(This short article was written by Mary Hopsen)
Bok Choy is one of the brassicas, like cabbage. It is quite nutritious with
vitamins A and C, and minerals such as calcium. Any cabbage is just fine used as
a part of a varied diet. Those with dark green leaves (such as bok choy) or the
especially the red cabbages provide excellent nutrition. So there is no reason
to avoid them.
The brassicas contain glucosinolates, in particular the goitrogens, so if it is
overused and iodine is not replaced in some way, there could be health issues
over many years, such as the growth of a goiter. Providing cuttlebone, or other
source of trace iodine (for instance, seaweed), solves the problem and allows
the tortoise to eat these excellent foods.
The "good foods / bad foods" paradigm for feeding tortoises is a highly flawed
concept that eliminates far too many excellent souces of high quality nutrition
and ignores how tortoises eat in the wild. Use all types of plants, always in
moderation, and provide calcium in a separate form so that the animals can
self-regulate. Cuttlebone is a very good choice for this, as it also provides
trace iodine.
Mary at the turtle Puddle
Bok Choy is one of the brassicas, like cabbage. It is quite nutritious with
vitamins A and C, and minerals such as calcium. Any cabbage is just fine used as
a part of a varied diet. Those with dark green leaves (such as bok choy) or the
especially the red cabbages provide excellent nutrition. So there is no reason
to avoid them.
The brassicas contain glucosinolates, in particular the goitrogens, so if it is
overused and iodine is not replaced in some way, there could be health issues
over many years, such as the growth of a goiter. Providing cuttlebone, or other
source of trace iodine (for instance, seaweed), solves the problem and allows
the tortoise to eat these excellent foods.
The "good foods / bad foods" paradigm for feeding tortoises is a highly flawed
concept that eliminates far too many excellent souces of high quality nutrition
and ignores how tortoises eat in the wild. Use all types of plants, always in
moderation, and provide calcium in a separate form so that the animals can
self-regulate. Cuttlebone is a very good choice for this, as it also provides
trace iodine.
Mary at the turtle Puddle
