Category: D) Amino Acids


Amino Acids: The Building Blocks of “Complete Protein” – Malnutrition

Filed under: Basic Parrot Nutrition, D) Amino Acids, Malnutrition — Leave a comment
February 5, 2012

If I were forced to name only one of the main causes of “The Mutilation Syndrome”, even though I believe there are many causes, I would probably have to list malnutrition at the top of my list. The reason I would feel safe in listing malnutrition as the main cause of this insidious syndrome is because it takes in a wide variety of nutritional aspects and it’s an umbrella for so many other causatives of poor health.

Malnutrition could be the lack of the vital base macro-nutrients in the diet derived from whole-foods such as vitamins and minerals. Or it could be the lack of Omegas in the form of fatty acids derived from the “good fats” from seed and nuts. What I wish to focus upon in this section though are the amino acids, and in particular the balance, or proper ratio, of those amino acids because they provide the protein the body needs for so many basic and primary bodily functions.

If the amino acids are imbalanced, or skewed, favoring one amino acid over another, then a “complete protein” is missing in the overall diet and as a result the body cannot metabolize proteins correctly causing malnutrition to set in if the diet lacks this “complete protein” nutrition over a long period of time.

If this situation occurs, the body, being the miraculous creation it is, will begin to “feed on itself” for the nutrition it lacks, absorbing all of the nutrients from within, slowly dying without notice to the outside world. Eventually the creature that is suffering malnutrition may even begin to consume itself, as in the case of The Mutilation Syndrome. The bird may begin to pick at its own feathers and nibble on the ends of the feathers for a short time hoping to find some of the nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and proteins, found within the feather shaft, to reabsorb back into its system before discarding them to the bottom of the cage. Or, in the case of skin mutilation, the  bird may even be attempting to gain access to the very protein it is lacking by picking at the skin or gaining access to the tiniest droplets of blood seeping through the wounds it created by picking the skin open.

It really doesn’t matter the quantity of food a bird like this is fed if the amino acids are not properly balanced in the food the bird is being fed. The bird can consume large quantities of the food, even appearing to be obese, but in reality is suffering malnutrition. If the amino acids are not balanced, i.e. a “complete protein” is not present, then the bird will not be receiving a protein source that can be properly metabolized by its metabolic system and utilized as nutrition for bodily functions, therefore malnutrition is bound to set in at some point in time.

Yes, it is possible to supplement the diet with additional whole foods to ensure additional amino acids are being offered to round out the diet. But one must have a very good knowledge and understanding of the commercial diet they are feeding their bird in the first place.  One must know just how those additional foods interplay with the commercial diet, their vitamin content,  fatty acid content,  and of course  the amino acid content they are adding to the diet, in order to know for sure if their bird is receiving a total, complete and balanced diet overall so that malnutrition does not exist.

One way of knowing this is to have your bird’s blood panel checked on a regular basis. A regular blood count with additional vitamin, mineral and blood lipid counts should be performed in order to know exactly where your bird’s overall nutritional profile stands. But you need to know exactly what to look for clinically as well. Keep a good eye out on your bird’s energy and activity levels, coordination and movements, the condition of the feathers, the moisture and suppleness of the skin, even the legs, the condition of the talons and beak making sure there are no cracks or scales and that they are not overgrown. Make sure the Ceres are clear and smooth, not congested. Make sure the breathing is smooth and not labored. Notice the droppings and make sure they are consistently the same, take notice of any abrupt changes.

Overall, malnutrition is very silent and insidious, but in my opinion it is pervasive in birds that pick, pluck and mutilate. I believe that most commercial bird foods are amino acid deficient and they lack the proper balancing of the most basic nutrients needed to build the “complete protein” our companion birds need in order to metabolize proteins efficiently. This is not all that difficult to remedy, but is does require more expensive ingredients than most commercial food producers are utilizing today. Being a strong advocate of preventative health care, I suggest the bird food industry begin producing foods that prevent malnutrition, thus preventing other health issues as well. I would rather see people spend their hard earned cash on wholesome foods that prevent health a crisis than to pay for health problems down the line and see their companion birds suffer, maybe to the point of no recovery.

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Machelle Pacion / The BEST Bird Food / BirD-elicious! / Passion Tree House LLC © 2012 All Rights Reserved

*Information supplied by The BEST Bird Food or any of its contributors, associates, et al, does not intend to diagnose, treat or cure any symptom, illness or disease. Any information provided is strictly for the purpose of “sharing” resources. Should a reader decide to use any such information they do so at their own risk and holds author(s) and associates, et al, of The BEST Bird Food blog harmless in any and all legal matters concerning their health and the health of their family and/or friends and/or colleagues who they may share the information with as well as all of their pets and/or livestock whom they may practice the information upon.

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Amino Acids: The Building Blocks of “Complete Protein” – Part 2

Filed under: Basic Parrot Nutrition, D) Amino Acids, The Building Blocks - Part 2 — 2 Comments
December 9, 2011

"Willo"

Until fairly recently it was believed that all captive parrots required about the same protein levels in their diet, about 12%-15%, based on poultry protein requirements. Gradually we are beginning to realize that each species may, in fact, require very different protein requirements based not only on their own species and body types, but also based on the regions of the world they originate from as well.

Of course different species require different protein levels in their diet, why would anyone think anything different? How we go about determining this and making sure they receive the proper amount of protein in their packaged food is the great challenge.

Once again I have to tout a diet high in natural, organic whole-foodstuffs. We cannot feed a pelleted diet and expect that our birds will receive adequate nutrition from highly processed, finely ground, “pre-digested” substandard ingredients.

Why do our parrots need protein, and specifically “quality” protein, in their diet and how do their bodies utilize protein once it is ingested? It’s been long understood that a bird’s body has a tough time metabolizing protein because bird’s need essential amino acids introduced into their digestive tracts in order to metabolize protein. In other words, these amino acids, the building blocks of complete protein, aren’t naturally present in a bird’s chemical make-up, they have to be ingested by the bird, in balance, and then synthesized properly in order for the bird’s system to recognize the proteins to metabolize them appropriately.

Many of us think protein is needed for energy. While this is correct to a certain extent, it is mostly false. Protein is used to build muscle mass, regenerate internal organs as well skin, the largest organ of the body. It is also used to regenerate feathers, beaks and talons, although these parts of a bird’s body are mostly made up of the sulfur-containing amino acids like Methionine which converts to Cysteine and Cystine. All of these items are part of the “bulk” of our birds’ bodies, and add to the total weight of our birds. So it stands to reason that while protein is very important, it is not needed in the same quantity as carbohydrates which give our birds energy. Nonetheless protein is needed for a healthy heart, and all of the other organs our birds need for healthy bodies that function like a Swiss clock.

Remember, in the wild, while they need muscle to maneuver the limbs of trees and take off to flight, they don’t need so much body mass that they can’t fly. And as the caregiver of a captive bird, each of us must decide what the proper forms of protein are in order to build and regenerate these parts of our birds, but not to the extent that our birds look like “muscle builders” when they are creatures that live fairly sedate lives in our homes, and much of that time is spent inside their cages.

First let’s look at the ingredients most often used in pelleted diets when their main ingredients are corn, rice, soy or wheat. None of these ingredients are reliable ingredients from which to supply protein. Wheat may be the only ingredient on that list that may contain enough protein to supply a parrot’s dietary need, but honestly pellets don’t normally contain wheat as their primary ingredient. And even if they did, wheat has too many negative factors to be a good source of protein to feed your companion bird, such as gluten, and indigestible protein that has a tendency to cause allergies. Gluten is the causative agent behind Celiac’s Disease in humans. Soy may also be a source high in protein but the problem with soy is that it is very high in phyto-hormones. This can dramatically alter your bird’s natural hormones leaving you with a bird that has ongoing hormonal issues. Research has found that Soy may inhibit endocrine function as well. This not only interrupts the regulation of hormones, but it can cause pancreatic disorders and insulin issues, as in the case of diabetes.  Soy, if not processed at high temperatures, that removes most nutrients, contains high levels of phytic acid which inhibits the absorption of many minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. So this source of protein, while it looks great at first glance, really isn’t that great overall. And as far as corn and rice, well they just don’t offer much protein anyway. And for any protein they do have to offer, they add too much sugar which converts to starch, which then converts back to sugar, a simple, and empty carbohydrate that can add to yeast infections and possibly diabetes, and may eventually contribute to fatty liver disease.

Animal Protein

So where do we turn to for quality protein? Well it certainly isn’t meat. Meat is far too difficult for parrots to digest; their delicate digestive system, with its low Ph balance, and the manner in which it is designed, just isn’t designed to break down meat products. And as I have said before in other posts, never, never feed your parrot raw, uncooked meat as it may harbor bacteria that will literally kill your parrot. But even cooked meat is too difficult for your parrot to digest. If you want to feed your parrot “animal protein”, turn to mealworms purchased online and raised on human foodstuffs. Never feed your birds worms you find in your garden as they may have accidentally came across some kind of chemical fertilizers or pesticides, even if it wasn’t in your own yard.

Plant Protein

But our parrots need more than “animal protein” in their basic diet, they need a different kind of protein in their daily diet because they are herbivores, they need “plant” protein. Most of their protein needs to come from reliable plant sources, but not necessarily from grains. Most of the plant protein our parrots would consume in the wild comes from greens like grasses, bushes, leaves and herbs.

They also like seeds and nuts. Seeds are eaten in abundance and nuts are eaten mostly for their fat content which is quickly converted into energy, although they do contain protein. And parrots love nuts. And why not? One of my favorite nuts to feed parrots is almonds. They are naturally high in both protein and calcium and that’s probably why I like them so much. But they are also one of the less fatty nuts too. But we have to be careful with nuts because they are high in Arginine which may lead to plucking and skin mutilation. So be extra careful in the amount of nuts you are feeding to your birds.

Obviously we cannot find and feed the very same bushes and leaves our birds would consume in the wild, but we can find good quality greens to mimic the plant proteins they might find in their natural habitat. One of my very favorite plants to feed is alfalfa. It hovers at about 15% protein on average, but that level of protein is knocked down when combined with foods of a lower protein percentage.  Alfalfa is what I call a “balanced” or “complete” plant protein in that it contains balanced amino acid content. This is one of the reasons it is used in the cattle industry and also why you will find horse owners feeding it to their horses in abundance. The amino acids in a whole food  constitutes  the building blocks of a protein and alfalfa is wonderfully balanced in the Lysine to Arginine ratio, therefore it is also balanced in the Ph ratio, inasmuch that it is not too acidic, nor is it too alkaline. So overall, this whole food is really the foundation from which to build your bird’s entire diet for good nutrition, in my opinion. This wonderful, leafy green really needs to be looked at more in-depth for feeding many of our herbivore pets.

I will lightly mention legumes here, but not because I consider them a good source of quality “plant” protein, only because legumes contain good and fair amounts of protein supplies. Legumes include cooked and dried beans, peas and lentils. But in order to supply nutrients most legumes need to be at least partially cooked before serving, and in doing so some amount of the real nutrition is lost. So in comparison to leafy greens, such as alfalfa that I mentioned above, legumes still don’t provide that raw “whole-food” nutrition I am such an advocate of because they need to be partially cooked in order to release their nutrition to be available for absorption. In addition, legumes are high in Arginine that amino acid that I believe may contribute to The Mutilation Syndrome.

*I wish to add a side note here about different kinds of seaweed and algae proteins. Please, please do not feed these on a regular basis to your birds in hopes of boosting the protein intake of your bird’s overall dietary needs. Our oceans have been permanently putrefied with petro-chemicals and radiation. Gone is the day we can rely on nutrition from ocean products. Besides this fact, many algae products, i.e. the blue-green strains, contain the essential amino acid Phenylalanine which is known to contribute to PKU in humans. I believe this is a leading cause of Toe-tapping and Wing-flipping in parrots. I will write an in-depth post on this later in the future.

Amino Acids Necessary for Complete Protein

How do our birds’ metabolize protein?

Protein is metabolized by an amino acid synthesizing process. In other words there are 10 essential amino acids which must be introduced into the body via the diet in order to have a complete protein, and all of the 20 amino acids must be synthesized by the body either by the food that is ingested, or by the body’s natural synthesizing process. It’s fairly easy to find most of the 10 essential amino acids in any of the foods you would normally feed your bird.  But one of the most important essential amino acids needed by our companion birds to metabolize protein is Methionine, and it can be difficult to find this amino acid present in most food sources. It must be introduced to our birds’ diet in order for protein to be broken down into a form for our birds’ systems to utilize the protein they take in. When combined with enough Lysine with other foods that contain Arginine, and all of the other essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids, this constitutes a “complete” protein our birds’ systems recognizes as well as one they can utilize. But Lysine, Arginine and Methionine seem to the major players in this process.

The 10 essential amino acids that must be introduced by food are:

1)      Phenylalanine

2)      Valine

3)      Threonine

4)      Tryptophan

5)      Isoleucine

6)      Methionine

7)      Leucine

8)      Lysine

9)      *Histidine (Considered to be a “conditionally” essential amino acid because it is not normally required in the diet, but must be supplied in the diet to specific species that do not synthesize it.)

10)   *Arginine (Considered to be a “conditionally” essential amino acid because it is not normally required in the diet, but must be supplied in the diet to specific species that do not synthesize it. It is not concretely known if parrots synthesize Arginine. All research is based on poultry who do not synthesize Arginine.)

The 10 non-essential amino acids which will be synthesized by other amino acids are:

1)      Alanine

2)      Asparagine

3)      Cysteine

4)      Tyrosine

5)      Aspartate

6)      Glutamate

7)      Glutamine

8)      Glycine

9)      Proline

10)   Syrine

Most foods contain Arginine in high quantities. It is a little more difficult to find foods that naturally contain Lysine and Methionine so I’m going to list some to help you out.

Foods high in Methionine:

  • Cooked Egg Whites (Do not buy and use powdered egg whites, these contain preservatives.)
  • Eucalyptus Leaves –Organic if possible (Do not feed if sprayed with insecticides)
  • Sesame Seed
  • Sunflower Seed

Foods high in Lysine:

  • Papaya – However, be careful with papaya because it is a natural histamine, it can cause allergies. Watch to see how your individual bird responds to it.
  • Beets – However, beets are high in sugar that can lead to yeast infections. So if your individual bird is prone to yeast infections keep a close eye out for any signs of a developing yeast infection. Beets are also a good supply of beta carotene, the precursor to vitamin A.
  • Mango – This is a good all around ingredient and has no side effects that I am aware of. A good supply of beta carotene too!
  • Apricot – A little on the sugary side, but not too bad.
  • Apple – I don’t recommend apples because they are way too high in sugar content for the little amount of nutrition they offer.
  • Pear – Excellent source.
  • Alfalfa – Excellent, balanced ratio of Lysine/Arginine which makes this a good base food.
  • Pineapple – This can be somewhat of an allergen to some birds, so watch your individual bird carefully. Otherwise it is an excellent digestive agent.
  • Persimmon – A good source.
  • Peach – A good source.
  • Plum – A good source.
  • Green beans – A good source.
  • Lentil SPROUTS – A good source. (Do NOT feed alfalfa and/or red clover sprouts, these are highly toxic as they contain the amino acid “Canavanine” which is thought to be a carcinogen. However, mature alfalfa is FREE of Canavanine and is safe to feed your parrot.)
  • Cauliflower – A good source.
  • Guava – A fair source.
  • Cinnamon – A fair source.

I cannot stress how important Lysine is to the overall diet.  This is the one “limiting amino acid” that Vegans are sure they receive in their diet to accomplish having a complete protein source.  “Limiting” means that without it proteins cannot properly be absorbed and metabolized. Lysine is also necessary for calcium absorption.

And finally, Methionine; in reviewing this important amino acid, if it’s not available in the diet through foodstuffs then none of the proteins will be absorbed and metabolized. We must find quality foods that contain Methionine so that our birds’ digestive tracts and metabolic systems will be able to make use of the protein they receive.

Most commercial bird foods have been neglectful in formulating daily diets for our companion birds overall. They have not taken into consideration that a completely balanced protein must consist of including whole-foods that contain both naturally occurring, and equally balanced, Lysine to Arginine amino acids with enough Methionine to properly metabolize the available protein. When we look at the package backs of these processed foods we will be sure to find ingredients that are extremely high in ingredients that contain Arginine. But where are the ingredients that contain Lysine, the all-important amino acid that balances the Arginine in order to make a complete protein? They are virtually non-existent. And how about the Methionine ingredients? Where are they?

Personally, I’m not satisfied if they tell me that they have added the Lysine and Methionine by supplementing them with laboratory-produced, chemical versions because scientists are still debating whether these substances are utilized by a living creature the same way as a natural and organic source is metabolized by a living creature. I would much rather be sure to use the real version, a living version, a whole-food that was made by Nature.

Click for: “Amino Acids: The Building Blocks of Complete Protein – Part 1″

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Machelle Pacion / The BEST Bird Food / BirD-elicious! / Passion Tree House LLC © 2012 All Rights Reserved

*Information supplied by The BEST Bird Food or any of its contributors, associates, et al, does not intend to diagnose, treat or cure any symptom, illness or disease. Any information provided is strictly for the purpose of “sharing” resources. Should a reader decide to use any such information they do so at their own risk and holds author(s) and associates, et al, of The BEST Bird Food blog harmless in any and all legal matters concerning their health and the health of their family and/or friends and/or colleagues who they may share the information with as well as all of their pets and/or livestock whom they may practice the information upon.

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Amino Acids: The Building Blocks of “Complete Protein” – Part 1

Filed under: Basic Parrot Nutrition, D) Amino Acids, The Building Blocks - Part 1 — Leave a comment
November 29, 2011

We don’t often think of amino acids in relationship to the protein requirements of our companion birds when we pick up a package of food for them at our local pet shop, we simply may look at the protein percentage on the back of the package and think, “Hmmm…okay, this looks okay” and be on our merry way.  But what actually goes into formulating that protein percentage? What has to be mixed and calculated to arrive at that number in order to make sure our feathered friend is receiving the “complete protein” it needs to not only survive, but thrive?

“Complete proteins” are what is needed in order for any living creature to survive. But complete quality  proteins are what is needed for a living creature to thrive.  Any food manufacturer can throw ingredients together and force the protein percentages to come out to a level that meets the criteria equaling the amount necessary for survival for the particular animal species they desire to sell to the consumer purchasing the food for their beloved pet. But it takes a nutritionist who is passionate about the health of animals, and one that really has the animal’s best interest at heart to formulate a food that not only meets the protein percentage criteria, but also combines the amino acids in a balanced manner that they complement each other in a symbiotic way that actually forms an actual “complete protein” in every aspect of the true nature of the definition.

The absolute best way to provide complete protein to an overall diet is to combine a vast array of fresh, organic whole-foods.

The only way to come close to producing minimally processed, and still high-potency food, is to produce it by hand, using minimal equipment, and only stainless steel equipment at that so as not to introduce metal toxicity, and leave most of the ingredients whole, or semi-whole and gently dehydrate as the means of preservation. Dehydration is the oldest method of preservation known to civilization and is still being used by present-day naturalists.

But back to the amino acids and building a complete protein for our birds’ daily diets. Amino acids are the “building blocks” of proteins in a living creature’s dietary needs, as well as within their very bodily make up, they provide the fiber of a living being’s physical existence!

There are two main amino acids we need to take into consideration when building the complete protein profile in which our birds need in order to thrive. Unfortunately here again, most commercial bird foods do not provide, in a balanced manner, these two essential amino acids in the ingredients they include in their packaged foods. The reason most manufacturers do not include ingredients that contain both amino acids is because the price is more costly for the more balanced foods that contain both amino acids, and plus some of the foods are more difficult to produce, and therefore obtain in mass quantity.

The term “essential” amino acid means that it is not synthesized by the body itself. In other words, it must be introduced into the body by other means, hopefully by whole-food sources rather than a laboratory-produced supplement. The body recognizes whole-food sources, in my opinion, more efficiently than it does laboratory-produced substances. This is a topic of long-debate by scientists spanning the entire globe. Still no concrete decisions have been made on this issue.

The two most essential amino acids we need to take into consideration when building our birds’ daily diet are Lysine and Arginine and they must be balanced in order to provide the complete protein your bird needs to thrive, not just survive. Too much of either and your bird will, eventually, begin to suffer some kind of ailment, disorder, illness or disease, mark my word.

In addition to those two amino acids your bird needs another essential acid, in a more limited amount, but essential nonetheless, Methionine, in order to metabolize the proteins, because first of all birds do not synthesize methionine on their own; neither do they metabolize proteins very well.

What does all of this boil down to? Well if you are going to be feeding your bird(s) fresh, organic, whole foods yourself, without any commercially packaged foods, you need to know how to go about providing a “complete protein” source for your bird’s daily diet. Otherwise you’re only guessing at what your bird needs in the way of a total diet.

And complete protein isn’t the only dietary need you should be taking into consideration. You have to take into consideration your bird’s fat requirements, calcium and other mineral needs, and make sure your bird isn’t receiving too much iron in its diet that could lead to “Iron Storage Disease”. When it comes right down to it, formulating a complete and total diet for your bird just isn’t a snap! And if you are feeding a commercial food that contains synthetic vitamins, or you are feeding synthetic vitamins yourself, you need to be really careful because you can easily overdose your bird and cause hypervitaminosis, a case of too much synthetic nutrition, which your bird’s system, primarily the liver and kidneys, just cannot metabolize. This is usually due to overdosing of “oil-soluble” vitamins, those which cannot be thrown off the system by the dilution of water-soluble body fluids, they need to be metabolized by the liver and kidneys. This can lead to an enlarged liver, fatty liver or liver and/or kidney disease. Many commercial bird foods contain these types of vitamins in them.

And if you are feeding, or you decide to feed, a commercial diet to your bird(s), please find one that is as close to organic, whole-food, minimally processed without synthetic vitamin supplements as you can possibly find. I know that’s a tall order considering what’s on the market today, but please try. Optimum health for your bird begins with optimum nutrition. It’s all about using food as a natural, holistic medicine, the first line of defense against all ailments, disorders, illness and disease.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of “The Building Blocks of Complete Protein“!

I’ll be discussing the importance of amino acids in more detail in my upcoming book, so be sure to stay tuned to learn how, when and where I’ll be publishing my first volume of avian nutritional information!

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Machelle Pacion / The BEST Bird Food / BirD-elicious! / Passion Tree House LLC © 2012 All Rights Reserved

*Information supplied by The BEST Bird Food or any of its contributors, associates, et al, does not intend to diagnose, treat or cure any symptom, illness or disease. Any information provided is strictly for the purpose of “sharing” resources. Should a reader decide to use any such information they do so at their own risk and holds author(s) and associates, et al, of The BEST Bird Food blog harmless in any and all legal matters concerning their health and the health of their family and/or friends and/or colleagues who they may share the information with as well as all of their pets and/or livestock whom they may practice the information upon.

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