--- In EquineCushings@..., "sorayacharlotte"
<sorayacharlotte@...> wrote:
My question really was that: Does WSC=12% mean that you take that and
add it to the 10%starch declared on the bag = 22%? Or does it mean a
total of 12%?
That's a question for the feed company. Unfortunately, there are no
standards for reporting sugar and starch. We have a company here that
calls their product "safe starch" and yes, it does have lower starch
than most other feeds, but they don't add in the sugar so the total
sugar and starch is more than 20%.
Prior to March 2007, we used the term NSC (non-structural
carbohydrates), defined as WSC + starch to determine what was "safe"
for carbohydrate sensitive horses with a cutoff at 10%. Now we use ESC
(simple sugars) + starch.
The point is this - with IR, we're concerned about what results in
a "glycemic spike" (increases in glucose and insulin after eating) and
for the horse, that's simple sugars and starches that are digested in
the stomach vs. those that are fermented in the hindgut. [I'm winging
this and will welcome any corrections]. Both sugars and starches can be
broken down into digestible (hydrolyzable) and resistant (fermentable).
So, it is important to understand what terminology the feed company
uses, how they "define" sugar and starch and whether they have tested
the glycemic response to this feed (most likely answer to the latter
is "no."). I wish I could answer your question, but without knowing how
they define these things, I'm at a loss.
Alternatively, if you have a forage laboratory at hand, you could send
in a sample and have it tested. The safest alternative, until you can
get an answer, is soaked and rinsed beet pulp.
Kathleen (KFG in KCMO)
