Abstract
The domestic cat’s wild ancestors are obligate carnivores that consume prey containing only minimal amounts of carbohydrates. Evolutionary events adapted the cat’s metabolism and physiology to this diet strictly composed of animal tissues and led to unique digestive and metabolic peculiarities of carbohydrate metabolism. The domestic cat still closely resembles its wild ancestor. Although the carnivore connection of domestic cats is well recognised, little is known about the precise nutrient profile to which the digestive physiology and metabolism of the cat have adapted throughout evolution. Moreover, studies show that domestic cats balance macronutrient intake by selecting low-carbohydrate foods. The fact that cats evolved consuming low-carbohydrate prey has led to speculations that high-carbohydrate diets could be detrimental for a cat’s health. More specifically, it has been suggested that excess carbohydrates could lead to feline obesity and diabetes mellitus. Additionally, the chances for remission of diabetes mellitus are higher in cats that consume a low-carbohydrate diet. This literature review will summarise current carbohydrate knowledge pertaining to digestion, absorption and metabolism of carbohydrates, food selection and macronutrient balancing in healthy, obese and diabetic cats, as well as the role of carbohydrates in prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes mellitus.
Highlights
The domestic cat’s wild ancestors (Felis silvestris) are known to be obligate carnivores
The fact that cats evolved consuming low-carbohydrate prey and the increased understanding of the unique feline carbohydrate metabolism has led to speculations that high-carbohydrate diets could be detrimental to feline health
This was doubted by Schermerhorn as, unlike glucokinase, hexokinase I, II and III are inhibited by glucose-6-phosphate, which is continuously formed by gluconeogenesis in feline liver [38]
Summary
The domestic cat’s wild ancestors (Felis silvestris) are known to be obligate carnivores. The dietary requirements for protein, arginine, taurine, methionine and cystine, arachidonic acid, niacin, pyridoxine, vitamin A and vitamin D are greater than for omnivores due to metabolic differences [2,3,4,5,6]. This evolutionary background has served as a basis for several myths about cat nutrition. Researchers evaluated high-carbohydrate diets as a risk factor for the development of feline obesity and diabetes mellitus; others examined the use of low-carbohydrate diets for the prevention and treatment of these metabolic diseases. (CH2 On ) are biological molecules that are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen [11]
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