Can children eat mushrooms? It is not recommended to feed young children with this product. Another thing is cultivated mushrooms grown in special conditions, but it is not recommended to give them to children under 3 years old either.
With the arrival of autumn, many lovers of quiet hunting rush into the forest, attracting small children to this activity, not without reason believing that clean air and a long walk in nature in a pine forest are beneficial for the child's body. After that, the whole family sits down at the table to feast on fried chanterelles, boletus, boletus and other mushrooms, and also attracts small children to this, but is it so useful for children to eat mushrooms, how to pick them?
Mushroom composition
Mushrooms are not at all a useless product, as some believe. These inhabitants of forest glades contain a large amount of protein, fiber and vitamins, in particular, vitamin D, PP, C, A and vitamins of group B. In addition, they are also rich in trace elements - potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium and others. However, all of the above valuable nutrients are not fully assimilated by the human body due to the presence of a substance in this product that resembles chitin in composition. As you know, the shell of crayfish and the shell of most insects consist of chitin, so even the digestive system of an adult person digests this substance with great difficulty, not to mention the stomach of a small child.
Can children eat mushrooms? The digestive tract of children continues to form until the body grows up and in the digestive tract of a child under the age of 7 there is still no required number of enzymes necessary for the processing of chitin and protein, which are rich in mushrooms. That is why it is not recommended to give mushrooms to children who have not reached the age of 7 years. The most harmless thing that can happen to a child who has eaten mushrooms - it will "carry", that is, diarrhea will open, and the worst thing - poisoning, up to death.
Why are mushrooms dangerous
Parents who are still determined to feed young children with mushrooms can argue that in the old days our ancestors ate mushrooms and gave them to their children and nothing. Yes, it was like that before, but today everything has changed. The deterioration of the ecological situation, the expansion of cities and transport networks has led to the fact that mushrooms now grow not in forests and glades, but right next to roads, industrial enterprises and factories, near which they are collected by unlucky townspeople to then eat. But the structure of mushrooms is like a sponge, which absorbs from the atmosphere all toxic and radioactive substances, as well as heavy metals that can cause serious poisoning and indigestion.
Can children eat mushrooms? To date, cultivated mushrooms grown in specially created conditions are considered the safest. These include mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, champignons and others. They are better absorbed by the digestive tract, but again, they are not recommended for use by young children under the age of 3 years. After that, you can give the baby mushrooms a little bit, constantly monitoring his reaction, and at the first symptoms of poisoning, immediately consult a doctor.
