"Nutritional wisdom" - fact or fiction?

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.
Salt Institute
Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter
Spring 2004 (Vol 35, No.1)
An animal's ability to recognize its nutritional needs, sources of that nutrient and the ability to consume adequate amounts of that nutrient is an important motivator of cafeteria-style mineral feeding such as free-choice feeding. Nutrient deficient animals sample novel foods and develop a preference for those meeting their mineral requirements; this has been proven for energy, protein and/or amino acids, sodium and, to a lesser extenst, phosphorus and sulfur.