Layn Natural Solutions recently launched a plant-based ingredient for tackling weight management in pets, ideal for food, treats, and supplements. TruGro Weight Management is comprised of plant-based ingredients scientifically-supported to support healthy weight in pets, and contains polyphenol-rich botanical extracts and compounds found in green tea leaves.
 
“The bond between humans and their pets has never been stronger and pet owners love to reward their pets with treats, which can have some weighty consequences,” said Collette Kakuk, VP of global marketing at Layn Natural Ingredients. “COVID-19 has exacerbated obesity and weight gain problems in both humans and their pets. 53% of pet owners reported giving their pets treats for no particular reason since the start of COVID-19. However, just like in humans, being obese also isn’t healthy for pets. Helping pets stay healthy by losing weight requires a combination of diet and exercise, and supplementing pet diets with ingredients that help support healthy weight can give pet owners a jump start to stay ahead of pet weight challenges.”
 
TruGro contains EGCG, found in green tea and linked to improvements in metabolism. TruGro also exerts antioxidant activity, aids glucose absorption, mitigates the conversion of non-absorbed glucose into fat, and contains catechins that help breakdown excess fat cells, Layn reports.
 
“Obesity-related metabolic dysfunction, or ORMD, is related to metabolic syndrome described in obese humans, and involves obesity, dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, high insulin levels and low levels of adiponectin. According to recent studies, the rate of obese canines suffering from ORMD is over 20 percent,” said Juan Javierre, senior nutrition scientist at Layn Natural Ingredients. “Research has shown that green tea extracts can help improve the metabolic status of obese dogs by reducing the expression of inflammatory cytokines, resulting in lower levels of liver inflammation induced by high fat diets. Studies have also identified the metabolic pathways linking metabolic oxidation with inflammation and helping to confirm that the root causes of ORMD in obese dogs is exacerbated by oxidative stress.”
 
Citing a survey conducted this year by the Banfield Exchange, Layn reports that 93% of pet owners experienced challenges in the last year in helping their pets maintain a healthy weight.