Supplement Categories and Key Ingredients Part 1
The Supplement market has evolved considerably in the last few years, during the early nineties there were more vitamin/mineral products on the market which addressed general broad based nutrition. The market is now much more focused on problem specific products such as hoof, coat, joint etc. Many of the larger feed companies started making more vitamin and mineral enhanced feed products that catered for horse owners looking to broadly cover any trace minerals or vitamins that might be deficient in the diet. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is important to recognize that the levels of these important nutrients in some complete feed products are very low and may have little effect. If you refer back to the August issue there is a formula you can use to determine actual amounts of these key ingredients and determine if the feed contains sufficient levels of nutrients to really make a difference. If not there are still a number of broad based vitamin/mineral products on the market that will provide sufficient levels of the nutrients that might be lacking in your horse’s forage and/or grain diet.
Examples of good candidates for this type of product would be horses that are eating poor quality hay with little access to fresh pasture, horses recovering from illness, horses that are being transported frequently, brood mares – especially during lactation to name a few. These products should contain a full range of B vitamins and Vitamin A, D, E, and C. They should also contain a broad range of minerals like Calcium, Phosphorus, Zinc , Copper and Manganese – be sure to check that the mineral ratios are correct. Amino Acids, particularly Methionine and Lysine are important as well as a probiotic product to aid digestion.
By far the largest category among the “new” supplements are joint supplements, which have become particularly popular with performance riders in both Western and English disciplines. They offer non-invasive solutions to protect horses, ideally on a preventative basis, but can and are used to help support horses with joint problems. The anecdotal evidence supporting the uses of these products in horses is now overwhelming.
Glucosamine HCL, Glucosamine Sulfate and Chondroitin Sulfate are the most commonly recognized components in joint supplements and are scientifically referred to as glycosaminoglycans or GAGS for short. I would recommend looking for products that contain approximately 5000mg of Glucosamine per serving. Glucosamine has been
shown to be the most effective in reducing pain and inflammation and restoring the protein content and viscosity of the synovial fluids in the joints. It is also very efficiently absorbed (95%-98%). I do not believe that there is a substantial difference in effect between Glucosamine HCL or Glucosamine Sulfate – much as many manufacturers would like you to believe.
Many people are convinced that for a joint supplement to work that the Glucosamine must be combined with Chondroitin Sulfate. There have been a number of studies published in the last few years showing that due to its large molecular size, Chondroitin Sulfate is poorly absorbed – anywhere between 0 – 13%. Based on this I do not believe it is an effective ingredient to feed orally to horses. Shark cartilage, Perna Mussel and other cartilage extracts contain a mixture of glycosaminoglycans and can vary dramatically in purity and absorption characteristics. The difference between these GAGS and Glucosamine is like comparing crude oil with gasoline. Clearly these other ingredients do not represent good value for money when compared to Glucosamine. The latest ingredient to hit store shelves is Hylauronic Acid (HA). The key ingredient in injectable products like Legend™ HA is an excellent ingredient when injected, however there has been NO research whatever on its efficacy when administered orally. It also has a large molecular size, more than twice the size of Chondroitin Sulfate which makes it extremely unlikely that HA is absorbed efficiently. As we go to press there is research being conducted at a major US Veterinary college to determine if oral HA is viable. Until that research is published we at Grand Meadows will not be adding HA to our products – it is particularly frustrating to see so many companies willing to add untested ingredients to products with no proof whatsoever that they are effective.
Glucosamine on its own is not particularly effective and to maximize the benefits of feeding these products it is essential to combine the glucosamine with a number of important co-factors. Vitamin C, in sufficient amounts is important both as an antioxidant and to help produce collagen – the framework of cartilage. Important amino acids like Methionine, a sulfur bearing amino acid and Lysine, aid in the repair and maintenance of connective tissues. Zinc, Copper and Manganese are also extremely important. Be sure to look at the levels of the various co-factors to ensure that they are appropriate for the size of your horse.
One other important caveat is to avoid products that claim fast results which typically contain high levels of Devils Claw, Yucca, Boswelia etc. These ingredients will mask pain and give a false impression before true improvement has occurred. This can result in damaging the horse further rather that reducing the risk of injury or cartilage loss. These products are supplements, not drugs and good nutrition takes time to have a tangible effect.
