Humans are well-equipped for starchy diets: Human saliva contains an enzyme called amylase, which starts breaking down starches as soon as food hits the mouth. Dog drool doesn't have this advantage, but dogs do excrete amylase from their pancreases, allowing for the digestion of starches in the gut. 23 янв. 2013 г.
Can dogs digest starch?
Dogs now have an excuse for waiting under the dinner table: domestication may have adapted them to thrive on the starch-filled foods that their owners eat. A study published in Nature1 today finds that dogs possess genes for digesting starches, setting them apart from their carnivore cousins — wolves.
What foods are hard for dogs to digest?
Fat. Diets that are high in fat are harder to digest than diets that are higher in protein or carbohydrates. Examine the ingredient label on your dog's current food and see if fats and oils are listed in the first four ingredients.
Can dogs digest carbs?
In fact, dogs are highly adapted to digesting carbohydrates, with a well evolved digestive system to support this. Carbohydrates can also be extremely beneficial in a dog's diet, so much so that nutritionists refer to them as “functional” foods, as they provide health benefits beyond that of essential nutrients¹.
Can animals break down starch?
The research, which includes 46 mammal species, focuses on a biological compound called amylase, which humans and other animals produce to break down starch. The study finds that, in the course of mammalian evolution, the genetic machinery that teaches the body how to make amylase has been something of a chameleon.
