side notes on goitrogens, iodine and vitamin A....

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Posted by Jamie/JBug on March 20, 2000 at 22:54:56:

In Reply to: Re: Looking more info? I'm on a roll today! posted by BabyHerp on March 20, 2000 at 22:28:40:

This is something that I've heard but never tried, and it's also mainly anecdotal, but I thought I'd throw it in as food for thought. Goiter is caused by
a.) Not enough dietary iodine and/or
b.) too many goitrogenous foods
Some folks believe that if you suppliment iodine when you feed foods high in goitrogens, the effect is nulled or at least diluted. I don't know for a fact if it is or not, and I don't think a lot of studies have gone into it. Now, please, don't rush right out and look for an iodine suppliment so you can feed nothing but kale and cabbages (not that I think you would....), this is just something we should look into or chew on. They make iodine suppliments for birds, but there is nothing or the like marketed for reptiles. However, there is a much better idea for supplimental dietary iodine.....seaweed! Dried seaweed in particular is chock full of iodine. I have no idea how much iodine an iguana should have in it's diet or anything like that, but it's something to think about. I find it interesting. Anyone have a Ca:P ratio for dried seaweed? :)

A quick note about supplimenting vitamin A: You probably shouldn't. Iguanas have a very difficult time processing vitamin A straight. This is why so many iguanas end up with hypervitaminosis A. Look for vitamin suppliments that *don't* have vitamin A in them, but have *beta carotene* instead. Iguanas turn beta carotene into vitamin A that their bodies *can* process. Just don't ask me how. :) Now, I'm not entirely positive about this, but I think most of the greens we feed our guys have a more natural, less dangerous concentration of vitamin A in them, as opposed to the sometimes dangerously concentrated forms in vitamins. Whatever the case, I agree with Gina....too much vitamin A is dangerous, and moderation is *always* the key element in offering iffy foods to igs. :)

I can't believe how long my posts have been. I can't seem to keep anything quick these days. Must be all that time away.

Best,
Jamie/Buggie

p.s. Eggplant has been listed with toxic plants in many references, but it's not cut and dried. The peel is toxic, and the seeds are mildly so, but the meat is not. I fed it to my iguanas twice and they turned up thier noses.

: IG27...VARIETY, MODERATION, HYDRATION, BETTER CHOICES
: Now...a few foods that ARE AN ABSOLUTE TABU AND NEVER GIVE YOUR IGS!!! are like 1) rhubarb 2)fruit seeds like apricot, peach, cherry,pits and apple seeds 3) meat 4) eggs & milk

: Now that typed.....VARIETY, MODERATION,HYDRATION,BETTER CHOICES!!

: Chicory is great...need to add some water to yer igs diet? Is he constipated? Go for it....BUT Chicory has oodles of Vitamin A....are you supplementing your igs diet with Vitamin A too? not good then to overload him with A for too too long....MODERATION! Vitamin A is fat soluble and can be toxic. Good protein source tho
: Eggplant & Green Peppers: Calcium phosphorus ratio not great something like 1:3 but go for it...bread it and fry me up some too while yer at it. MODERATION
: Green beans: I hate Legumes!! DESTROY ALL LEGUMES!! Phytates, Purines, Calcium: Phosphorus ratio sucks 3 strikes yer out! ...but use em for VARIETY and in MODERATION! Don't let me tell ya what to do!!
: Bok Choy and Kale....lots of vitamin A, goitrogens....BUT you can eliminate goitrogens by cooking them out! so Nuke it before giving your ig (don't know about your ig but my igs love a nice warm meal!)....and use it as a substitute for mustard greens, or collards, or any other goitrogenic food like them. VARIETY AND MODERATION! Variety and MODERATION...keep saying that....when shopping...you'll do alright!
: Gina

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: This is something that I've heard but never tried, and it's also mainly anecdotal, but I thought I'd throw it in as food for thought. Goiter is caused by : a.) Not enough dietary iodine and/or : b.) too many goitrogenous foods : Some folks believe that if you suppliment iodine when you feed foods high in goitrogens, the effect is nulled or at least diluted. I don't know for a fact if it is or not, and I don't think a lot of studies have gone into it. Now, please, don't rush right out and look for an iodine suppliment so you can feed nothing but kale and cabbages (not that I think you would....), this is just something we should look into or chew on. They make iodine suppliments for birds, but there is nothing or the like marketed for reptiles. However, there is a much better idea for supplimental dietary iodine.....seaweed! Dried seaweed in particular is chock full of iodine. I have no idea how much iodine an iguana should have in it's diet or anything like that, but it's something to think about. I find it interesting. Anyone have a Ca:P ratio for dried seaweed? :) : A quick note about supplimenting vitamin A: You probably shouldn't. Iguanas have a very difficult time processing vitamin A straight. This is why so many iguanas end up with hypervitaminosis A. Look for vitamin suppliments that *don't* have vitamin A in them, but have *beta carotene* instead. Iguanas turn beta carotene into vitamin A that their bodies *can* process. Just don't ask me how. :) Now, I'm not entirely positive about this, but I think most of the greens we feed our guys have a more natural, less dangerous concentration of vitamin A in them, as opposed to the sometimes dangerously concentrated forms in vitamins. Whatever the case, I agree with Gina....too much vitamin A is dangerous, and moderation is *always* the key element in offering iffy foods to igs. :) : I can't believe how long my posts have been. I can't seem to keep anything quick these days. Must be all that time away. : Best, : Jamie/Buggie : p.s. Eggplant has been listed with toxic plants in many references, but it's not cut and dried. The peel is toxic, and the seeds are mildly so, but the meat is not. I fed it to my iguanas twice and they turned up thier noses. : : : IG27...VARIETY, MODERATION, HYDRATION, BETTER CHOICES : : Now...a few foods that ARE AN ABSOLUTE TABU AND NEVER GIVE YOUR IGS!!! are like 1) rhubarb 2)fruit seeds like apricot, peach, cherry,pits and apple seeds 3) meat 4) eggs & milk : : Now that typed.....VARIETY, MODERATION,HYDRATION,BETTER CHOICES!! : : Chicory is great...need to add some water to yer igs diet? Is he constipated? Go for it....BUT Chicory has oodles of Vitamin A....are you supplementing your igs diet with Vitamin A too? not good then to overload him with A for too too long....MODERATION! Vitamin A is fat soluble and can be toxic. Good protein source tho : : Eggplant & Green Peppers: Calcium phosphorus ratio not great something like 1:3 but go for it...bread it and fry me up some too while yer at it. MODERATION : : Green beans: I hate Legumes!! DESTROY ALL LEGUMES!! Phytates, Purines, Calcium: Phosphorus ratio sucks 3 strikes yer out! ...but use em for VARIETY and in MODERATION! Don't let me tell ya what to do!! : : Bok Choy and Kale....lots of vitamin A, goitrogens....BUT you can eliminate goitrogens by cooking them out! so Nuke it before giving your ig (don't know about your ig but my igs love a nice warm meal!)....and use it as a substitute for mustard greens, or collards, or any other goitrogenic food like them. VARIETY AND MODERATION! Variety and MODERATION...keep saying that....when shopping...you'll do alright! : : Gina

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