Bearded dragons in the wild have a highly limited food menu, especially when it comes to vegetables. So, there are great restrictions on what beardies as a species can eat. This is why incredible consideration is put into the diet of bearded dragons in captivity. It’s now up to you to figure out which new additions you can include to diversify your bearded dragon’s salad, and how safe it is for the cause. The right thing to do is to ensure the health of your pet is not compromised by the veggie added to its diet. That being said, are brussel sprouts any good?
Brussels sprouts are not toxic to bearded dragons as long as they eat the correct amount. Even though the veggie is nutritious, it can only be fed as a treat to your beardie. If your dragon eats more than it should consume, whether at once or over some time, your pet may fall victim to some serious health issues, and even death.
Although vegetables are incredible sources of nutrition, not all veggies are good for beardies as they’re good for you. In this article, we’ll be reviewing brussel sprouts and the effects they may have on your pet, whether you should feed them to your pet, and how to go about the ordeal. Let’s dive!
Should Bearded Dragons Eat Brussel Sprouts?
Brussel sprouts are one of the many veggies that bearded dragons do not have to eat. Because the sprouts are toxic if eaten in high quantities, they simply cannot eat enough to attain significant value from the vegetable. Perhaps a few percentages of nutrients here or there, and an even greater percentage of risks. Technically, beardies shouldn’t be eating brussel sprouts as a staple item if they desire to be healthy. However, if your pet finds the vegetable delicious, then a harmless amount would be just fine for extra nutrients and luxury treatment.
6 Great Benefits Of Brussel Sprouts To Bearded Dragons
Brussel sprouts are essentially nutritious vegetables. They contain several vitamins and minerals that collectively improve and maintain a healthy internal biological network.
1. Brussels Sprouts Contain Important Minerals
The importance of minerals sometimes is overlooked. For every step, catabolism or metabolism, minerals are needed for the job.
Minerals work hand in hand with enzymes to facilitate changes from material to product, regulate cellular activities, and propel the majority of blood activity from pressure to clotting.
Potassium particularly assists in nerve regulation, protection, and function, improving your bearded dragon’s cognitive and physical abilities.
| Minerals | Value Per 156g (1 cup) | Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium | 52.4mg | 4% |
| Phosphorus | 87.4mg | 7% |
| Iron | 1.9mg | 10% |
| Potassium | 494.5mg | 11% |
| Magnesium | 31.2mg | 7% |
| Manganese | 0.4mg | 15% |
2. Brussels Sprouts Are Saturated With Vitamins
While minerals facilitate the metabolic functions your bearded dragon requires to survive, vitamins provide the materials to carry out those purposes. So, the two parties work hand in hand. Vitamins A, C, and K are some of the most important factors in your beardie’s growth and immunity. Collectively, they provide the defense your dragon needs from diseases, the building blocks for hormone formation, and general body function like sight and locomotion.
Vitamins are also the major providers of antioxidants that protect your dragon from oxidative stress and irregular cell growth resulting in tumors and cancers.
| Vitamins | Value Per 156g (1 cup) | Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 60.8mcg | 7% |
| Vitamin C | 96.7mg | 107% |
| Vitamin B | 0.2mg | 14% |
| Vitamin K | 218.9mcg | 182% |
| Folate | 93.6mg | 23% |
| Choline | 63.3mg | 12% |
3. Brussel Sprouts Have Great Bodybuilding Tendencies
1 cup of brussel sprouts contains 3 grams of protein. This may not be a significant number since your beardie only needs a tiny amount of the vegetable, but they’re also high in folate which is a vitamin that propels protein synthesis. It works hand in hand with vitamin B to carry out this production. Folate also assists in DNA synthesis which is significant for sexually mature and laying bearded dragons to protect the embryos from birth defects.
4. Brussel Sprouts Can Reduce Inflammation
Added to the function of antioxidants, brussel sprouts can regulate the tendencies of internal and external information. In situations where your bearded dragon is suffering from an infection or irregular blood pressure, the alpha-lipoic acid present in the brussel sprout will help relax the situation and improve treatment for your beardie.
5. Brussels Sprouts Are Great Pooping Agents
Is your beardie constipated? Brussel sprouts are rich in fiber that actively loosens up stool to the digestive tract’s desired consistency. It helps to maintain a proper flow of gut load to the point where it’s excreted by hindering clogging and indigestion.
6. Brussel Sprouts Increase Good Bacteria In The Gut
The high fiber of brussel sprouts is a good source of energy for the good gut bacteria in your bearded dragon’s little tummy. The good bacteria aid digestion and absorption of nutrients, which is one of the major preambles for your dragon to stay as healthy as possible. The more fiber your beardie eats, the more good bacteria thrive in its gut.
The Best Way To Feed Your Beardie Brussel Sprouts
The safest way you can feed your dragon this vegetable is in small amounts – at most two brussel sprouts a month is just fine. Ensure that you wash the vegetables thoroughly to remove any fertilizers or herbicides that may be on the surface. After washing, you can chop the sprouts into smaller bite-sized pieces for your beardie. Your pet may enjoy the vegetables in a salad or by itself – either way is a-okay!
The Major Problems With Feeding Brussel Sprouts To Bearded Dragons
After reading through the benefits, you may be wondering why brussel sprouts are considered dangerous for bearded dragons to eat frequently. Here’s the kicker; before you can consider if a vegetable is safe for your beardie, you must confirm that it has a low phosphorus and goitrogen content. High phosphorus or goitrogen in vegetables is dangerous for bearded dragons and could lead to severe illnesses.
The Risk Of Metabolic Bone Disease
The amount of phosphorus in a plant must be lower than calcium for bearded dragons. This is because calcium is one of the most important elements your beardie requires to grow strong bones and stay healthy. What excessive phosphorus does is bind to calcium shortening the amount that your beardie should use for its bones.
Brussel sprouts have a calcium-phosphorus ratio of 1:2, which places your pet at a calcium loss. The detriment of your pet losing calcium is a metabolic bone disease that affects the density of the bones and can lead to severe deformities in beardies. Oftentimes, severe MBD can be a highly painful and slow death for the unfortunate bearded dragon.
Note: Metabolic bone disease does not only occur by feeding your more beardie brussel sprouts than it needs. Calcium is actively utilized by beardies frequently and should be replaced properly, especially if your pet is growing into adulthood.
To be safe, you must ensure that you have calcium supplements (view on Amazon) on standby to sprinkle on your dragon’s salad so that the depletion of calcium by phosphorus from brussel sprouts and other meals or treats is properly prevented.
The Dangers Of Goitrogens
Goitrogens are iodine-competing chemicals that disrupt the stability of the thyroid hormone production by the pituitary gland. Due to this, irregular growth of thyroid tissue occurs leading to the formation of goiters and the enlargement of your bearded dragon’s limbs. This predicament is called hypothyroidism and is easily activated in bearded dragons by the excessive intake of goitrogen-high foods such as brussel sprouts.
Are There Safer Plant-Based Treats For My Bearded Dragon?
There are many treats for your beardie to enjoy. Still, treats are treats and the only way your pet can safely eat them is in moderate amounts. If your bearded dragon is a picky fellow, you can try making salads from a variety of vegetables that are safe for beardies. A few examples of these safer vegetables are bell peppers, cucumbers, green beans, and yams.
Other great treats dragons seem to enjoy are fruits. There are several fruits that bearded dragons can eat in moderation for a fun time and a pump of vitamin C. As long as they eat these sweets in moderation, your beardie will be a safe and much happier one. Examples of fruits dragons enjoy eating are strawberries, peaches, prickly pears, and blackberries.
Parting Words
Brussel sprouts are arguably enjoyable vegetables. The mini cabbages, as some refer to them jokingly, are small but highly nutritious veggies that would make a nice treat if your dragon enjoys them. As long as you adhere to the limits, your bearded dragon should be fine.
If your dragon is recovering from an illness, you may need to relax with the treats until your pet is properly healthy, so that you can have clarity on the nutrients your beardie consumes during that period. Otherwise, you and your beardie are good to go. Good luck!
