The large, colourful and extremely tasty fruit from South America, renamed by the Europeans after a pinecone…
Pineapple has slowly become one of the most delightful and savoury snacks all across the world.
From snacks in children’s lunchboxes, to its slightly more controversial setting on top of a pizza.
Pineapples are extremely common nowadays.
And for good reason to, they are full of vitamins, antioxidants and other highly nutritious benefits.
All of which I am going to explore in today’s article.
But today’s article is not about us, as always, today’s article is about our pet parrots.
So the question burning on your mind at this stage must be:
Can I feed pineapples to my pet parrot?
The answer is… Yes! Not only are pineapples safe for parrots to eat, but they are also highly nutritious, and (as you might have expected), all come with their own range of extraordinary health benefits. However, there are some slight drawbacks of feeding pineapples to your parrot, which I will also uncover.
So the following topics/questions are what we are going to be discussing in today’s article:
- What are some of the health benefits of pineapples to parrots? (And why do they matter?)
- Can parrots eat the pineapple skin?
- Can parrots eat the pineapple core?
- Can parrots drink pineapple juice?
So I hope you find this article useful, and that it answers all of your questions.
Sound good?
Let’s get right into it.
What are some of the health benefits of pineapples to parrots?
Like I’ve already stated, the benefits of pineapple should not be underestimated, both for humans, and parrots alike.
Disease fighting antioxidants
Put simply, pineapples have lots of antioxidants.
These are essential for our feathery little friends because they help their bodies fight off oxidative stress, which protects their cells, protein and DNA from damage and ageing processes.
Pineapples are very high in what is known as “flavonoids” and “phenolic acids”, which are the antioxidants which prevent the aforementioned symptoms.
Many of these antioxidants are also bound, meaning that they are able to produce more long-lasting and significant effects in the body of our pets.
Boost immunity
All of the vitamins, minerals and enzymes that can be found in the main part of a pineapple all carry significant nutrients too.
One of the benefits of these nutrients is that they can be used to boost immunity and suppress inflammation.
Also, a property known as bromelain can be found in pineapples.
Bromelain is useful because it reduces the markers of inflammation in our parrot.
If you haven’t read any of our other articles, inflammation is a process in the body which can trigger many more harmful, and dangerous diseases it birds, such as various cancer types.
Ease of digestion
The digestive enzymes found in pineapples can act as “proteases”, the function of these properties is to break down proteins into amino acids and other “building blocks”.
Once these molecules have been broken down, they are much easier to store by the body of the parrot.
This aids digestion for our pet parrots, which acts as a solution to any potential bowel issues, and means they can absorb nutrients from the foods they eat, which has obvious, positive benefits of its own.
Can parrots eat the pineapple skin?
Like the insides of a pineapple itself, the skin of pineapple has many nutritional benefits.
Not only are the skins safe to eat, but they should be encouraged to be fed to your parrot, as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle, to ensure it receives all of the nourishment it needs to function at its peak, as an avian bird.
So, just to briefly explain to you why pineapple skins are so healthy for parrots, let me wrap up a few benefits for you.
Protects Vision
If you have read our article on whether or not parrots can eat carrots, you will be familiar with the nutrient, “beta Carotene”.
Luckily, it is also highly present in the skin of a pineapple.
Beta Carotene is then broken down by the body into Vitamin A.
From there, it can aid birds with vision, by protecting their eyes.
Also, the high levels of vitamin C can protect your parrots eyes by helping to fight off eye diseases, such as glaucoma.
Strengthens bones
Pineapple skin can also play a role in helping the bone development of parrots.
For example, the high levels of manganese can aid the growth, and strength of key bones in the body of our pet parrot.
Also, the added benefits of manganese should not be overlooked.
It can help regulate blood sugar levels, meaning stable moods and energy for our pet parrot.
Also, it is a key part of any bird’s diet to increase metabolism rates, as well as provide sufficient levels of antioxidants for our birds.
Can parrots eat the pineapple core?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been munching away at a delicious juicy pineapple, and come to the very core of the fruit and wondered to yourself… “is this safe for me to eat?”.
Well, I am here to tell you the good news, Yes!
You can eat the core of a pineapple.
You may have heard stories from people before, claiming that the pineapple core is poisonous.
However, that s truly not the case.
The pineapple core can be extremely healthy and delicious, for both you and your pet parrot.
More fiber
You’re probably well aware at this stage of the crucial role that high amounts of fiber play in the daily diet of your parrot and aware of the benefits.
However, unfortunately for most parrot owners, the wonderful advantages are not appreciated enough.
Fiber is essential for all bird species to protect immune functioning, and maintain a healthy digestive system.
It also plays a part in preventing some serious and harmful diseases, including various heart diseases and cancers.
Hence why it is so crucially important to ensure your parrot receives sufficient amounts in their diet.
Higher levels of Vitamin C
I briefly mentioned in my introduction, that Vitamin C is present in pineapples.
This water-soluble anti-oxidant can help the body to fight off diseases and restore itself.
Like the benefits of fibre in the previous paragraph.
The high levels of Vitamin C can fend off many heart and muscular diseases within our parrot’s body.
Just earlier, I spoke about how crucial manganese is for the well-being and functioning of our parrot.
Again, this helps our pet parrots absorb more iron, which boosts energy and immune functioning.
Can parrots drink pineapple juice?
Now, who doesn’t love a delicious glass of pineapple juice?
A sweet, savoury and delightful blend of sweet fruits really cannot be topped.
Now of course, if you’re an avid pineapple fan like me, you probably couldn’t live without pineapple juice, that’s why I’m going to explain to you some of the reasons as to whether or not you should give some to your parrot.
But even if you’ve never tried it before, but you’re curious of the health benefits, let me uncover those for you too!
Now, like I have mentioned above, there are many health benefits to parrots in pineapples, and I’m not going to go over them again.
But unfortunately, in our modern day society, with processed foods and drinks, foods are constantly stripped of their nutrients and vitamins.
That’s why feeding your parrot some pineapple juice may not be the best idea.
More specifically, due to the extremely high amounts of sugar content that can be found within pineapple juice.
The problem with this, is that it may give the parrots a “sugar spike”, which is then investigated followed by a period of low blood sugar.
Characterised by aggression, a drop in energy, and destructive, moody behaviour, it may be best to avoid this rapid roller coated of blood sugar levels for our feathery friend.
All that means however, is that it is probably best just to keep servings in moderation.
A couple of drops mixed with water will truly not do any harm, and can even manifest the aforementioned health benefits.
The only thing I would add, however is that you should be mindful of what kind of pineapple juice you do buy.
Always check the sugar content in the labels, and aim for as low levels of possible.
If you do notice any unusual behaviour in your parrot as a result of the pineapple juice, you should simply check it out with your vet first, and receive their expert advice in the matter.
In conclusion, there are many practical benefits that come with feeding your parrots high levels of pineapple.
Of course, they should be fed in moderation, in order to avoid any adverse effects or unusual behaviour like we have mentioned.
As for other forms of pineapples, like juices, it’s best to keep the sugar content as low as possible, and keep servings in moderation.
That’s all for today guys, and I’ll see you all again soon.