Veggies make up a significant portion of an adult bearded dragon’s diet. Can Bearded Dragons Eat Arugula? I performed some research to see if arugulas are safe to eat. To answer in brief – Arugula is edible by bearded dragons. Bearded dragons benefit from arugula or rocket salad, which is high in calcium.
On the other hand, Bearded dragons should eat arugula in moderation since it contains goitrogens, which are poisonous to dragons. In high quantities, goitrogens harm the thyroid glands, liver, and kidneys in bearded dragons. Leafy Vegetables, Insects, and fruits should all be included in a bearded dragon’s diet. Insects should make up the bigger portion of your dragon’s diet for young bearded dragons, with plant items accounting for the balance.
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Can Bearded Dragons Eat Arugula?
Yes, bearded dragons can eat arugula, but they should only do so on rare occasions. Arugula is a nutritious dinner vegetable that your favorite lizard provides critical elements like calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
It’s also high in fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, all of which play important functions in the beardie’s body. Arugula has low sugar and fat content, making it safer for the beardies to ingest.
Baby arugula is preferable over mature arugula for feeding bearded dragons. This is because baby arugula has a milder flavor, is pepperier, and has more sensitive leaves.
Mature arugula, on the other hand, has a more peppery flavor and is deeper in color. The baby arugula has colorful leaves as well, and its milder flavor makes it ideal for salads.
You should feed Arugula to bearded dragons once or twice a month in little doses. Arugula in high amounts is bad for the health of your bearded dragons.
Arugula contains sugars, and combining it with foods that are high in sugars can lead to a variety of health problems for the beardie. Arugula is also poor in protein and a few other nutrients, making it inappropriate for bearded dragons as a staple food.
What is Arugula?
Arugula is a lesser-known cruciferous vegetable that offers many of the same health benefits as broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts, among other plants in the same family.
The soft, bite-sized leaves of arugula, also known as rocket or roquette, have a tart flavor. Arugula, like other leafy greens, has a high concentration of beneficial nitrates and polyphenols.
High nitrate intakes were found to lower blood pressure, reduce the amount of oxygen required during exercise, and improve athletic performance in a 2014 review research.
Since ancient Roman times, this plant has been produced for food and medical purposes. Originally, the plant was utilized as a medicinal herb and even an aphrodisiac. Arugula is now widely used in salads and even cooked dishes all over the world.
Nutritional Facts of Arugula
Due to their high quantities of antioxidants, fiber, and phytochemicals, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of a variety of health problems.
Arugula and other cruciferous vegetables have been related to the following health benefits in studies:
Cancer risk is reduced.
While a healthy, vegetable-rich diet lowers a person’s cancer risk in general, studies have revealed that specific types of vegetables can have anti-cancer properties.
In 2017, a meta-analysis found a relationship between eating more cruciferous vegetables and a lower risk of total cancer and all-cause mortality.
Glucosinolates, sulfur-containing compounds, are found in cruciferous vegetables—the bitter taste of the plants and their cancer-fighting abilities may be due to glucosinolates. The body breaks down glucosinolates into a variety of useful chemicals, including sulforaphane.
According to studies, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and other cancers have all been related to eating a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables like arugula.
However, the research is limited, and additional high-quality information is needed before scientists can validate these benefits.
Preventing osteoporosis
Arugula is abundant in calcium and vitamin K, two important elements for bone health. ACCORDING TO THE OFFICE OF DIETARY STATISTICS, Vitamin K is important in bone metabolism, and scarcity can increase the risk of bone fracture.
One cup of arugula has 21.8 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K, which contributes to the daily value (DV) requirement of 80 mcg for adults set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Bone health is improved by Vitamin K as it plays an important part in bone mineralization and improving how the body absorbs and excretes calcium, which is another important nutrient for bone health.
Arugula also adds to a person’s daily calcium need, delivering 32 milligrams (mg) per cup, which contributes to an adult’s daily requirement of 1,000 mg.
Diabetes
Several review studies have discovered that consuming veggies lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. Leafy green veggies are especially advantageous, according to a 2016 review study.
Arugula extract has anti-diabetic benefits in mice’s skeletal muscle cells, according to a test tube investigation. This impact was achieved via increasing glucose absorption in the cells.
In addition, arugula and other cruciferous vegetables are high in fiber, which aids in blood glucose regulation and may improve insulin resistance. People who eat high-fiber foods feel satiated for longer, which can help them avoid overeating.
What are the advantages of Arugula for Bearded Dragons?
There are several advantages to sometimes feeding your bearded dragon arugula. It’s a delicious, nutrient-dense diet that will keep your dragon happy and healthy! Let’s look at some of the nutrients and how they can help keep your beardie in good shape.
Calcium
Your beardie requires a lot of calcium to grow and develop properly. Calcium is one of the most critical nutrients for bearded dragon growth and development. A calcium-rich diet will keep baby bearded dragons from developing metabolic bone disease.
However, while giving bearded dragons vegetables and fruits to give calcium, there are two things to keep in mind. These are the levels of oxalate and phosphorus; these two minerals can inhibit bearded dragons from absorbing calcium.
When calcium combines with phosphorus, it forms calcium oxalates and calcium phosphates by reacting with oxalates. Because these two chemicals inhibit calcium absorption, the optimum calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is either 1:1 or 2:1.
Fiber
Arugula is high in fiber, which is good for your bearded dragon. Fiber is beneficial to your dragon’s digestive system, especially when he consumes insects with hard shells. Fiber also helps the bearded dragon’s gut flora while also keeping him from being constipated.
Water content
Some dragons refuse to drink water, while others do so readily. Arugula can aid folks who have trouble drinking enough water. This is because it contains a lot of water, which is great for keeping your lizard hydrated and healthy.
Vitamins and minerals
Arugula is high in vitamins and minerals, which beardie requires to stay healthy. Vitamins A, C, and K, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and other minerals are among them. Vitamin A promotes good eye health and eyesight in your beardie.
Vitamin C is also beneficial to his immune system. Potassium aids in the regulation of your bearded dragon’s blood pressure, as well as the condition of his kidneys.
Protein
Although there isn’t much of it, arugula provides some protein to bearded dragons. Bearded dragons require a lot of protein for their growth and development.
Giving arugula to bearded dragons ensures that they acquire these essential nutrients, especially young bearded dragons.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Arugula Often?
Arugula should only be eaten once or twice a month by bearded dragons and in very little amounts. Arugula in excess is not good for beardies. Sugars are present in the leafy green, which can create major health problems for these lizards.
Furthermore, arugula is not an excellent food to utilize as a staple in a beardie’s diet because it has limited protein and minerals.
How to Fix Arugula for Your Bearded Dragon?
Arugula is easy to prepare and does not take long to prepare. Here’s a simple guide to follow.
- Choose young arugula since it is more delicate.
- Using clean water, thoroughly clean them.
- To keep the beardie from choking, cut the leaves into acceptable sizes. The width of the beardie’s eye should be smaller than the size of the leaves.
- As part of your diet, you can combine arugula with other vegetables.
- It’s time for dinner. Give your lizard the food and sit back and watch it eat.
First and foremost, you must determine whether or not your beardie enjoys arugula. They might not enjoy it because of the unpleasant taste. When giving baby arugula to your bearded dragon, combine it with other greens.
Greens, including collard greens, mustard greens, curly endive, and kale, are commonly used in their preparation.
Never combine it with lettuce that is devoid of nutrients or contains a lot of water. You can also combine superworms with baby arugula to make a tasty salad for your bearded dragon.
I recommend feeding it only once a week or less frequently. As a result, I don’t recommend it as a regular diet item for your bearded dragon.
To avoid your beardie choking, make sure you chop up the baby arugula before serving it to him. It should also be washed before serving, just like any other vegetable or fruit.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Baby Arugula?
First and foremost, we must consider the nutritional content of baby arugula. Bearded dragons must seek the amount of calcium that green can give. Furthermore, the calcium: phosphorus ratio is an extremely crucial factor to consider. A ratio of 1:1 to 2:1 is ideal.
Baby arugula, like many other greens and vegetables, has low-fat content and high water content. The following are the nutritional facts for 12 cups of baby arugula 1:
- Calories: 2.5 kcal
- Protein: 0.25 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.35g
- Fat: 0.06 g
- Ash: 0.14 g
- Fiber: 0.16 g
- Calcium: 16 mg
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Strawberries?
Strawberries are totally safe to feed to your bearded dragon. They aren’t harmful to beardies and won’t harm them right away.
However, this does not imply that you can provide your reptile companion with an endless supply of tasty berry goodies. They aren’t a substitute for leafy greens. This fruit should only be given as a special treat to your bearded dragon.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Celery?
Your beardie will enjoy this tasty, crisp snack, and you’ll appreciate knowing that adding a celery stalk to your dragon’s diet has various nutritional benefits:
- Antioxidants and flavonoids are beneficial to the heart and prevent inflammation.
- Vitamin C and beta carotene are antioxidants that help your dragon’s immune system, vision, reproduction, and growth.
- Water makes around 95% of the mixture, which is ideal for keeping your beardie hydrated.
As you can see, giving your beardie diced celery every now and again will help him. Celery also has an unexpected benefit: its calcium to phosphorus ratio of 1.6 to 1 is good for bearded dragons.
Calcium is necessary for the development of bearded dragons. Calcium cannot be taken into the dragon’s bloodstream because phosphorus binds to it.
Your dragon may develop the metabolic bone disease if he doesn’t receive enough calcium or gets too much phosphorus (MBD). It’s excruciatingly painful, debilitating, and even lethal if left untreated. So it’s fantastic to see that celery has a healthy balance of these two nutrients!
Why can’t bearded dragons eat spinach?
Spinach contains oxalates, which bind calcium and other trace minerals and prevent them from being absorbed. Nutrient deficits can occur if these are the only foods consumed.
Feeding cabbage, kale, and mustard greens with caution; these vegetables contain goitrogens, and too much of them can cause hypothyroidism.
Conclusion
Baby and juvenile bearded dragons can benefit from arugula as a calcium source. When feeding arugula, the calcium to phosphorus ratio is high enough that supplementation is unnecessary. To add diversity and break up the monotony, combine arugula with different vegetables. Because of the acidic taste of arugulas, you can top it with a fruit like a melon, carrot, or apple.
FAQs
Can bearded dragons eat arugula every day?
While arugula or rocket is a safe calcium source for bearded dragons, arugula contains goitrogens, which harm the thyroid, liver, and kidneys in high amounts. Beaded dragons should avoid eating it on a regular basis. As a result, bearded dragons should consume arugula in moderation as part of a well-balanced diet rather than on a regular basis.
How often can bearded dragons have arugula?
Yes, bearded dragons can eat arugula, but they should only do so on rare occasions. Arugula is a nutritious dinner vegetable that your favorite lizard provides critical elements like calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
What greens can bearded dragons eat every day?
Collard greens, beet greens, mustard greens, broccoli, turnip greens, alfalfa hay or chow, bok choy, kale, parsley, Swiss chard, watercress, clover, red or green cabbage, savory, cilantro, kohlrabi, bell peppers, etc. are greens that are eatable by bearded dragons every day.
Can bearded dragons eat spinach and arugula?
Arugula and spinach can be eaten together by bearded dragons. However, because arugula and spinach, like most vegetables, contain goitrogens and oxalic acids that influence the thyroid gland, liver, and kidneys and limit calcium absorption when consumed in large amounts, they should be offered sparingly to bearded dragons.
