Malic acid is developed and then consumed in significant amounts by your dog’s body on a daily basis. It is constantly needed because it is a critical part of the Krebs cycle. This is the process in which the body uses biochemical processes to produce water and energy. British biochemist Sir Hans Krebs won the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1953 for identifying this process that literally keeps your dog functional every day with energy and good canine health. Malic acid is also a naturally occurring substance found in fruits and vegetables, one of the richest sources being apples. That is why it was given the name malic, which according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is derived from the French acid malique and the Latin malum for apple. It is also found in blueberries, pineapple, apricots, and strawberries.
All of these fruits can be fed to your dog, but be careful with apples, as he is only fed the “meat” of the apple and not the stem, core, or seeds, as they contain small amounts of cyanide. It was first discovered in 1785 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele. Best recognized for his discovery of oxygen in our air, this distinguished natural scientist and co-founder of modern chemistry also discovered other important substances such as chlorine, glycerin, manganese, lactic acid, and tartaric acid.
In addition to the important benefits of transforming proteins, fats and carbohydrates into water and energy, malic acid offers many other benefits for proper dog health. It helps prevent muscles and the heart from experiencing fatigue and weakness, enhances the immune system, is an active chelating agent for toxic heavy metals, and is highly effective in maintaining healthy teeth and oral health in dogs.
As a chelating agent, malic acid supports proper dog health by reacting with both the good minerals and harmful heavy metal toxins in the body. With the good minerals, it breaks the chemical bonds of the original inorganic compounds creating malates which in turn promote efficient absorption of the mineral. With harmful heavy metal toxins like aluminum, lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic, it is able to combine with them and render them inactive, allowing them to be excreted from your dog’s body through the kidneys and liver. This greatly reduces the risk of liver disease and nervous system disorders in your dog.
One of the most effective uses of malic acid to maintain proper canine health is in the area of oral hygiene. First to treat bad breath in dogs, it acts as an antiseptic and stimulates the creation of excess saliva in the mouth. This combination significantly reduces the amount of bacteria and infection in the mouth, which is the main cause of bad breath in dogs. That is why malic acid is often used in toothpastes and mouthwashes. So just as your dentist uses malic acid to clean teeth before adding fillings and to whiten teeth, you can use it to clean teeth for dogs. The best product to clean the teeth of dogs naturally is to use strawberries. Strawberries contain malic acid in a concentration that is safe to use in the mouth and teeth of dogs. You can make a simple toothpaste by crushing some berries with some baking soda and water. It is recommended to use this mixture only to clean the teeth of dogs no more than once a week.
