FAQS - EquiNectar
What is EquiNectar?
EquiNectar is a blend of naturally occurring digestive enzymes. It is derived from sprouting barley, one of nature's oldest health foods.
Scientifically proven to promote the optimal balance of gut bacteria and support your horse's digestive health
What are the ingredients in EquiNectar?
EquiNectar is made in a low-temperature process and contains a full range of active enzymes which can break down plant products. These include starch (amylase), maltose (maltase), cellulose in fibre (cellulase), fructans, which are found in new grass (fructanases), glycans, which are glucose polymers found in cell walls (glucanases) and small amounts of proteinases and lipases which break down proteins and fats.
It also contains the maltose, maltotriose and maltose polymers described above, with medium chain fatty acids from coconut oil and potassium sorbate (sorbic acid is found in many plants including rowan berries).
Will EquiNectar make my horse more excitable?
No. There will be no effect on your horse's temperament. We did a study at Hartpury University to test this and there was no impact.
How does EquiNectar work?
EquiNectar has a two-pronged attack. Firstly, it contains a range of enzymes to break down starch and fibre into molecules such as maltose and glucose which are then absorbed and used to provide energy.
Secondly, the ‘matrix’ or ‘gloop’ which makes the product sticky and taste sweet (maltose, maltotriose and maltose polymers) also alters the gut microbiome, optimising it by increasing the number of ‘good’ bacteria and reducing the number which can produce toxins. Equinectar does not add ‘foreign’ bacterial species, it acts to re-balance the individual’s own natural gut species
Does ‘EquiNectar’ contain sugar?
No. The sugar that you can buy from a supermarket is ‘sucrose’ which contains a molecule of glucose linked to a molecule of fructose and there isn’t any of this in Equinectar.
‘Sugar’ is different from ‘sugars’ – these are small molecules with chemical structures which are similar to eg glucose or sucrose but have different properties and different actions in the body.
EquiNectar contains traces of glucose with maltose (2 molecules of glucose joined together), maltotriose (3 molecules of glucose) and chains of maltose molecules (polymers) which can have straight or branched structures.
What will EquiNectar do for my horse?
- Re-balance your horse’s gut bacteria
- Help your horse maximise benefits from its feed
- Improve your horse’s condition
Does Equinectar contain starch?
Again, the answer is ‘No’! The starch in the barley grain is broken down by the malting process to produce a mixture of maltose, maltotriose and maltose polymers.
These are more rapidly absorbed from the gut than glucose and are finally converted to ‘glycogen’. This is a polymer of glucose with a branched structure (a bit like a tree) which is found in liver and muscle. It acts as an energy reserve, providing the glucose needed for muscle function.