Method of preventing obesity and cardiovascular problems in poultry

A method of controlling obesity in vitamin replete poultry and/or providing a cardiovascular benefit to vitamin replete poultry comprising administering a composition comprising a combination of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, canthaxanthin, Vitamin E and Vitamin C to the vitamin replete poultry which are fed ad libitum, and wherein the cardiovascular benefit is at least one benefit selected from the group consisting of:

• a) clearance of non-esterified fatty acids;
• b) amelioration of plasma dyslipidemia;
• c) amelioration of triglyceride and ceraminde accumulation in the liver, leg, breast muscle, and heart;
• d) suppression of a tissue pro-inflammatory IL-1β production and plasma IL-6 concentration;
• e) cardiac protection and enhanced cardiac function through an up-regulation of phosphorylation of STAT-3 in the heart;
• f) suppression of an infiltration of immune cells into the heart;
• g) decreasing an incidence of ascites;
• h) decreasing an incidence of sudden death in a flock due to cardiovascular problems;
• i) decreasing an incidence of cardiac morbidities selected from the group consisting of dilation, pericardial effusion, and rupture;
• j) decreasing an amount of irregular incidence of ECG patterns;
• k) decreasing an occurrence of arrhythmias;
• l) ameliorating cardiac fibrosis;
• m) ameliorating chronic systemic inflammation;
• and
• n) ameliorating cardiac cell apoptosis.