The health of the gastrointestinal tract depends, among other things, on a balanced intestinal flora. This means that there is a balance between good bacteria and possibly harmful bacteria. The good bacteria develop and the harmful bacteria are kept in check. Unfortunately not everyone has a balanced intestinal flora. This is expressed in horses, for example, in stomach ulcers, blockages, gas deposits, cramps, diarrhoea, colic, laminitis and behavioural problems. The cause can be nutrition, stress, stable management, disease and/or antibiotic use. The living yeast cells in Gastro Reset Pellets support the intestinal flora by contributing to a shift in the environment (and acidity) of the intestines. The intestinal flora improves, because growth of pathogenic bacteria is prevented.
Prebiotics
The prebiotics keep the probitics alive; they are a source of nutrition for the living yeast cells. Therefore, prebiotics and probiotics always work better in combination than separately. Apart from that, the prebiotics in the Gastro Reset Pellets are known to thicken the mucus layer of the intestines. This is important, because bacteria and fungi nestle in it. When the mucus layer becomes too thin, these substances ‘leak’ into the bloodstream, overloading the kidneys and liver. The thicker the mucus layer, the more difficult bacteria and fungi can implant themselves.
Mycotoxin Binders
Fungi can grow in grass, hay, straw and grains. Some fungi, saprophytes, live on the outside of the plant and extract their nutrients from the plant. Other fungi, endophytes, live in the plant and offer the plant certain benefits in exchange for nutrients. Fusarium and aspergillus are saprophytes; ergot alkaloids, which can be found in meadow grasses, are endophytes. Endophytes make the plant stronger – for example, the plant is better able to withstand harsh weather conditions – but can be harmful to animals. Endophytes make fescue poisonous, resulting in longer gestation, a placenta that separates prematurely, small, weak or dead foals and in many cases lower milk production.
Research into the effects of mycotoxins on horses is limited in comparison with the information available on the effects on cattle and pigs. The fusarium and aspergillus species have been the most studied. These fungi are known to cause feed refusal, slower growth, a poorer digestion rate (weight gain per kilogram of feed) and restlessness. Some mycotoxins are associated with reduced immune function and damage to the heart, reproductive system and nervous system.
Fumonisins (from fusarium fungi) that invade maize, fresh grass or hay are a pathogen. More dangerous are the aflatoxins, which originate from the aspergillus fungi.
Aflatoxins can be found in various cereals, including maize, cotton seed, barley, as well as in mouldy hay. Horses exposed to a low dose for several weeks may suffer liver damage. Higher doses of aflatoxins can lead to severe gastrointestinal complaints and bleeding and, in extremely rare cases, to rapid death.
There are many factors that influence an animal’s sensitivity to specific mycotoxins, including age, weight and general health. It is often difficult to recognise poisoning because many clinical signs do not exclusively indicate the intake of mycotoxins.
Mycotoxins can be found in food: it is biological material, that is: material from the country. A wet rainy season like we had in the beginning of 2016 is the basis of the fusarium fungus.
The presence of fumonisin and aflatoxins in feed and hay cannot be determined by the naked eye. This requires laboratory research. The product Floris Gastro Reset Pellets contains substances that bind to mycotoxins to reduce the potential damage caused by mycotoxins.
Seaweed complex
As the name suggests, seaweed comes from the sea. Seaweed has long been unknown and unloved. In recent years, more and more experts have agreed that seaweed is the future. Food from the land is becoming increasingly poorer in minerals; seaweed offers the solution here. They are a source of natural bioactive minerals, oligo-elements, vitamins, enzymes, proteins, carbohydrates and antioxidants. In addition, they are rich in alginates, fibres, fucans and kaiic acid. There are several types of seaweed. The Gastro Reset Pellets contains a complex of ten species of seaweed, with the emphasis on the so-called red seaweed. It is known that this species works well against inflammation. In addition, seaweeds are a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Minerals
More and more research shows the influence of minerals on gastrointestinal health. In the Gastro Reset Pellets we have opted for minerals in a chelate complex. The reason for this is the high bioavailability of these minerals.
Plant extracts
In the Gastro Reset Pellets we have mixed plant extracts: the Allium cepa L., Allium sativum L., Carum carvi L., Melissa officinalis L., Mentha arvensis L., Foeniculum vulgarae var. Dulce Mil., Pimpinella anisum L., Syzygium aromaticum L. These substances stimulate the intestine to do its work and support the intestine to bring it to health. In addition, the plant extracts (because the intestine is stimulated to work actively) promote the food conversion.
