Are Gluten-Free Pet Foods A Fad?

Are gluten-free pet foods a good idea or a fad?

Over the past few years, “gluten-free” has become a popular trend in the human food industry, and pet food companies have also jumped on the bandwagon, with a host of new gluten-free pet foods and treats. But these products can be pricey, and gluten-free does not necessarily mean “healthy”. In this post, we will discuss the reality behind gluten-free pet foods, whether your dog or cat should go gluten-free, or whether this is just a fad. We will also discuss pitfalls to avoid when selecting commercial gluten-free pet foods and treats.

First, let’s begin by talking about what gluten is, and the effect it has on our pets’ bodies:

Why is gluten controversial?

Gluten – found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye – is an elastic protein. When mixed with water, that elastic property is literally what gives dough that fun gooey quality. Thanks to dietary trends such as the fat-free movement of the early 1990’s, the gluten-free trend has encountered doubt. Skeptics point to the fact that many glutinous foods have been a reliable source of inexpensive calories for at least 12,000 years and helped many societies overcome famine.^[1] So, why is so much attention focused on gluten now? Research has suggested numerous reasons:

• Processed foods such as bread contain more gluten than they did before. Vital wheat gluten, in particular, is an additive to increase shelf life and to help bind the food.^[2]
• Wheat and other grains have been genetically modified to increase yield.^[2]
• Gluten is not the problem, but carbohydrates are.^[2]
• Our immune systems have become overly sensitized from environmental onslaught, so it is not the gluten per se, but us.^[1]

Whatever the reason or combination of reasons might be, we do know that limiting or avoiding gluten can reduce intestinal damage in humans and dogs.

How does gluten cause intestinal damage?

A primary issue with gluten is that it causes the body to activate zonulin, a protein that modulates the permeability of cells in the GI tract. In other words, zonulin causes the cells in the intestines to become more permeable. This increased permeability enables undesirable molecules that are not meant to leave the GI tract to pass through into the bloodstream. The immune system recognizes that these foreign invaders are not where they should be and reacts by attacking them. The result is inflammation all throughout the body. This condition is often called “leaky gut syndrome”.^[3][4]

Gluten is a strong trigger of zonulin in certain people and dogs. Studies have shown that levels of zonulin in the blood are high in patients with celiac disease. In fact, levels in gluten-sensitive individuals almost matched those of celiacs. Since dogs have evolved with us over thousands of years, they too can have reactions to gluten. The celiac disease equivalent in dogs is called “gluten-sensitive enteropathy” and affects certain breeds such as the Irish Setter, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, and Samoyed.^[3][4]

I would contend that most everyone releases some level of zonulin when we eat glutinous foods. In fact, the body may continually increase the amount of zonulin released over years. It is as if the body is saying, “I thought I got rid of this. Let me double the zonulin protein release.” Then, it creates the cascading effect of leaky gut syndrome.

How else can gluten affect the body?

A strong link has also been shown between gluten sensitivity and impairment of brain function. According to David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM, a board certified neurologist and fellow of the American College of Nutrition as well as the author of Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar—Your Brain’s Silent Killers, the body’s antibody response to gliadin, a protein in gluten, results in elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines that are present in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and autism.^[5]

Why do some pet foods contain gluten?

With all the potential health issues associated with gluten, why is it a common ingredient in many mass-market commercial pet foods? As mentioned earlier, gluten is an inexpensive protein. Some pet foods use glutinous ingredients, particularly wheat, to replace high-quality animal proteins. Doing so drives down the manufacturing cost of the dog food, while still meeting the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AAFCO) standards for protein.

Replacing animal protein sources is not the only reason that pet food companies use glutinous ingredients in their foods. Some of the more expensive foods may use glutinous ingredients such as wheat, barley or oats to provide fiber at a lower price-point than it would cost to use grain free and gluten free ingredients such as apples, pumpkin, beans and carrots, which generally cost more per pound for procurement and processing.

Should my pet go gluten-free?

Yes, your pet should go gluten-free! No animal “needs” – or benefits from – gluten.

But, I don’t want you to beat yourself up. If a dog steals or snags a piece of bread off the table, he’s doing what a dog does – opportunistic scavenging. Even a few cheats now and again are OK with certain treats so long as he does not have gluten-sensitive enteropathy. However, I would not make gluten a habit or a part of your dog’s daily meals.

Why gluten-free does not always mean “healthy”

The inspiration for this article on gluten-free pet foods came from Kris Carr, who writes the Crazy Sexy book series and is an inspiring advocate of living and eating healthy. In her article regarding human health, she says we can “get tricked by labels”. She points out that substitutes for glutens – particularly for breads and pastas – are rice, corn, soy and potatoes that contain less fiber and are poor sources of carbohydrates.^[6] Dog foods are not exempt from these ingredients and pitfalls come with each of these substitutes:

• Rice often has high levels of arsenic.
• Potatoes are high on the glycemic index (GI), an index that rates how fast and how high carbohydrate-containing foods raise blood sugar.
• Corn contains lectins, a type of plant-based protein that can cause gastrointestinal upset, an immune reaction and “leaky gut”. Corn often serves as a substitute for higher-quality meat-based proteins in commercial foods.
• Unless it states “organic”, soy is highly genetically modified (GMO) and is high in phytoestrogens, which can affect estrogen production. Soy is also a goitrogen and not appropriate for dogs with thyroid conditions.
• Peas are also phytoestrogens and may be used to replace potatoes in dog food.
• Beans fed in moderation are OK but need to be fed conservatively due to lectins.

In scanning the ingredients’ lists of several popular gluten-free pet foods, I found one product by a popular and highly respected commercial producer that listed “starch” as the first ingredient. Obviously, even though this product is gluten-free, feeding our pets a food that contains generic “starch” as the predominant “food” is not the healthiest nutritional choice!

In addition, gluten-free pet foods may still contain by-products or artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, which are all ingredients I urge you to avoid.

Steps to help your pet go gluten-free the healthy way

Fortunately, by following a few simple purchasing tips, you can help your pet go gluten-free and avoid getting snagged by other pet food pitfalls. The next time you pick up that pet food package, I advise looking for the following:

• An emphasis on fresh, whole meats, fruits and vegetables rather than gluten-containing grains, such as wheat, barley and rye.
• Products free of artificial colors (e.g., Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5), flavors (e.g., MSG), humectants (e.g., propylene glycol) and preservatives (e.g., BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin).
• Limited ingredients (the fewer ingredients, the less likely your dog will have an intolerance to the product).
• Starchy carbs, such as potatoes and rice, listed lower down on the ingredient list.
• No by-products (“meals” are fine in kibble – as they boost the animal protein content – as long as the source is identified, such as “beef meal”, “chicken meal” or “lamb meal”).

I hope this article on gluten-free pet foods has inspired you to help your dog go gluten-free! As always, I welcome your feedback and comments.

1. ^[1] Velasquez-Manoff M. (2015). The Myth of Big, Bad Gluten, The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/05/opinion/sunday/the-myth-of-big-bad-gluten.html?_r=1. ↩
2. ^[2] Specter M. (2014). Against the Grain, The New Yorker, Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/03/grain. ↩
3. ^[3] Neimark J. (2014). A Protein in the Gut may Explain why Some can’t Stomach Gluten, NPR, Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/12/09/459061317/a-protein-in-the-gut-may-explain-why-some-cant-stomach-gluten. ↩
4. ^[4] Dodds WJ & Laverdure D.(2015). Canine Nutrigenomics: The New Science of Feeding Your Dog for Optimum Health, Dogwise Publishing, Wenatchee, WA. ↩
5. ^[5] Perlmutter D. (n.d.). New Study Links Gluten Sensitivity to Brain Failure [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.vanguardneurologist.com/new-study-links-glutensensitivity-to-brain-failure/. ↩
6. ^[6] Carr K. (2016). Is a Gluten-Free Diet a Healthy Diet?, Retrieved from http://kriscarr.com/blog/is-gluten-free-healthy/. ↩

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