Researchers have recently found that feeding arctic ground squirrels a special diet, specifically “omega-3 fatty acids common in flaxseed and fish oil,” helps these animals to thrive while as they hibernate.
Research led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks fed ground squirrels a diet rich in omega-3s, or a typical lab diet, and measured how animals hibernate during the winter.
Researchers found that the omega-3 diet helped squirrels sleep through the winter a little warmer than usual without adversely affecting hibernation.
Essentially, the omega-3 diets also increase the amount of heat-generating fat, also known as “brown adipose tissue,” on which animals pack.
According to a report from Phys.org, such a discovery could contribute to more insight into hibernation and why animals eat certain foods. This research was published in the Scientific Reports on 14 January.
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(Photo: Alan Vernon on Wikimedia Commons)
Researchers have recently found that feeding arctic ground squirrels on a special diet, specifically ‘omega-3 fatty acids common in flaxseed and fish oil,’ helps these animals to warm up while ‘ as they hibernate.
The importance of fat in hibernation
Monica Mikes, who, at the time of that research, was a UAF undergraduate researcher and a scholar in the university’s Biomedical Learning and Training Program, said, “Arctic ground squirrels have the ability to give birth” to survived a hard temperature “subzero.” for an incredible amount of time.
Mike, who also co – designed the study, noted that the animals could cause their body temperature to freeze.
The way hibernation has captured the authors of the study for more than a century. Plus, the type of fat they eat, the team said, “may have something to do with that.
Conventional studies have found that omega-3s can affect metabolism in animals that do not hibernate. Because wild sleepers are known to eat a diet rich in omega-3 foods, the study’s researchers wanted to find out if these animals benefited from eating such a diet. .
The study’s lead author, Sarah Rice, who, at the time of the research, was a PhD student at the UAF’s Institute of Arctic Biology, says that fat is essential in hibernation.
Rice added that not only do these animals depend on their fat stores, although more people are exploring specific fat types, “the more they understand specific types of fat” that will help to ‘controlling and identifying the body to accomplish certain things.
Omega-6 ‘Polyunsaturated fatty acids’
Researchers know that hibernation specifically seeks out and stores polyunataturated fatty acids, also known as PUFAs, before hibernating.
Although omega-6 PUFAs have been studied well in terms of hibernation. They are also famous for their ability to lower temperatures; omega 3s have not been as studied.
Because arctic earth squirrels suffer from life-threatening colds in their natural caves, eating more omega-3s to help increase adipose browning may contribute to true protection. wild cold.
Researchers in this study did not examine what foods ground squirrels might offer in the country with such omega-3s.
Speaking of their findings, Rice said, people know that eating omega-3s like fish oil is good for health. Apparently, she said, “squirrels may understand this too,” and it may have special effects for hibernators.
Animalia refers to ground squirrels as “omnivores” who usually eat insects, birds’ eggs, and sometimes, each other’s young in the spring.
And in winter, they eat berries, seeds, mushrooms, mosses, and lichens also added to their diet.
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