This is our series on the ingredients in Wild Earth’s Clean Protein dog food called ‘Ingredients With A Purpose’. We understand there are A LOT of options when it comes to what you feed your dog. We also understand you want to feed them the best food possible and labels can be confusing. The goal of this series is to give you insight into the role each ingredient plays in our food and the components that make a complete dog diet. We’ve broken the articles down into the components that make a healthy dog diet: Protein, Fats & Carbohydrates, Fibers, Vitamins & Minerals, Essential Fatty Acids, Superfoods, Amino Acids, Prebiotics & Probiotics.

Superfoods

The term superfood has been around for many years but it seems to be one of the latest buzzwords that is thrown around in the nutrition industry. The term has become trendy in marketing campaigns for human nutrition but has also become trendy when it comes to dog food and dog supplements. The term can have a variety of different meanings or exact connotations but the general consensus is that some foods provide extra nutritional value compared to others.

These nutrient-dense foods, superfoods, can have an immediate impact on your dog's health, allergies, and overall nutrition which makes it important to learn about. This is why Wild Earth uses a variety of different superfoods within our Clean Protein Dog Food to help dogs around the world receive healthier and more nutrient-dense meals.

Let's learn about superfoods, why we use them in our dog food, and a few common superfoods you might already have in your kitchen!

What Are Superfoods?

The term "superfood" is used to describe foods that are especially rich in nutritional content. This extra nutritional content could include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, or other beneficial compounds. Some foods are known for providing additional amounts of a specific nutrient, while others will provide additional amounts of different nutrients. This is why superfoods are often mixed together in order for the consumer to receive multiple health-supporting nutrients in one meal or snack.

The term "superfood" has grown in popularity over the past 10 years but the science behind the terminology has been around for much longer than that. The Harvard School of Public Health explains that the first recorded example of the term "superfood" was used around 1917 in an advertising campaign by The United Fruit Company who claimed bananas were the ultimate snack because it was nutrient-dense, affordable, easy to digest, germ-proof peel, and easy to eat. They ended their marketing campaign by saying "Bananas are a superfood!".

Fast forward about 100 years later and superfoods are not only for bananas, but superfoods have made their way into the kitchen of dogs all over the world. The exact benefits of these superfoods for your dog will vary depending on your dog and its nutritional needs, but there are a handful of superfoods that are recommended for daily consumption, which is why we include them within our dog food.

Why Are Superfoods Important For Dogs?

Superfoods are important for dogs because they provide them with additional vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes that are essential for the healthy development, growth, and maintenance of your dog. Superfoods act as a natural supplement to help give your dog energy, strengthen their immune system, help them sleep, regulate their blood oxygen levels, support their cognitive health, and much more.

Many commercial dog foods are made with meat byproducts and filler materials that don't provide your dog with the complete nutrition they need to thrive. For this reason, Wild Earth utilizes popular superfoods within our dog food to help provide your dog with all of the health-supporting nutrients they require.

Instead of fillers or byproducts, we use common superfoods that you know and love. We focus on using ingredients that you are familiar with, and ingredients that you know will help to support the health of your dog.

Common Superfoods That We Use In Wild Earth Dog Food

Each ingredient within our food was hand-chosen in order to boost the health benefits that your dog will receive. We utilize superfoods to help to improve and support the immune function of your dog, provide them with stronger bones and joints, relieve inflammation, heal their digestive system, and much more.

Below are a few of the superfoods that we use in our dog food as well as the nutritional benefits provided by them.

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are known as one of nature's true superfoods because of their energy-boosting carbohydrates, essential amino acids, and the numerous additional nutrients it provides such as Vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, folate, and much more.

Sweet Potato

Sweet potato is known to be associated with supporting and improving the health of your dog's immune system as well as their vision. Sweet potatoes contain important antioxidants such as beta-carotene but are also loaded with different vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B3, Vitamins B5, Vitamin B6, manganese, and copper.

Blueberries

Blueberries may be small in size but they are jam-packed with nutritional benefits. There are many different fruits that are considered to be superfoods but typically blueberries are thought to be the most well-supported superfood out of the bunch. Blueberries are rich in fiber, contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, and also provide additional nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and Vitamin K to your pup's diet.

Spinach

Spinach is one of the most well-known superfoods in the world and its benefits for dogs are very similar to those shared with humans. Spinach as well as other dark, leafy greens, can help to aid digestion, reduce the risk of developing cancer, and provide additional nutrients to help support a healthy lifestyle for your dog. A few of the additional nutrients found in spinach are large amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and is also packed with iron, antioxidants, beta-carotene, and dietary fiber.

Cranberries

Similar to blueberries, cranberries can provide your dog with antioxidants that can help to slow down or even prevent damage to the cells of your dog by free radicals. Cranberries are filled with Vitamin C, Potassium, dietary fiber, and other beneficial nutrients.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is one of the most well-known foods when it comes to improving the overall digestive health of your dog. It is often given to dogs who have an upset stomach but when eaten on a daily basis, pumpkin can help to improve your dog's digestion, enhance the immune system, improve eye health, and improve the health of your dog's skin and coat.