Question:
I am a medical student interested in nutrition research. What is your opinion of the Nutritional Academies of Science 2003 report "Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats"? There's nothing like it for humans!My parents and grandparents on my mother's side are whole-food advocates. They taught me early on about the "four white evils." Do those also apply to dogs and cats?.
Anonymous, Baltimore, Md Feb 15, 2004
Answer:
You asked me to withhold your name because you don't want to get in trouble with your professors. Hopefully, there's one who advocates the nutritional wisdom of whole foods and balanced nutrition.The "four white evils" you refer to are refined salt, sugar, white flour (and white rice) and hydrogenated fat. I have read the over-400-page report you mention. While it contains much interesting scientific and veterinary medical/nutritional information, I am disturbed by this publication for many reasons. For instance, millions of dogs and cats have been used over the years in often poorly designed and sometimes cruel nutritional studies. I'm also bothered by the fact that so much of the research is performed on highly refined, processed human-food-industry byproducts like wheat middlings, dried potato and beet pulp, tallow and used cooking oils, as well as various industry byproducts like beef and chicken "meal." In addition, a lot of research is done on supplements, additives and preservatives to make up for the
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