. However, the health consequences of these carbohydrate sources is an area of great debate, with carbohydrate sources that are known to be low glycemic index in humans, such as peas and lentils, touted as being beneficial for pets, though limited scientific data is available to back up these claims. Thus, this research will provide valuable information for pet food manufacturers as well as pet owners who want to achieve optimal health and brain function for their pets.