Corn and Soy are Very Bad for Your Dog’s (Cat’s) Short and Long Term Health

In this article - the importance of eliminating Corn and Soy from your dog's and cat's diet, failure to do so can cost your dog and cat it's health and shorten its life-span.

Corn and Soy are NOT species appropriate foods for dogs and cats;

• Corn and Soy (in North America) are grown from genetically modified, round-up ready 'agent orange' seeds:
• Remember agent orange and the Vietnam War?

Large Factory Farm corn and soy: 

• Are a source of carcinogens and toxins;
• Contain endocrine disruptors;
• Contain very high levels of pesticides.

Species Inappropriate

Grains are not part of a dog’s (or cat’s) natural diet - you can read more about that here. When a dog or cat is fed a diet that includes corn and/or soy and related derivatives the dog’s health is placed at grave risk.

Genetically Modified

Corn and soybeans in the USA and Canada are almost all grown from Genetically Modified (GM) seeds (shame on Monsanto!).
 

The long term affect of ingesting GM food is not known. 

Genetically modified corn has now been proven to cause the growth of tumors.

High Levels of Photoestrogens and Phytates

Large factory farms use a method to process soy that:

• Creates very high levels of photoestrogens in the processed soy; 
• Creates very high levels of phytates in the processed soy; 

Photoestrogens

Photoestrogens mimic the body's natural estrogen hormones;

• For males this can lead to increased of cancer and reproductive issues;
• For females this can lead to cancer and reproductive issues;
• Photoestrogens are so powerful that a baby that consumes soy formula can end-up consuming the equivalent of 4 birth control pills a day;
• Now compare the weight of a baby to that of many smaller dogs and to cats - and consider that many dog and cat foods have a high content of soy;
• In addition it is important to note that any system in the body that is controlled by hormones, can be severely adversely effected by endocrine (hormone) disruptors; 
•  Hormone disruptors are known to cause:
• Learning disabilities;
• Severe attention deficit disorders, hyper activity;
• Cognitive and brain development problems;
• Cancer.;

Goitrogens - a potent anti-thyroid photoestrogent present in soy, can cause thyroid disorders...

• An ever increasing number of dogs are afflicted by thyroid problems - the source of the problem - soy in commercial dog and cat food and treats;
  
• A mal-functioning thyroid can effect a dog's (cat's) physical well being and mental well being; 
• A malfunctioning thryoid can be a contributing factor to aggressive-reactive behaviour in dogs.

 
Phytates:

• Prevent the absorption of minerals;
• Prevent the digestion of protein by interfering with the proper functioning of enzymes that digest protein.
• This is serious trouble when you consider that the dog is already consuming a product that is low in nutritional value.  
• Traditional methods of processing soy by fermentation (as used in Japan and China) greatly reduces photoestrogens, and phytates, thus making consumption of the resulting soy, safe and nutritional.

High Levels of Pesticides

Large factory farm soybean crops receive heavy applications of the potent herbicide glyphosate -  a powerful toxin and carcinogen. 

As a result, the vast majority of soy derivatives  used in both feedstock and human food is contaminated with high levels of glyphosate, i.e.:

• Soybean oil;
• Soy meal;
• Soy milk;
• Tofu, etc.;

Soy has one of the highest concentrations of pesticides in North American crops;

Consider that a dog that is on a grain-in diet:

• Is already dealing with strain on its system as the diet it is on cannot meet its nutritional needs;
• The dog's, cat's kidneys and liver are forced to work overtime to process the build-up of toxins ingested with the soy and corn;
• The dog is also forced to ingest pesticide which will further grow the toxic loading on its system.

 

Presence of Aflatoxins

Aflatoxins grow mainly on grains but they also grow on legumes, seeds, ground and tree nuts - almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, etc. This is one reason why you will hear some people say do not give your dogs nuts. Human food grade nuts, seeds, legumes are carefully tested for presence of aflatoxins. Animal feed grade ingredients can be contaminated with aflatoxins. In the case of pet food - many pet food manufacturers spray synthetic chemical fungicides on ingredients that may be contaminated with aflatoxins - exchanging one toxin for another.

Aflatoxins can also be found in cottonseed oil, fish meal and peanut oil. 

• Human grade foods are monitored for aflatoxins;
• If aflatoxins are identified as being present, the product (such as grain) is not allowed to be sold for use in human food;
• There are no such regulations for animal grade foods so aflatoxins are present in most commercial grade dog, cat and bird food;
• A dog's or cat's body can usually detoxify small amounts of aflatoxins, however;
• When aflatoxins are constantly present in the diet the liver and kidney cannot keep-up and as a result toxic loading on the dog's/cat's system increases.
• The toxic load increases exponentially when the body is already struggling to process a host of other toxins. 

Aflatoxins cause liver cancer.

So, to Protect the Health of your Companion Animal...

Check the ingredient list on your dog's, cat's dry and wet food and treats and make sure that there is no corn and no soy  in your dog's / cat's food.

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Article and graphics by Karen Rosenfeld.