# Lentils in grain-free foods--good or bad?



## Io2014 (Nov 24, 2014)

I just found out I’m really out of the loop when it comes to trends in dry dog food! 

Between making my dogs’ food for a few years and working outside the pet industry (back when I worked doggie daycare, sometimes there was nothing better to do with my dog-snob coworkers than gossip about dog food brands) I obviously missed some huge changes.

I recently looked into some kibble and was confused to see what I consider top-notch brands (Orijen, Nature’s Variety) using a lot of legumes (lentils, peas) in their formulas. 

Am I right or wrong to think this is a cheap way to bulk up the dry-matter protein content?

I suppose it's good that manufacturers are moving away from too much potato, and legumes definitely make for less starch in a grain-free food, but what do you think?


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

According to this article Amicus Dog Food | Review and Rating peas and lentils are a quality source of carbs and good fiber.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I think grain free is a marketing gimmick. Carbs are carbs and replacing corn with peas makes no difference. Peas are still very high in carbs.

Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Corn, sweet, yellow, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt
Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt
Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Peas, green, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt

I think the key is to look at the food for the highest protein from meat. Keep corn free and I try to keep wheat free. I have two of my dogs on a food with grain but it's millet and sorghum, which I've read is easier to digest for them. They do very well on it.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

I found this part of an article by Kim Kalendar, 2 years ago, very interesting and informative.

While the elimination of grain has ended suffering for uncountable pets as well as saved their owners countless vet bills, we now see a trend that so far our manufacturers refuse to address. Our concern is that now that the market has been established and consumers are willing to pay for quality, pet food makers are finding less expensive protein sources to reduce meat meal in their formulas. Peas and pea protein have become a concern. When questioned about the changes, we are deluged with scientific research provided by highly ranked universities stating the nutritional contents in peas and pea protein. My question is, has there been any research to prove whether or not these nutrients are bio-available in a carnivores digestive tract. Peas belong to the legume family. Legumes are high in phytic acid. Phytates have a tendency to bind calcium, magnesium, and iron in animals and humans.
I am even more concerned with the lectin proteins contained in these ingredients. We have never seen head lines reporting wolf packs or wild cats descending on wheat, corn, or pea fields. There is a good reason for this. Lectin proteins are a plants natural defense. While birds can digest these proteins, humans and carnivores cannot. Lectins are designed by nature to work through the digestive lining in order to break down it’s predators system and disrupt digestion. When undigested protein enters the blood stream, the immune system sets up an auto immune response resulting in allergies. Lectins are sticky, binding proteins. They attach to leptin receptors which regulate carbohydrates into glucose. In time, they can disrupt these receptors and lead to diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease; conditions very prevalent in humans and pets today. Lectins also attach to villi in the digestive tract. They block absorption of nutrients. In time the damage becomes permanent. We see a lot of this in American German Shepherds. When was the last time you saw an Irish Setter? Some breeds have been more susceptible to this damage. Their reputation smeared by reports of stupidity, or aggressiveness. The truth may be that their digestion, including pancreatic function is so disrupted that their brains and nervous systems were severely affected. Consider that when the body is under stress, cortisol levels rise and stop producing the natural protective mucus coating needed in the digestive tract, leading to a never ending cycle affecting the nervous system.
Further research reveals that due to their binding ability, lectin proteins are used to splice genes together in genetically modified food. The original wheat contained six chromosomes. The wheat we consume today has as many as forty two chromosomes, each containing proteins not originally coded in the plant. The next pledge we may need Susan Thixton to ask manufacturers for is non genetically modified ingredients. With further genetically modification entering our food supply, we are likely to see acceleration in disease. This may answer the question of why celiac disease and multiple sclerosis are rising at alarming rates around the world.
A carnivores diet is simple. Unfortunately, pet food manufacturers and suppliers are in a continuous search for less expensive alternatives to feeding animals than way nature designed them. Symptoms may present themselves quickly for some animals, while others endure damage silently until a sever condition is diagnosed.
Ingredient of caution – pea protein. High placement of this ingredients on the ingredient list could indicate concentrated levels. I prefer not to see pea protein or peas in the ingredient list at all, however you’ll be hard pressed finding that in today’s market. In any given pet food, a few peas is not a huge concern. My concern lies when manufacturers are replacing meat protein with concentrated high levels of peas or pea protein.

Resources for article:
Lund University, Sweden
Tommy Jonsson, Stefan Olsson, Thornkild C. Bog Hanson
The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University
Copenhagen, Denmark
The Lectin Report
Krispin Sullivan

Moms


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Momto2GSDs said:


> My concern lies when manufacturers are replacing meat protein with concentrated high levels of peas or pea protein.


Thanks Moms. That exactly proves my point, and my theory when I look at a bag of dog food and see peas while marketing as grain-free. 

I picked up a bag of "high quality grain-free" food at a friends that is 3x the amount I pay for Victor and guess what...Victor has a higher meat protein content. It's a marketing gimmick and people are paying huge dollars for it.


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## VanLee (Sep 6, 2014)

Peas, lentils, chickpeas, pea protein are sort of a fraud in foods marketed as being high quality. You need to look at overall carbohydrate content and the amount of protein actually coming from animal sources. Grain free, high protein, low carbohydrate foods using simple white potato are better than a food with the same GA that use legumes. Potato has virtually no protein, legumes have a lot.

A food with potato that is 37% protein and 18% fat will have the same carbohydrates as a 37% protein and 18% fat food that has no potato but has peas and lentils and other legumes.

Also be careful how some companies split these ingredients and list, "green lentils, red lentils, peas and chickpeas". They are identical ingredients and they only do this to deceive you. Listed separately they appear to be limited but add them up.

With grain inclusive foods, it is the same analysis.

The biggest offender by far is Fromm, because the foods are low protein and use "pea protein" anyway. Very little animal protein and higher carbohydrates than foods with potato.


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## Io2014 (Nov 24, 2014)

Momto2GSDs said:


> I found this part of an article by Kim Kalendar, 2 years ago, very interesting and informative.


This article is a great find! Sums up a lot of the things I was trying to remember about peas and lentils, including why I have a hard time eating them, haha!

I'm glad to hear I'm not wrong for thinking the legumes are a cheat for boosting protein. 

Jax08--I really am starting to think grain-free is mostly a gimmick (especially with the main-stream manufacturers jumping on the bandwagon). I'm disappointed to see the lack of transparency from companies I used to appreciate for their openness (but then again, I did switch to preparing my own dog food, so I suppose I never was really satisfied with these products). 

Thanks for the great feedback!


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## VanLee (Sep 6, 2014)

The other thing with legumes are phytates, phytic acid and phytoestrogens...bad things and they have a lot of them.


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