From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2011-11-03 15:46:48 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Brewers Yeast & Insulinoma
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>, KaRayZee <krazy_for_k9s@yahoo.com>
The chromium in Brewers Yeast reduces blood glucose levels. In small amounts as you find in food, yeasts are a source of B vitamins, but you do NOT want to give higher amounts to a ferret who already is prone to low blood sugar, meaning that you place a ferret with insulinoma at risk if you give more.
That it should be used for insulinoma is a myth that dates back decades and I don't know why it sticks around, but it is one of the ferret health myths that persists. It began because some people claimed it "regulated" the pancreas by making it return to a best state. Guess what? There is no such thing as "regulating" the pancreas that way. There are a range of such myths, just as with human health care. Some can cause real harm.
What matters is the mechanism involved and that involves what the chromium does, so instead of reading opinions, it would help to read some actual EXPERT past posts such as these following ones on diabetes in ferrets. Remember that in diabetes you want to bring down the blood sugar, which is the OPPOSITE of what you want to do with insulinoma.
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL14235
by Dr. Jerry Murray
includes
>3) What about chromium? Chromium or brewer's yeast has insulin
>like activity and can help lower the glucose level. A suggested dose
>of chromium is 20-200 mcg/ day, divided and mixed in with the food.
So, as you see, it can help with diabetes, but since you do not want to further reduce the glucose level with insulinoma do not give it!
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG4476
> Subject: [Ferret-Health-list] Re brewers yeast\insulinomas
>
> Sorry it has taken awhile to answer the questions about
> Brewers yeast/chromium and insulinoma treatment. I had
> a computer problem, but I am back up and running again.
> Seems like there are 3 basic questions: 1) is chromium
> good to give to insulinoma ferrets(no), 2) is chromium safe to give
> to healthy ferrets(yes), and 3) can chromium possibly prevent
> insulinomas in healthy ferrets(maybe).
> I will try to clear up some of the general information first, then
> answer those 3 questions. Brewers yeast is a common ingredient in
> pet foods because it provides some of the B vitamins (esp. Thiamine
> B-1)
> and chromium. Thiamine is a very important B vitamin that is needed
> by ferrets and most mammals. Chromium is the part that causes
> the confusion.
> 1) Chromium is NOT a good thing to give an insulinoma ferret because
>
> it actually lowers blood glucose levels. Chromium also has some
> insulin like
> properties. Clearly we do not want to lower an insulinomas already
> low
> blood glucose level. Nor do we want to give something that acts like
>
> insulin when there is already to much insulin being produced by the
> insulinoma. Chromium is a good thing to give to diabetic people and
> pets, but diabetes is rare in ferrets.
> 2) Yes chromium is safe to give to ferrets without insulinomas.
> Again
> brewers yeast has a lot of the needed B vitamin thiamine. Chromium
> does
> not cause problems in the healthy ferret.
> 3) Can chromium prevent insulinomas? This is a good question that
> needs
> further research. Since chromium helps to lower the post meal
> glucose
> surge, it may help to prevent stimulation of the pancreas that
> occurs
> after eating a meal with carbohydrates in it. It is this
> overstimulation of
> the pancreas after eating carbohydrates (sugary treats, rice, etc.)
> that cause an insulinoma to form. If we had a ferret diet with a low
>
> carbohydrate level (10%) instead of the 20-30% carbohydrate diets
> that we currently have, If we had a diet with carbohydrates that
> produced
> lower post meal glucose peaks (sorghum, corn, barley) instead of
> rice that produces the highest post meal glucose peak, If we had a
> diet with enough chromium to lower the post meal glucose peak,
> then we might prevent insulinomas from occurring in ferrets. Again
> this
> is an area that needs further research. Based on what we currently
> know, chromium is a good thing for healthy ferrets, but a bad thing
> for ferrets with an insulinoma.
> Hope that clears up the confusion,
> Jerry Murray, DVM
On Nov 3, 2011, at 12:37 AM, KaRayZee wrote:
> My Otter Boo has insulinoma, I have been reading about brewers yeast. Some sites say to give it, others say to avoid it.
>
> Whats your opinion on brewers yeast & insulinoma?
>
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
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