Question
I need to bump up the vitamin E and omegas in my young Fell pony’s diet and would like to do so without adding much in the way of calories, as we are trying to help him lose some weight. He also has some skin issues that I should address. The vet thinks a liquid vitamin E is the best way to go. I am contemplating Nano-E and EO-3, but I am not sure if that is the best combination or whether you might have another suggestion.
Answer
Both Nano-E (nanodispersed vitamin E) and EO-3 (long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA) are appropriate for your pony for different reasons.
One of the best nutritional interventions to skin issues, especially if they are related to allergic reactions, is omega-3 fatty acid supplementation to mitigate the inflammatory and immune response. The long-chain fatty acids EPA and DHA, as found in marine-derived oils such as EO-3, may be more effective than short-chain fatty acids, as found in flax products. EPA and DHA have greater anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties compared to short-chain fatty acids. Horses can convert ALA to generate EPA and DHA, but this process is inefficient in horses. In humans, the conversion rate from ALA to EPA is about 8-20%; conversion to DHA is even lower.
Because skin issues and allergic conditions are tied to immunity, vitamin E supplementation is also routinely considered. If your pony’s pasture intake is restricted, he should continue vitamin E supplementation to prevent deficiency. Most horses have a vitamin E requirement of 1-2 IU of vitamin E per kg of body weight. For a 500-kg (1,100-lb) horse not in work, this would be 500 IU per day. This requirement can increase up to 5,000-10,000 IU/day for horses with specific problems, such as neurological or muscular disease. For nonmedical cases, the vitamin E requirement can be met in a variety of ways, but for medical cases, we recommend water-soluble (liquid) forms of vitamin E.
Most dry vitamin E sources (powders and pellets) are synthetic or natural acetate, a form of tocopherol that has been chemically joined with an acid (esterification) to shield it from oxidative damage and denaturation. Once ingested, digestive enzymes must free alpha-tocopherol for absorption. Water-soluble liquid vitamin E sources are natural alcohols that do not require esterification. Nano-E goes one step further than other water-soluble products by nano-encapsulating the fat-soluble vitamin E in a liposome, a preferred mode of absorption by the body and the reason dietary fat is needed for vitamin E absorption. Because of this, we consider Nano-E to be superior to other sources of vitamin E. A single 5,000-IU dose of Nano-E doubles serum vitamin E levels within 12 hours of supplementation, but it can take over a month with powdered natural vitamin E.
