Treatment of Insulin Resistance

ECIRHorse.com - Full Article

by Eleanor Kellon, VMD

Now that Insulin Resistance has become the "disease du jour" the equine market has exploded with low carb feeds and supplements to fix or cure this condition. Don't fall for it!

First, understand that Insulin Resistance is not a disease - it is a "metabolic type". And the goal of the ECIR Group protocol is no laminitis ever again and bloodwork as close to normal as we can possibly get, if not completely normal. The ECIR Group protocol is about a lifestyle change for your horse, a management change that owners need to be committed to. Fortunately, the horses are fine with the changes and it typically costs less than the "magic bullet" supplements on the market that don't work!

Diet is Key

It doesn't take a great leap to understand that effective weight loss comes with a controlled diet. If you have a "condition" or metabolism that does not tolerate high intakes of simple carbohydrates or fatty foods, it's not difficult to predict that the best diet will be a low carb, low fat diet. Humans have struggled with control of IR/weight loss longer than equines have. A host of different medications have come and gone . Nothing works better for people than exercise and a controlled calorie diet. The horse is no different...

Read more here:
http://www.ecirhorse.com/index.php/insulin-resistance/treatment-of-insulin-resistance