Children love to repeat everything after adults. Food and drink are no exception. A cup of aromatic coffee in the hands of a parent is very intriguing to the child, and the desire to try is simply overwhelming. And it can be difficult to refuse your child. But, as you know, doctors strictly prohibit giving coffee in any form, ground or freeze-dried, to children under 13-14 years old.
Why children shouldn't be given natural coffee
The first reason: the stimulating effect that coffee has on the body. But not all children need additional energy, which they already have in abundance. From one cup of coffee, drunk even in the morning, the child may not fall asleep at the appointed hour in the evening, become capricious and nervous. True, coffee has a positive effect on mental performance and can help with the assimilation of a large amount of information.
The second reason: direct harm to health. Coffee actively removes calcium from the body, and calcium for building bones of a child is extremely necessary during the growth period. In addition, coffee stimulates the production of sex hormones, which is not at all useful for children.
Reason three: coffee is addictive. It stimulates the pleasure centers in the brain, which is dangerous for the fragile psyche and body of the child. The same applies to chocolate, cola, beer. There is a burst of energy, mood improves, even a feeling of happiness appears, and this is associated with a specific food or drink - coffee. And non-receipt of such doping can lead to a breakdown and depression.
Based on this, it becomes clear that children should not be given natural coffee. But the drink has substitutes - i.e. products that do not contain caffeine and do not have other harmful qualities of coffee, but taste and even smell very similar to it.
Coffee for children
There are several complete, child-friendly coffee flavors that can be easily purchased in stores today. It is chicory and a coffee drink made from barley, rye or rose hips. These products can replace coffee that is harmful to them and benefit the body. In addition, they practically do not cause allergies in children and are much cheaper than good quality coffee.
Chicory. This drink from the plant of the same name is very similar in taste to coffee. It contains many useful substances: inulin, minerals, vitamins A, E, B1, B12. It has a tonic effect, improves digestion, lowers blood sugar. Today, chicory is produced with rosehip and blueberry extracts, which adds beneficial qualities to it.
The Golden Ear coffee drink is made from barley and rye. It contains such minerals as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, sodium, etc. They improve the functioning of the intestinal tract and do not excite the nervous system.
Coffee drinks can be safely given to children from the age of two, adding milk and a little sugar to them. When choosing a product, you should carefully study its composition, because sometimes a small percentage of coffee is included.
