General Well-Being:Active compounds like dopamine, nor-epinephrine and serotonin all act to calm the animal and promote a sense of well-being, helping to make the animal more relaxed and easier to manage.
Antioxidant Capacity:The burning of fuels at the cellular level (sugars and fats), and the normal functioning of the immune system, create a degree of oxidative stress due to the formation of reactive oxygen species. These free radicals can damage tissue unless neutralised by the antioxidant tools at the animal’s disposal. Green banana is recognised as an antioxidant rich feed with a wide spectrum of antioxidant compounds (phenolics, carotenoids, ascorbic acid or Vitamin C, tocopherols or Vitamin E, dopamine, flavonoids, norepinephrine) which are primarily located in the peel.
Equine Gut Health:The health benefits that derive from supplementary feeding of dried green bananas are broad and include: The resistant starch and insoluble fibre act as pre-biotics to favour the nourishment of microflora in the gut (particularly the hindgut) to stabilise the microbiome and create a state of eubiosis, or harmony in the gut. As the gut is the largest immune organ in the animal, this stability promotes immune competence allowing the equine to counter bacterial, fungal, viral or parasitic challenges. Gut stability also improves digestion, feed utilisation and temperament. In addition, green bananas have been shown to have antiulcerogenic properties.