CurOst EQ MetaSupport Research

EVALUATION OF BERRY AND CITRUS HERB FORMULA IN EQUINE METABOLIC PATIENTS

Evaluation of Berry and Citrus Herb Formula in Equine Metabolic Patients

Tom Schell, D.V.M., CVCH

Introduction:

Metabolic syndrome is a term used referring to a group of risk factors that contribute to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke in people. In horses, metabolic syndrome is closely connected with poor sugar metabolism, insulin dysfunction, circulatory disease and laminitis.  In both groups, the risk factor that is most prominent is obesity or excessive body condition, which then tends to increase the risk for development of other factors and further contribute to patient health deterioration.  

 

In humans, the 5 major risk factors to the development of metabolic syndrome include; a large waistline, high triglycerides, low LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure and high fasting blood sugar.  In horses, the main contributing factor is an overweight body condition and often insulin dysfunction. Despite pharmaceutical interventions in both people and horses, there is still a lack of control and management of the syndrome.  The intake of proper nutrients, combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle have been shown to be the best preventative and potential management measures.

Modern research has demonstrated that all metabolic diseases are associated with a low level (chronic) inflammation, oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress. It has also been shown that more often than not, these stresses interact with one another and intensify over the course of disease development. Considering this, therapeutic options that can reduce these stresses are emerging as targets for intervention and management of metabolic diseases.¹

Many citrus fruits, berries, mushrooms and other herbs have demonstrated the ability in research to reduce the clinical manifestations associated with metabolic syndrome by modifying chronic inflammation and oxidative stress damage. In most cases, these herbs are capable of reducing inflammation by downregulating NF-kB, a transcription factor involved in the production of inflammatory proteins.  They can also assist with reducing oxidative stress through their innate antioxidant capabilities and through upregulation of NRF2, which assists in regulating antioxidant response at a cellular level.

Purpose of the Study:

In this study, we plan to evaluate the clinical response of a proprietary herbal formula, consisting of a 4:1 concentrated extract of Blueberry, Bilberry and Noni Fruit, with apple peel, Poria cocos, Astragalus and Amla extracts, in horses with metabolic syndrome.  The overall goal was to investigate palatability, impact on weight and body condition, and improvement in foot soreness score over a 30 day period of time.

Patient Selection:

Thirteen (13) equine patients were selected based on overweight body condition score and prior diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. Ten patients demonstrated foot soreness, attributed to laminitis, while 3 did not have any evident problems aside from an overweight body condition.  Patient diets, exercise levels and supplement or medication regimens were held constant, not being altered during the research trial. Insulin levels were not followed in the research trial.

Results:

Patient	Initial Weight	Post Weight	Total Weight Loss	Foot Soreness Improved
1	1898 lbs	1940 lbs	None	No change
2	961 lbs.	980 lbs.	None	No change
3	1194 lbs.	1130 lbs.	60lbs.	No change
4	1255 lbs.	1190 lbs.	65 lbs.	Improved
5	1500 lbs.	1470 lbs.	30 lbs.	No foot soreness
6	1370 lbs.	1320 lbs.	50 lbs.	No change
7	1286 lbs.	1246 lbs.	40 lbs.	Improved
8	932 lbs.	900 lbs.	32 lbs.	Improved
9	1158 lbs.	1150 lbs.	8 lbs.	Improved
10	1220 lbs	1168 lbs	52 lbs.	No foot soreness
11	1890 lbs	1852 lbs.	38 lbs.	Improved
12	1270 lbs	1235 lbs.	35 lbs.	Improved
13	1176 lbs.	1146 lbs.	30 lbs.	Improved