Lifestyle Sports: Latest from Food Politics: Industry funded study of the week: a dog supplement

By Marion Nestle

April 20 2026

Industry funded study of the week: a dog supplement

No food or supplement is too small to evade research aimed at selling it. Try this one:

ADM study: Postbiotic supports metabolic health markers in labradors: Supplementing labradors with the postbiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis CECT 8145 may influence metabolic health markers during weight change, according to ADM research…. Read more

ADM makes dietary supplements. NutraIngredients.com is unusually helpful about noting when companies sponsor research on their own products. It also typically cites the original articles so they are easy to look up.

The study: Dickerson SM, Timlin CL, Mccracken FB, Skaggs P, Nixon SL, Day R, Coon CN. Bifidobacterium animalis Subspecies lactis CECT 8145 Affects Markers of Metabolic Health in Dogs During Weight Gain and Weight Loss. Animals. 2026; 16(2):259. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16020259

Method: The study had two phases: a weight-gain phase where dogs were overfed, and a weight-loss phase where overweight dogs were fed just enough to maintain their ideal weight. During each phase, forty-five adult Labradors were divided into three groups: one received the live bacterial supplement (probiotic), another received the heat-treated version (postbiotic), and the third group received a placebo.

Results: During weight gain…the postbiotic reduced blood sugar after consuming kibble in the weight-loss phase. Overall, the study suggests that supplementing dogs with Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis CECT 8145 may influence metabolic health markers as seen through changes in blood and fecal markers in Labradors during weight change.

Conclusion: we showed that postbiotic, and to a lesser extent probiotic, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CECT 8145 may influence metabolic health markers without inducing short-term changes in body weight or body composition, suggesting potential metabolic health benefits that warrant further investigation.

Funding: This research and APC was funded by Archer Daniels Midland (ADM).

Acknowledgments: Supplements used for this study were provided by ADM Health & Wellness.

Conflicts of Interest: Sarah Dickerson, Claire Timlin, Fiona Mccracken, and Patrick Skaggs are employees of Four Rivers Kennel, Walker, MO, USA. Craig Coon is the President and Co-Founder of Four Rivers Kennel. Sophie Nixon and Richard Day are employees of Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and played a role in study design, analysis, write-up, and final review of the manuscript. The authors declare no other conflicts of interest.Comment: The “funding effect” (the observation that industry-funded studies favor the sponsor’s interests) holds for veterinary research as well as human research. This research is about establishing a basis for convincing dog owners to buy supplements for their pets.

The post Industry funded study of the week: a dog supplement appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle

Now Available: What to Eat Now

My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out!

It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously.

For more information and to order, click here.

You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs.