SINGLE-PROTEIN FOODS ARE NO LONGER DIGESTIBLE AND DO NOT PREVENT INTOLERANCES
The term single-protein is sometimes used incorrectly to mean afood that contains a single protein source, and therefore considered safe for suspected allergic reactions…. But let’s clarify!
WHAT IS MEANT BY SINGLE-PROTEIN
The claimSINGLE-PROTEIN is approved when we want to emphasizethe presence of a single animal-based protein source. However, commercial foods made from multiple ingredients also contain plant-based protein sources, brought in, of course, by ingredients such as grains, vegetables, or supplements included in the formula.
Incorrectly, this type of food is very often believed to be able to avoid causing adverse food reactions, such as hypersensitivity, intolerances, or food allergies. However, this is not always the case: the molecules an animal can develop a reaction to are numerous, and choosing to avoid a “guilty” protein will not always solve the problem.
HOW TO TELL IF THERE IS AN INTOLERANCE
The only method to prevent and, if possible, repair the damage from an adverse food reaction (of any origin) is a diet called “exclusion”, which must be prescribed and followed under the supervision of a veterinarian. Then, to confirm the suspicions, it will be replaced with a so-called “provocative”, which can then trigger any positive or negative responses from the patient.
Specifically, a “exclusion” works precisely byexcluding all foods the animal has consumed up to that point, providing new ingredients for its immune system and evaluating the responses they produce. It’s generally a good idea to introduce each ingredient, waiting a few days before introducing the next one. This way, reactions can be monitored more effectively and attributed to the correct “culprit”.
Many recent studies* show that, on the other hand, most animal proteins often “blamed” are not recognized as the cause of intolerances, and also that it is, in practical terms,difficult to determine this using commercial single-protein diets, precisely because of the presence of numerous potentially reactive compounds.
In fact, the culprit of such reactions is not always the single protein source; more often, it is actually dose-dependent intolerances to various substances that may be present in the food.
LIMITATIONS OF A SINGLE-PROTEIN DIET
A single-protein diet, continued for a long time, could cause deficiencies, even nutritional deficiencies of substances that are added but are clearly less bioavailable than they would be in fresh, high-nutrition foods.
It has also been observed that, on the other hand, avaried diet, thanks to the contribution of different sources, promotes: the proper functioning of the microbial flora and adequate intestinal barrier permeability. These two factors,key for the well-being of not just the intestinal tract but the entire body, involved in the development of allergic and inflammatory conditions.
HOW TO VARIATE EASILY
So how to make a diet both varied and practical? Usingcomplementary wet foods, for example, allows you tocombine with the main complete food (usually dry, for convenience and practicality)different sources depending on preferences, which can also vary day by day or from one meal to another; you can also use a complete commercial food made from different sources that balance the formula and provide nutrients with different characteristics, and it is always preferable to pair this with wet foods for better hydration and freshness.
Dr. Alessandra Calini
Veterinary nutrition expert
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES:
*https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/vde.1