Whew!<\/p>\n
Basically, functional foods are foods that provide health benefits in addition to macronutrients (e.g., water, protein, fat and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (e.g., vitamins and minerals). Growing evidence shows that some food components (like fiber<\/a>) which aren\u2019t nutrients in the traditional sense help prevent and reduce disease. In human nutrition, these functional foods include fortified foods (e.g., iodized salt), phytonutrient<\/a>-containing fruits and vegetables (e.g., tomatoes, blueberries, carrots and spinach), fermented foods (e.g., yogurt), fatty fish (e.g., salmon, tuna and herring) and chocolate. Studies have shown these foods have benefits such as better digestive function, improved satiety and greater antioxidant activity.<\/p>\n When it comes to pet food, functional ingredients are those ingredients that provide additional features beyond basic nutrition when used as part of a complete and balanced diet. Similar to human nutrition, functional ingredients in pet food include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, flaxseed and fish oils for key omega fatty acids, prebiotics and probiotics.<\/p>\n Functional ingredients have been fundamental to therapeutic and specialty health-focused pet foods for decades. Today, an ever-expanding list of functional ingredients can be found in many dog and cat foods.<\/p>\n The FDA mandates that all ingredients used in a pet food be listed in order by weight and by their common or usual name. If a pet food contains a functional ingredient, the ingredient list on the label is where you\u2019re sure to find it. Some functional ingredients will be easy to recognize. But there may be some that you don\u2019t recognize, like L-Carnitine which is supplemented in Diamond CARE Weight Management Formula for Adult Dogs<\/a> to help support the use of fatty acids for energy without compromising muscle tissue during weight loss.<\/p>\n Many Diamond pet food formulas include functional ingredients. For starters, most Diamond CARE formulas provide a guaranteed amount of proprietary probiotics (the exception is Diamond CARE Urinary Support Formula for Adult Cats), as do all dry dog and cat formulas in the Diamond, Diamond Naturals, and Diamond Pro89 formulas.<\/p>\n For more examples of functional ingredients used in Diamond pet foods and their functions, check out the chart below (this is not an all-inclusive list).<\/p>\n If you ever wonder about an ingredient in a Diamond-brand dog or cat food and why it\u2019s there, be sure to check out our ingredient glossary<\/a>, send us an email<\/a> or call our customer service team at 866-214-6945<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n RELATED POST: Prebiotics vs. Probiotics: Does Your Pet Need Them?<\/a><\/p>\n RELATED POST: The Skinny on Omega Fatty Acids and Their Role in Healthy Skin<\/a><\/p>\nSo what are functional ingredients?<\/h3>\n
How do I know if my dog\u2019s or cat\u2019s food contains functional ingredients?<\/h3>\n
What functional ingredients are found in Diamond-brand pet foods?<\/h3>\n
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