The Benefits of Coconut Glycerin for Dogs – Scientific Research Summary

Some natural ingredients like beef and cranberries are easy to recognize. Others are less known unless you studied biology. Amonst these healthy yet poorly understood natural ingredients is coconut glycerin.

Let's be honest. The word glycerin sounds like a chemical, and it’s easy to dismiss it as such. However, contrary to initial impressions, glycerin is a natural part of all fats and oils. That also means it's naturally present in most plants and every animal, including you and your dog.

To boost, glycerin has been shown to be a powerful performance supplement that can enhance your dog’s well-being from their heart to brain.

In this article, we’ll dive into the latest scientific research on coconut glycerin, exploring how this seemingly innocuous ingredient is actually incredibly beneficial to dogs.

What is glycerin?

Glycerin—also known by its scientific name glycerol—is a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting liquid.

One of its functions is to connect fatty acids together to form fats and oils. Stated another way, every fat and oil molecule is composed of 3 fatty acids and one glycerol backbone as seen below. This is what a coconut oil molecule looks like:

Glycerin is naturally present in all animal fat and vegetable oils, such as coconut oil, olive oil, MCT oil, beef tallow and butter. 

Even though it sounds like a chemical, glycerin is actually required by you and your dog’s bodies. Your body will naturally produce more glycerin if it doesn't have enough of it. Your dog's body does the same.

When fats and oils are broken down after consumption, the glycerin is separated from the fatty acids and acts as a non-glycemic energy source in the body. That means it does not impact blood glucose levels, and it provides numerous other benefits we'll expand upon below. 

What are the benefits of glycerin for dogs?

Recent research is beginning to highlight the power of this abundant ingredient. From stroke treatment to life extension, glycerin has the potential to revolutionize your dog’s health. Here’s how it may benefit your dog.

Improves heart health

A groundbreaking 2007 study in the American Journal of Physiology demonstrated how glycerin can improve heart health [*]. Glycerin was shown to positively impact cardiac metabolism by reducing fatty acid oxidation, which led scientists to conclude glycerin may represent a new factor in protecting the heart's long term health.

Not only does the heart benefit from glycerin supplementation—NIH research in 2009 NIH showed how the body needs glycerin to function correctly [*].

Consuming glycerin has been shown to enhance heart health in humans as well. For example, one NIH study demonstrated significant benefits of glycerin supplementation in performance athletes. [*] Even though this study was performed on humans, glycerin is metabolized similarly in both species—and it's expected that a similar outcome will be found in dogs.

Increases lifespan biomarkers

Caloric restriction, where people or animals reduce their food intake without incurring malnutrition, has been shown to extend lifespan. Amazingly, glycerin can mimic caloric restriction in animals due to its effect on metabolism.

As one study concluded, glycerin “supplementation has a number of beneficial effects, including lifespan extension, improved stress resistance, and enhanced locomotory and mitochondria activity in older ages.” The last part refers to how our cells produce energy [*].

In the study, glycerin was found to reduce protein aggregation, improve swimming performance, and increase resistance to starvation, heat, oxidation, and osmotic stress in rotifers. In short, glycerin reduced the natural wear and tear of life.

Improves hydration and endurance

In dogs and athletes alike, dehydration limits body function. It stresses their heart, reduces cardiac output and can cause kidney issues. Optimal hydration is, therefore, key to endurance.

This is where glycerin's natural humectant (i.e. water attracting) properties have been shown to help.

A study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine investigated the effect of glycerin on hydration and exercise performance [*]. Endurance times were significantly increased for those who consumed glycerin. In fact, participants managed an extra 16.4 minutes of exercise on average.

Moreover, glycerin also reduced participants’ heart rates. Together, the results emphasize glycerin’s potential as a performance supplement: increasing performance while reducing stress.

In another study, glycerin’s hyperhydration effects improved fluid retention in endurance athletes [*]. Dehydration is severely detrimental to exercise, affecting both heart and body temperature. If fluid losses exceed 2% of body weight, endurance exercise capacity is impacted.

Typically, athletes solve this problem by consuming additional fluids prior to exercise to create a “hyperhydration state.” Glycerin can be used to improve the uptake of fluids and aid with rehydration.

Improves brain's blood flow

Feeding glycerin to stroke patients increases oxygen and blood flow to brain tissue. During a stroke, the brain is deprived of oxygen, leading to the death of neurons. As the brain is highly sensitive to disruptions in blood flow, every second counts.

In one study, glycerin rapidly entered the brain after IV infusion [*]. It significantly increased brain blood flow and provided an alternative energy source for the brain tissue, thereby keeping the brain healthy and alive.

But such effects may not solely be confined to strokes. Boosting brain blood flow and energy is a surefire way to keep your dog’s brain in peak condition. And it may reduce the risk of strokes too.

Reduces eye disease

Glaucoma is common in many breeds of dogs. It’s caused by increased pressure inside the eye, leading to blindness and pain. To treat the problem, vets often prescribe mannitol: a sugar alcohol also used as a sweetener.

In a comparison study between IV mannitol and oral glycerol, both medications were effective at decreasing eye pressure [*].

Conclusion

Coconut glycerin is a healthy, natural part of animal fats and vegetable oils. Produced from coconut oil, glycerin can potentially increase your dog's lifespan, increase their endurance, improve hydration and help their eyesight.

In fact, it may be the most underappreciated dietary supplement available. 

Already in many of the natural foods we eat, coconut glycerin will not spike blood glucose or insulin—making it perfect for your dog's low carb diet.