Table 2 Macronutrient composition of the foods offered to sloth bears used to determine their preference for protein, fat, and digestible carbohydrates.

From: Ursids evolved early and continuously to be low-protein macronutrient omnivores

Diet items

Dry matter (%)

% of dry matter

% of metabolizable energy

Protein

Fat

Carbohydrate

Protein

Fat

Carbohydrate

Apples

15.9

1.1

1.2

80.5

1.4

3.2

95.4

Baked yams

29.9

5.0

0.5

78.9

6.3

1.3

92.4

Avocados

26.8

7.5

54.9

6.7

5.9

89.2

4.9

Whey powdera,b

94.3

82.1

3.4

3.4

89.0

7.6

3.4

  1. Nutritional data on apples, baked yams, and avocados from USDA51.
  2. aOptimum Nutrition, Downers Grove, IL.
  3. bThe whey solution used in the study was made by adding 15.5 g of powder to 100 g water to create a 10.5% (w/w) protein solution.
Back to article page