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Your dog needs antioxidants to help promote a healthy immune system. This is why every IAMS™ dog formula contains optimal levels of these nutrients.
Antioxidants are important naturally occurring nutrients that help maintain your dog’s health by slowing the destructive oxidative process of cellular molecules. IAMS research is advancing antioxidant nutrients for senior dogs — and the benefit is improved immune function.
Discover how the antioxidants in IAMS products can benefit your dog’s health in a number of ways.
Antioxidants are found naturally in the body and in plants such as fruits and vegetables. Common antioxidants include vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and certain compounds called carotenoids (like lutein and beta-carotene). When antioxidants are part of a dog’s complete diet, they can provide the following benefits:
As cells function normally in the body, they produce damaged molecules called free radicals. These free radicals are highly unstable and steal components from other cellular molecules, such as fat, protein or DNA, thereby spreading the damage.
This damage continues in a chain reaction, and entire cells soon become damaged and die. This process is called peroxidation. Peroxidation is useful because it helps the body destroy cells that have outlived their usefulness, and it kills germs and parasites. However, when left unchecked, peroxidation also destroys or damages healthy cells.
Antioxidants help prevent widespread cellular destruction by willingly donating components to stabilize free radicals. More importantly, antioxidants return to the surface of the cell to stabilize rather than damage other cellular components.
When there are not enough antioxidants to hold peroxidation in check, free radicals begin damaging healthy cells, which can lead to problems. For example, free radical damage to immune cells can lead to an increased risk of infections.
Recent research has examined the benefits of certain antioxidants on the immune response of dogs, and the results of these studies indicated that antioxidants are important in helping dogs maintain a healthy immune system.
IAMS adult and puppy formulas contain optimal levels of antioxidants such as:
| Antioxidant | Source | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin E | Plant oil extract and tocopherols | Optimizes immune system’s T-cell activation |
| Beta-carotene | Vitamin premix, corn meal, chicken by-product meal and chicken fat | Optimizes types of cell present in the blood, increases antibody levels in the blood |
So as a pet parent, how do you make sure your Lab is eating well-rounded meals? One way to do that is to find dog food that is tailored to suit the Labrador diet. The best dog food for Labrador Retrievers will always contain the following elements…
Labrador food should always include lean and quality proteins from sources like poultry to help strengthen and maintain their muscles.
Ingredients like beet pulp, corn, wheat, barley and maize are not only packed with nutrients but they also aid digestion. Labrador food that contains digestible ingredients helps when it comes to supporting a healthy gut.
Moderate and controlled amounts of fat in addition to Omega 6 and 3 fatty acids are necessary to support a healthy coat as well as healthy skin. These ingredients are important for Labradors to ensure they do not suffer from issues like flaky and itchy skin.
Labrador Retrievers are susceptible to obesity. Therefore, an important supplement to look for in Labrador food is L-Carnitine. L-Carnitine is known to help with metabolism and also supports healthy weight management.
Labradors are fun, playful and active dogs. To facilitate these characteristics, the labrador diet must consist of supplements like Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate that support healthy joints.
If you’re looking for dog food that is specific to the Labrador diet, IAMS™ Labrador Retriever dog food will not let you down. It is a premium-tailored recipe that contains all the ingredients that support the unique nutritional requirements of a Labrador Retriever. By switching to this dog food, you are ensuring your Lab is at its healthiest and best, always!
