06/13/2026
🧬 MicroRNAs: The Missing Piece in the Pet Nutrition Conversation?
Most pet parents have never heard of microRNAs (miRNAs).
Yet emerging research suggests they may play an important role in how food interacts with the body at the cellular level.
While scientists are still studying exactly how dietary microRNAs influence health, the findings so far are fascinating and may change how we think about what's really in our pets' food.
🍖 Food Is More Than Fuel
For years, nutrition has largely focused on macronutrients like protein, fat, and carbohydrates, along with vitamins and minerals.
The basic idea was simple:
Food provides nutrients.
The body absorbs them.
The body uses them.
But science is revealing that food may be doing much more than that.
Whole, fresh foods contain naturally occurring compounds that don't provide calories or nutrients in the traditional sense. Instead, they may act as biological messengers that communicate with cells.
One of those compounds is microRNA.
🔬 What Are MicroRNAs?
MicroRNAs are tiny RNA molecules found naturally in plants and animals.
Unlike protein, fat, vitamins, or minerals, they don't build tissue or provide energy.
Instead, they help regulate gene expression.
In simple terms, they help influence how cells use the instructions already contained within DNA.
Think of them as biological dimmer switches that can help turn certain cellular activities up, down, or off altogether.
Researchers believe these regulatory molecules may influence processes such as:
✔️ Immune system function
✔️ Inflammatory responses
✔️ Metabolism
✔️ Tissue repair
✔️ Cellular communication
✔️ Apoptosis (the body's natural process of removing damaged or abnormal cells)
🌾 The Discovery That Sparked New Questions
One of the most talked-about discoveries in this field occurred when researchers demonstrated that microRNAs from food could survive digestion, cross the intestinal barrier, and be detected in mammalian tissues.
The original study focused on plant-derived microRNAs from rice.
The significance wasn't necessarily about rice itself.
Rather, it suggested that food may deliver biological signals that extend beyond traditional nutrition.
Since then, researchers have continued exploring whether dietary microRNAs can influence gene expression and health outcomes in meaningful ways.
While some studies support this possibility, others have questioned the extent to which dietary microRNAs remain biologically active after digestion.
As with many emerging areas of science, there is still ongoing debate and much more to learn.
🥩 Why Animal-Based Foods Are Part of the Discussion
Fresh animal foods naturally contain microRNAs.
Muscle meat, eggs, fish, and especially organ meats are rich sources of these biological compounds.
Organs such as:
🐾 Liver
🐾 Heart
🐾 Kidney
🐾 Spleen
contain an abundance of naturally occurring microRNAs and other bioactive compounds.
For dogs, which evolved consuming animal tissues, these foods provide much more than protein and essential nutrients.
They also contain complex biological components that researchers are continuing to study.
This may be one reason many fresh-feeding advocates believe whole-food diets offer benefits that aren't always explained by nutrient analysis alone.
🔥 What About Ultra-Processed Foods?
Most kibble is manufactured using a process called extrusion, which subjects ingredients to high temperatures and pressure.
This process creates a convenient, shelf-stable product.
However, RNA molecules are delicate and susceptible to heat degradation.
Research suggests that many naturally occurring microRNAs may be damaged or destroyed during intensive processing.
While vitamins and minerals can be added back after manufacturing, some biological compounds found in fresh foods cannot simply be replaced.
This doesn't automatically mean all kibble is harmful or that every dog must eat raw food.
But it does raise interesting questions about what may be lost when food undergoes extensive processing.
🧠 Why This Matters
The fresh-food conversation has traditionally focused on:
✔️ Digestibility
✔️ Bioavailability
✔️ Whole-food ingredients
✔️ Reduced processing
✔️ Species-appropriate nutrition
Those remain important topics.
MicroRNA research introduces another possibility:
That food may provide biological information in addition to nutrients.
Although scientists are still investigating exactly how significant these effects are, the concept itself is changing how researchers view the relationship between food and health.
🐾 My Perspective
As someone who has spent 17 years working hands-on with dogs and who is certified in animal nutrition and wellness, I find this area of research incredibly exciting.
It's one more reminder that nutrition is rarely as simple as protein percentages and ingredient labels.
Fresh foods contain thousands of naturally occurring compounds that science is still working to understand.
The more we learn, the more it appears that food may do far more than simply fuel the body.
It may help communicate with it.
Whether you feed raw, gently cooked, freeze-dried, or simply add fresh whole foods to your dog's bowl, every step toward less processed nutrition can help increase dietary variety and provide a richer nutritional experience.
At Shae's Holistic Pet Care, my mission is to help pet parents make informed decisions through education, curiosity, and evidence-based discussion—not fear.
Because our pets deserve more than marketing.
They deserve informed choices. ❤️🐾
💬 Had you ever heard of microRNAs before today?
What are your thoughts on this emerging area of nutrition science?
