Looking for a little information about lamb as a protein source for your dog? That’s unbBaaalievable! No need to feel sheepish about asking questions. Here are 7 fun facts about lamb.
Lamb is meat that is collected from a sheep in its first year, whereas mutton is collected from older sheep. Unlike mutton, lamb is soft with a mild, yet rich flavour. Lamb is classified as a red meat product and is a very popular protein for dogs.
Lamb typically contains 25-30% protein and is one of the main reasons dogs find lamb to be such a tasty protein. Lamb is also a highly digestible protein, which means that dogs can digest, absorb and utilize a lot of the protein in the meat. Protein is important to help dogs grow, metabolize and repair cellular damage!
Since lamb is classified as a red meat source, it naturally contains a lot of iron. This is because iron is one of the building blocks of heme, a protein found in the blood. Dogs use iron to carry oxygen throughout the body and it is also used to make some hormones.
This one may be a new term, but the L-carnosine is an amino acid with some interesting health benefits. Studies have shown that L-carnosine appears to have some protective cardiovascular effects, as well as helping to reduce the storage of sugars in the body. Only certain foods contain carnosine in significant amounts and lamb is one of the most concentrated.
While lamb does contain 13-14% fat, some of those fats are actually healthy. Lamb is rich in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are great anti-oxidants and help to reduce inflammation. While omega 6 fatty acids reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering total cholesterol levels.
Glutathione is a heavy hitter when it comes to anti-oxidants. It helps to reduce oxidative stress and plays a critical role in internal body protection. Lamb is a source of glutathione but it also contains the amino acids that the body needs to create its own glutathione.
Vitamin B12 is a very important vitamin for dogs and lambs delivers it. Vitamin B12 is used by dogs to help keep the body's nerve and blood cells healthy. It also helps make DNA and prevent anemia.
References
Nutrition advance. “10 Health Benefits of Lamb Meat (and Complete Nutrition Profile)”. 2018. https://www.nutritionadvance.com/lamb-meat-nutrition-benefits/
Alvarenga, Tharcilla Isabella Rodrigues Costa, Yizhou Chen, Iraides Ferreira Furusho‐Garcia, Juan Ramon Olalquiaga Perez, and David L. Hopkins. "Manipulation of omega‐3 PUFAs in lamb: Phenotypic and genotypic views." Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 14, no. 3 (2015): 189-204.
Hazell, Terence. "Iron and zinc compounds in the muscle meats of beef, lamb, pork and chicken." Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 33, no. 10 (1982): 1049-1056.
Purchas, R. W., S. M. Rutherfurd, P. D. Pearce, R. Vather, and B. H. P. Wilkinson. "Concentrations in beef and lamb of taurine, carnosine, coenzyme Q10, and creatine." Meat Science 66, no. 3 (2004): 629-637.
Daun, Charlotte, and Björn Åkesson. "Comparison of glutathione peroxidase activity, and of total and soluble selenium content in two muscles from chicken, turkey, duck, ostrich and lamb." Food Chemistry 85, no. 2 (2004): 295-303.
Gille, Doreen, and Alexandra Schmid. "Vitamin B12 in meat and dairy products." Nutrition reviews 73, no. 2 (2015): 106-115.
