Woman eats dog food for 30 days to prove it's healthier than most human foods

It's one of the biggest food-related insults out there: That looks like dog food. Yet one woman in Washington state is setting out to change that. Dorothy Hunter, owner of the Paw's Natural Pet Emporium (www.pawsnaturalpetemporium.com/) chain, is eating only dog, cat, and bird food for a total of 30 days (until July 19) to promote ingredient awareness--with foods for both humans and animals.

Hunter says she first reached for pet treats when she didn't have time to eat at work and was pleasantly surprised by the taste--and the short list of healthy ingredients.

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So what does a registered dietician make of all this? "Yes, the ingredients listed in some pet foods may be wholesome and akin to real foods humans eat on a daily basis," says Jaclyn London, senior clinical dietician at Mount Sinai Hospital. "But someone eating pet foods also runs a significant risk of contracting foodborne illness from eating foods not intended for the human gut."

London says that while it's certainly best for everyone--two legs or four--to be eating foods with as few ingredients as possible, it's also smart to eat foods created for a human's immune system and recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals.

The bottom line? It's probably best to pass on the kibble.

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