The use of chocolate gives pleasure not only to adults, but also to children. Many mothers believe that depriving babies of such joy is wrong. Therefore, it is necessary to find out at what age a child can be given chocolate. The article will examine its benefits and harm to the baby's body.
The beneficial properties of chocolate
The product contains the following substances that positively affect the human body:
- Tryptophan is an amino acid that promotes the production of serotonin, which acts on the brain as an antidepressant. The necessary amount of it positively affects the mental abilities of the child and stimulates the craving for knowledge.
- Phenylalanine is an amino acid that performs the building function of proteins, and affects memory, perception and thinking.
- Theobromine, which is similar in composition to caffeine, improves attention and clarity of thinking.
- Vitamins of group B.
- A large number of micro and macro elements (sodium, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper).
- Antioxidants improve metabolic processes in the body and protect blood vessels from damage.
What is chocolate good for children? Thanks to him, the endorphin, the so-called "hormone of happiness", will be produced in the child’s body.
How to buy quality chocolate?
To purchase a truly high-quality product, you need to know the following:
- Natural chocolate has a smooth surface with even gloss.
- There are no whitish areas on it.
- When a slice of chocolate melts in a clasped palm, the product is of high quality.
- Soy and palm oil should not be included.
Many pediatricians, despite the quality of dark chocolate, do not recommend giving it to children. The cocoa content in the tile should be 25-50%.
With a variety of chocolate in the store, it is best to choose a product that includes nuts and raisins. A tile with a large amount of cocoa gives a distinctive crunch when cracked.
What kind of chocolate can be given to children?
The product may be a tile with a high cocoa content, and sometimes with harmful contents in the form of palm oil and other substitutes.
At what age can children eat chocolate? They can be given a product that has a completely natural composition. When comparing black, milk and dark chocolate, it is best to give preference to the latter. True, not every baby will like it. Dark chocolate is sweeter, so children like it with their taste. In milk, the amount of cocoa is reduced due to the inclusion of milk. In white chocolate, cocoa is completely absent, and it refers to this product due to the presence of cocoa butter in it.
When can a child be given chocolate? It can be consumed by children over the age of 1.5 years, and with a high content of cocoa in it. It is in such chocolate that tryptophan is present, which causes the production of serotonin (a hormone, an antidepressant).
A product becomes even more useful if whole nuts are included in its composition.
At what age can a child be given chocolate?
Despite the many useful properties of the delicacy, giving it to babies before 3 years is not recommended. Indeed, in addition to cocoa, chocolate contains unhealthy sugars, caffeine and theobromine.
Pediatricians believe that the baby’s fragile gastrointestinal tract will not be able to digest products from it. For the liver and pancreas, the fats found in chocolate become a heavy burden.
Is it possible to give chocolate to children under one year old? At this time, the children’s teeth are being cut, they are constantly acting up and do not sit still. And chocolate is an additional stimulant for the nervous system, which is completely undesirable in such a period.
Product allergies may occur. Small children are not subject to serious mental stress, so chocolate is forbidden to give them.
The product has many useful and harmful qualities, so it is best to give it to children over the age of 3 years. And before this period, dried apricots, raisins, prunes, marmalade and marshmallows can become its substitute.
Drinking chocolate
After 3 years of age, the child is allowed to give a similar product, but there are some restrictions. It is undesirable to give chocolate to a baby if he has diseases of the digestive tract. It’s best to wait until they are resolved.
At what age can a child be given chocolate? It should be given in small quantities and monitor the baby's reaction to it. It can act as a dessert after eating.
If within a few days no negative reactions appear, then all the chocolate is digested and absorbed by the body. After this, the product can be given to the baby constantly, but in small quantities.
Chocolate in the diet of children, starting from the age of 3, should be 5 grams. The maximum amount of product at the age of 6-7 years is 20-30 grams.
You can give chocolate as a reward to the child when he deserves it. The carbohydrates that are in the product are fuel for the growing body. High-quality chocolate can only benefit him.
The most harmful types of product include white and bitter chocolate, the first due to the presence of a large amount of sugar in it. And the second - due to the presence in the composition of a large amount of cocoa.
The ideal chocolate option is a milk product with raisins and nuts, and with a cocoa content of 25 to 50%.
Parents should choose only a quality product. It should contain only cocoa butter, lecithin, powdered sugar and grated cocoa.
Komarovsky about chocolate
A famous doctor has his own opinion when this product should be given to children. He believes that chocolate causes pleasure in a child, must be present in his diet.
However, he should not harm the child's body. This can manifest as an allergy to cocoa protein. In a baby, the risk of such a pathology is significantly higher than in a teenager.
At what age can a child be given chocolate? According to Komarovsky, it can be included in the children's diet, starting from 2 years. The first servings should be no more than 1 wedge from a tile weighing 100 g. Be sure parents must monitor the baby’s reaction.
Negative consequences
The consequences that may arise due to parental carelessness include the usual rash. If you do not pay due attention to this process, then Quincke's edema may appear. It is especially dangerous for swelling of the throat, when breathing is completely blocked.
From what age you can give chocolate, we figured it out. And what else are the consequences of consuming this sweet? These include problems with teeth. Sweetness lingers in the mouth, and bacteria multiply in it. Therefore, after eating chocolate, the child must rinse his mouth.
Even if you replace the product with sweets, there is still a threat to tooth decay. It is better to replace chocolate with fruits and sweets made from them.
Chocolate fight
With a fanatical love for the product, the child should be taught to use it correctly. Chocolate should be given in limited quantities.
If the child is active, then the product will not cause obesity. If he is passive and draws or sculpts all his free time, then problems with overweight can most likely arise.
Sometimes parents notice the dependence of the baby on chocolate, which manifests itself in a good mood when he ate this sweetness. In this case, the product must be replaced with games that bring pleasure to the child, and distract him from eating the product.
It is believed that babies should not be given dark chocolate. But despite the presence of caffeine in it, its quantity is not enough to excite the brain. It contains a large amount of sugars and fats, enhancing its nutrition.
It is best to offer chocolate to a child of preschool age 2-3 hours before daytime sleep, he will be active, and then he will get tired and will sleep peacefully. It is especially useful to give it to schoolchildren in front of an important control, which will become nutrition for the brain and motivation for efforts to study.
Finally
Chocolate is a product that benefits the body. However, without it, of course, any baby can. To introduce a child to this product or not, parents must decide when the baby is at least 2 years old. If a child needs a treat, then observe the following recommendations:
- It is best to give the baby a chocolate before 12-14 hours so that the components contained in it cease to be affected.
- The baby should rinse his mouth after using it.
- Before taking, you need to carefully study the composition of chocolate, so as not to give the child a low-quality product.
Sweets in the baby's diet should be present constantly, but parents should be given them with caution so as not to cause negative consequences.