Which dietary component helps prevent ruminal acidosis by buffering?

• A. Unbuffered concentrates.
• B. Forage-only diet.
• C. Buffered concentrates.
• D. High-sugar supplements without buffering.

Answer: (C)

Buffering in the rumen to maintain pH is what helps prevent ruminal acidosis. Buffered concentrates include buffering agents like bicarbonate or phosphate that neutralize acids produced during fermentation, especially when animals are fed high-starch or rapidly fermentable feeds. This keeps rumen pH from dropping too low and supports stable microbial activity. Unbuffered concentrates allow acids to accumulate faster than they can be neutralized, increasing the risk of acidosis. A forage-only diet relies mainly on saliva and chewing to buffer and slow fermentation, but it does not add buffering capacity as reliably or promptly as a buffered concentrate. High-sugar supplements without buffering supply lots of fermentable substrate with little buffering, leading to a sharper pH drop. Therefore, buffered concentrates provide the buffering effect that most effectively helps prevent ruminal acidosis.