In summer, in shops, stalls and markets – berry expanse: seasonal cherries, strawberries, peaches and apricots, plums, raspberries, currants and other berries that children love so much. But in what quantities can babies eat them and how often?
Our expert – doctor of the pediatric department of the Russian Children’s Clinical Hospital of the Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. N. I. Pirogov of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation Lusine Avakyan.
Some parents worry that their children do not eat fruits and berries at all, while others, on the contrary, worry that they consume too much of them. Will it cause hypervitaminosis or other problems?
One year ahead
If you are not going to replace all the main meals with berries and fruits, then the gifts of nature will not bring any harm to the child. But 200 g daily for children over 3 years old is not only possible, but also necessary. But even if the child eats, as you think, a lot of fruits at a time, hypervitaminosis does not threaten him. To do this, you need to master such a volume that even an adult cannot afford.
However, other problems associated with overeating may well be. Do not forget that berries and fruits contain dietary fiber, and with excessive use of flatulence and diarrhea, no one is safe. And if you eat unwashed fruits, then intestinal infections and helminthic infestations will be added to these troubles. It is not necessary to pour boiling water over berries and fruits, as well as use any additional means for washing. But it is simply necessary to rinse thoroughly under running water.
However, often children, against their will, eat berries and fruits in excess. They are fed by their parents so that the heirs stock up on vitamins for the year ahead. This is, of course, pointless. No matter how much you eat, at a time the body will take no more than it needs. And he does not know how to create reserves for the future. But parents are quite on the shoulder. After all, it is in seasonal fruits that most vitamins and nutrients are present. Therefore, it would be useful to freeze your favorite berries or fruits in order to enjoy them in the autumn-winter period. Frozen foods, of course, are inferior in nutritional value to fresh ones, but only slightly.
Damaged reputation
Many parents look askance at citrus fruits and strawberries, being sure that they will inevitably cause allergies in the child. In fact, these fruits are not included in the so-called big eight of the most common food allergens. Much more reason to be wary of cow’s milk, chicken eggs, fish, wheat, soy, seafood, and nuts (especially peanuts). These products really should be introduced into the diet of children carefully, in small quantities, in order to trace a possible reaction.
Of course, the body can react inadequately to almost any product, but a true allergy to fruits and berries is rare. Most often, their use entails the development of pseudo-allergic reactions caused by increased production of histamine. This happens if the child simply ate too much of something. However, people with plant pollen allergies sometimes experience cross-reactions with food. Eating a certain fruit can cause a true allergy, the manifestation of which will not depend on the amount eaten. In this case, the symptoms will not be long in coming – they will appear within a few minutes, a maximum of 2 hours after consuming the product, unlike pseudo-allergies.
Nevertheless, it is difficult for a non-specialist to distinguish one from the other. Therefore, if any allergic reactions occur or if they are suspected, it is better to consult a doctor.
In summer, many people go on vacation to distant lands and, of course, want to try exotic fruits and berries. There is an opinion that it is more useful to eat the gifts of nature grown in the native area. Therefore, parents sometimes fear the development of allergies in children. If this something exotic is edible, then there is no danger of giving it to children. However, acquaintance with any new product must begin with a small amount – a couple of berries for the first sample is enough.
Expert comment
Nutritionist, nutritionist Anna Ivashkevich:
– There are a number of diseases in which some fruits and berries should be limited. And since diseases are getting younger, alas, this applies not only to adults, but also to children and adolescents.
Hypertensive patients should be careful with chokeberry and black currant: they increase blood viscosity and increase the risk of blood clots.
With diabetes and obesity, it is important to limit sweet fruits (watermelon, melon, plum, grapes) and berries such as gooseberries. But with kidney problems, watermelon is what you need, as it is an excellent diuretic.
For diseases of the liver and gallbladder, you should forget about sour berries and fruits and be careful with apricots.
With gastritis, stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers, any raw fruits are forbidden. But they can be boiled in compote or baked in the oven. However, berries and fruits rich in acids that irritate the mucous membrane (in particular, citrus fruits), as well as all stone fruits, including raspberries, should be limited to a minimum. In general, for any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, you can eat no more than 100 g of fruit per day.
In diseases of the intestines, one should be wary of cherries. This berry causes fermentation, sometimes even 3 berries can cause severe flatulence. Citrus fruits, dogwood, watermelon, pomegranate, grapes are also undesirable. However, a decoction of pomegranate peels for the intestines is ideal. By the way, in case of poisoning too.
Source: aif.ru
