Nutrition Daikon Leaves - Too much Oxalates or not

[skinnyguineaus]

Hello GP lovers,
I have been trying to find out if the Daikon leaves (a Japanese radish) contain just as much oxalate as the roots do. Daikon is very rich in vitamin C and I am able to get TONS for free and my GPs LOVE to eat them. I have been hesitant to feed them as I am still concern with the possibility of bladder stones forming due to oxalate.
Could anyone with substantial information on this vegetable advise?
I am attaching a picture for those who aren't sure what a Daikon looks like.
It would be wonderful to fulfill the Vitamin C needs of my little Ninjas without causing any harm to their health, while not spending any $. Wow... Sounds like a dreamlol
Thank you for all your knowledge in advance!

 

[Duffinvt]

Sorry, not a good idea. Read Ly's advice in this thread:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/threads/48043/

 

[skinnyguineaus]

Sorry, not a good idea. Read Ly's advice in this thread:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/threads/48043/

That was in regards to the radish itself. That i know it contains a very high level of oxalate but my question is regarding the greens.

 

[Duffinvt]

See the middle post in that thread by Piggypaws about the tops being fed only every couple of weeks. Maybe Ly will come on and clarify for us !

 

[Duffinvt]

This thread (found in a search for Radish leaves)

https://www.guineapigcages.com/threads/56333/

 

[Duffinvt]

It's unfortunate to have such a great supply of a particular vegetable and have it not good for the pigs. But, it is better not to have health issues down the road and huge vet bills due to feeding too much of a free veggie ! I feel the same about the acres of dandelion leaves we have each Spring.

 

[Paula]

It's not actually a very high level, relatively speaking. The content in radishes is moderate - but in any case, I'm not able to find any information on the oxalate content of the leaves of radishes, oriental or otherwise, anywhere in any specificity other than to say the content is "moderate."

One thing to remember is that only a very small percentage of guinea pig stones are oxalate based - something around 98% are actually calcium carbonate - so I don't know that I'd even worry much about the possibility of an oxalate stone in the first place.

Another thing to remember is that the oxalate content in radishes (which is what Ly based her advice on in that other thread) is 480 mg per 100 grams of the veggie - and 100 grams is quite a lot, if you've ever actually weighed it. So if you were feeding, say, 20 grams per pig approximately, that's a significantly lower oxalate content than the 480 mg listed in Ly's chart.

Ultimately I suppose it's up to you, given the limited nutrition content listed on the leaves themselves, particularly regarding oxalic acid. Personally, I'd not recommend it for daily feeding, and not in large amounts when you do feed them. That's based on the lack of nutritional information available in regards to other things, like calcium content. I personally don't think that you can assume it has the same nutritional composition as the "edible portion," something clearly illustrated by the nutritional differences between corn and corn husks/silks.

I'd also definitely not feed something like this as a replacement for other greens, like lettuce, daily.

 

[skinnyguineaus]

Thank you for your post.
I would not replace my other greens for the daikon leaves. I offer a large variety of greens to my cavies but I have been hesitant to add the daikon leaves to the mix. It wouldn't even amount to 10g as I still believe on the need for variety. It's just a nice free aditional to their diet
I found reliable data on the vitamin C content and that drawn me to it...
Hope to hear more about it. Thx!

 

[skinnyguineaus]

It's unfortunate to have such a great supply of a particular vegetable and have it not good for the pigs. But, it is better not to have health issues down the road and huge vet bills due to feeding too much of a free veggie ! I feel the same about the acres of dandelion leaves we have each Spring.

Let me just clarify something... I would NEVER put my animals' health in jeopardy because I want to save money. I just so happen to have a free supply of a vegetable that has HIGH vitamin C content and that I know it is beneficial to my cavy. I am still doing research. I have send out an email to a friend who works as a nutritionist for the FDA and I hope to get some substantial information on the nutritional value content of the leaves alone. It is too bad to discard a whole vegetable top because the roots contains moderate oxalate. Many other vegetables have complete different composition when it comes to their tops. Some tops have even more concentrate levels then the root itself. I just want a confirmation first before I wait out the pros and cons of this particular veggie. And I'm sure I'll be able to use some of it. But than again "some" it too vague. I like to know "quantity'.
TOO bad on the dandelion leaves And if I have to be mad at another foliage I will throw Cabbage on the list too! I wish I could feed it more often... Oh well! I also wish I could eat more red meat, chocolate and carbs. Not a perfect world. haha Until then I will keep the piggies happy with their medley of safe (already confirmed) veggies, foliage, grasses and fruits.
Thank you everyone!

 

[bpatters]

Skinnyguineas, if you get a response from your FDA friend about the nutritional value of the leaves, please be sure to post it back here -- we're always looking for reliable information about the nutritional value of foods for the GPs. Thanks.