Re: Low-carb diet and the gut

[Guest guest]

> The acid, called butyrate, is produced by bacteria and helps kill off

> cancerous cells.

It may be off topic for human nutrition, but volatile fatty acids

such as butyrate play a big role in animal nutrition. Cows that eat

grass, for instance, actually 'consume' a high-fat diet. Bacteria in

the cow's gut convert fiber into volatile fatty acids, which the cows

use as an energy source.

These days, low-carb diets are all the rage for horses. It's been

discovered that horses do well with more fat and less grain. A sudden

pulse of carbohydrates (say, getting fresh grass full of sugars after

being indoors all winter) can lead to a derangement of metabolism that

can wreck their hooves.