Refined sugar is not healthy for your bird and in fact can be detrimental to not only its physical health, but its mental and emotional health as well. Therefore, it does not contain the nutrients that are needed for its metabolism. Subsequently, these nutrients are taken from the body in order to metabolize this foreign substance properly. If the label on a bird food container or bag lists sugar among its first four ingredients, you can expect this food product to contain a substantial amount of sugar. The ingredients in food products are measured by weight and listed in order by weight from highest to lowest.
Refined sugar can cause subclinical deficiencies and future health problems and illness.
The immune system and other systems of the body, such as the digestive system, endocrine system and nervous system are negatively affected. The immune system can be weakened by the consumption of sugar. The white blood cells are adversely affected by excessive quantities of sugar in the blood. The process of phagocytosis is reduced. A high level of sugar in the diet can cause the digestive system to over work in order to prevent the sugar from entering the bloodstream too quickly.