RE: [RC] Corn oil - any thoughts on this? - Susan E. Garlinghouse, D.V.M.
Sigh. Okay, here we go. Again.
>Myth #1 >"Feed corn oil
for weight gain." We have probably all done this one! >Fact is, though,
horses do not have gall bladders and so oil is absorbed through the lacteal
ducts.
True, horses don’t have a gall
bladder, but the liver does still produce a slow, continuous trickle of bile,
thereby emulsifying fats same as in other species. They just can’t
handle a big bunch of fat all at once. So, as suggested ad infinitum,
feed fats in small doses that can be handled by the system. About a half
cup at a time, or mix it with something else to dilute and slow its ingestion.
When oil is present, these fat
soluble vitamin receptor sites are blocked, and so absorption of vitamins A, D,
E and K is inhibited. Vitamins A and D are important in calcium metabolism, so
one would definitely not want to feed oils to broodmares, or growing horses, or
horses in strenuous athletic endeavor, or older arthritic horses.
Oh, baloney. Feeding too much
phosphorus also blocks absorption of calcium, but that doesn’t mean you
eliminate phosphorus from the diet altogether. Either slightly increase
the amount of the fat soluble vitamins you are feeding if you feed it all at the
same time, or feed the vitamin supplement at a slightly different time from the
high fat meal. I’m not a fan of feeding fats to young horses under three
except under very special circumstances, but I sure have a lot of clients
competing at international levels that apparently haven’t heard their
legs are supposed to be falling off.
Vitamin E is a major
antioxidant, important to the absorption of selenium and to immune function,
and vitamin K is necessary for proper blood clotting. According to Nutrition
News, polyunsaturated oils, such as corn oil, fed in large amounts can disrupt
the immune system, and now you know why.
Nutrition News isn’t what I’d
call a peer-reviewed journal. Last I checked, I think they also hailed
the wonders of noni juice. Large amounts of ANY oil ***may*** disrupt
immune function if it’s oxidized/rancid, thus creating more free radicals
than onboard antioxidants can handle at any one time. Thus, also as
suggested in this forum and in seminars ad nauseum, only feed oils that are
absolutely fresh, kept in small quantity containers kept in cool, dark places,
and supplement with extra vitamin E---any performance horse should be getting
at least 1000 IU a day regardless, and most distance horses should also be
getting supplemental selenium and vitamin A as well.
Naturopathic doctors also
consider corn oil to be a cause of inflammation in joints.
Just corn oil, no. Any oil high in
omega-6s (and there are plenty of them aside from just corn oil), in a diet
that is not properly balanced to provide the right balance of 3s and 6s, yes.
Though I suspect that a bad rider/bad saddle fit/crummy shoeing/trimming/ lousy
suspension in the horse trailer, etc etc etc will cause a helluva lot more
joint inflammation than your average barrel of corn oil will.
Check feed labels for oils
added, very common in senior rations and high performance feeds, and in
supplements like rice bran. And often other companies add fat in the form of
animal fat--now there's a great idea for an herbivore!
Never mind the fact that extensive
research indicates horses digest animal fats very well. Icelandics and
Norwegian Fjord horses are often maintained (very well) on large amounts of
herring meal. But that’s just me, I tend to base conclusions on peer-reviewed
clinical data. Yes, vegetable-based fats have advantages for other
reasons, but let’s use real information to make decisions, not knee-jerk
reaction.
Cocosoya is 20% more digestible than ordinary corn and vegetable oil
Since corn oil is about 98% digestible, I’m
having trouble with the math.
Okay, there was more here, but frankly,
the credibility was getting pretty shaky. There was a recommendation to
feed black oil sunflower seeds and I don’t have a problem with
that. Some of the “arguments” against corn/vegetable oil
would also equally apply (or not apply) to the oils in sunflower seeds, but the
whole thing was just getting way too silly and I’m fighting the urge to
throw the computer against the wall. Corn and vegetable oils aren’t
perfect feeds, but neither are they gruesome monsters waiting to kill your
horse. So let’s use a little more common sense, and a little less
throwing out the baby with the bath water, eh?
All of this is, of course, JMO. Sorry
to sound grouchy just before Christmas, but this sort of nonsense definitely
trips my triggers. I hate bad information being disseminated as fact.
