Mommies always wish their child all the best, so they monitor his health and development day and night. They try to feed the baby with exceptionally healthy food, which not only would not harm the child's health, but, on the contrary, would help him to develop harmoniously. Now there are many controversial opinions, reviews about the benefits, as well as the dangers of using kefir by children under one year old. Can it be used in a child's diet, or is it a fairly allergenic product containing alcohol? Does it normalize the work of the digestive system, or, on the contrary, is it poorly absorbed by the body?
Kefir — a fermented milk drink obtained from whole or skimmed cow's milk by fermented milk and alcoholic fermentation with the use of kefir "fungi" - a symbiosis of several types of microorganisms: lactic acid streptococci and bacilli, acetic acid bacteria and yeast (only about two dozen). Homogeneous, white, slight emission of carbon dioxide is possible.
The word "kefir" in translation from the Caucasian means "health". Is there really any benefit in it, or is it all myths.
Benefit / Harm
Consider the positive properties of kefir:
- During the use of kefir, the intestinal microflora is able to recover, as well as cleanse itself of various toxins, this has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the body as a whole;
- Thanks to kefir, such substances as calcium, iron and vitamin D are absorbed, which must be taken by children under 2 years of age;
- Strengthens the immune system;
- Helps improve appetite;
- Contains amino acids and vitamins, rich in calcium;
- It has an effect on the nervous system of the child. It restores the baby's strength, gives him vigor for the whole day, removes the first signs of fatigue;
- Useful for children with various developmental problems (rickets, anemia).
- Kefir acts as an antiseptic, since it contains lactic acid, which has a therapeutic effect in case of indigestion, infections;
- Able to restore the baby's body after illnesses.
And now the negative ones:
- The presence of milk protein "casein". It does not pose any danger to the body of an adult, but there are certain risks for a baby. "Casein" is poorly broken down by enzymes of a small organism, moreover, it can penetrate through the intestinal wall, thereby causing allergies;
- Kefiric acids, various mineral salts that are part of it, have a detrimental effect on the kidneys, digestion, they act as the strongest irritants.
We conclude that there are much more advantages from taking kefir, so its benefits are obvious! The main thing is to follow the rules for introducing complementary foods, then no negative properties will have a detrimental effect on you and your little ones.
At what age to give?
There is a difference between breastfed children (complementary foods for babies on HB) and artificial children (complementary foods for artificial children). The former can start receiving this fermented milk product from 8 months, the latter a little earlier from 7. What is the reason for this, though not significant, but the difference? Baby food needs differ. He needs completely different mineral, protein components, so the child is able to cope with the intake of this drink, only after the introduction of cereals, vegetable purees, fruits into his diet. This most often occurs before the baby reaches 8 months.
Do not forget that the baby has his own opinion, the crumb may refuse to drink kefir, because it does not correspond to his taste preferences, because kefir has a sour taste. To somehow solve this problem, pediatricians are allowed to sweeten it a little with an apple or a banana. It is not recommended to use sugar for these purposes, because the benefits of this product are sharply reduced from sugar.
How to give?
When introducing kefir into a child's diet, you should be guided by absolutely the same rules as when introducing any other dish. It is worth starting complementary foods gradually. You start giving a teaspoon, and then increase the dose, bringing it to a volume equal to 200 ml per day.
Cooking kefir yourself
Below is one of the recipes for homemade kefir. It is not so difficult to prepare it, so you should not think that something might not work out for you.
You will need:
- pasteurized, baked or skim milk;
- the base (sourdough) can be kefir itself, sour cream or sourdoughs from the pharmacy (the most common are Narine and bifidobacteria. The sourdough contains instructions for making yogurt).
Boil a liter of milk for 5-10 minutes, then pour it into a sterile glass container. Add one or two tablespoons of sourdough, wrap it up and put in a warm place for 8-10 hours. Then let it go in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Kefir can be stored at 2–4 C for no more than 3 days. Giving it to the baby is slightly warm.
“I do this: I take 0.5 liters. fresh milk, heat it up, but not boil it! I add 2-3 tablespoons to warm milk. tablespoons of fresh sour cream, and at night in a warm place! "
“In our village, women shared kefir fungi with each other, pour 1/4 of a teaspoon of fungi with a glass of milk for 12 hours or a day (I don’t remember exactly) and we get children's kefir. Now there is a lot of fermented milk for children in children's pier. kitchens, pour 3-40 grams with a glass of milk - and there will be kefir, these are lactic acid bacteria multiplying. "
Sour cream sourdough: You can use pasteurized and whole milk. The latter must be boiled for 5-7 minutes. We take a glass of milk (200 ml), boil, add 1 tablespoon of sour cream and set to sour at room temperature for 10 hours. Then sugar can be added to the resulting kefir to the taste of the baby. Keep refrigerated.
Kefir starter: It is necessary to prepare the starter itself directly. In 100 ml of boiled milk at room temperature, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of one-day kefir. Insist for 12 hours. The fermentation time of the starter culture can be increased in the cold season up to 24 hours. Store starter culture in the refrigerator. The preparation of kefir itself: add 100–150 ml of sourdough to 200 ml of boiled warm milk. Insist for 10-12 hours, add sugar to taste.
Narine sourdough: Kefir prepared with the Narine ferment is not only tasty, but also healthy. This kefir can stabilize the intestinal microflora, calcium will also be better absorbed, the body's allergic alertness will decrease (and in some cases food allergy disappears). And only it can be given to children from birth. You will have to tinker with such a kefir, but it's worth it. Preparation of the main starter culture: Boil 500 ml of milk for 10-15 minutes, then cool to 39-40 C. In a previously prepared sterilized glassware, mix 1 bottle of starter culture (0.3 l) and milk. Close tightly, wrap and put in a warm place for 10-16 hours. The color of the finished starter culture is light cream (maybe white), the consistency is viscous. Then cool in the refrigerator to a temperature of 2–6 C. Store the starter culture in the refrigerator at a temperature of 2–4 C.
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Starter culture with bifidobacteria:Such kefir is often recommended by pediatricians. First, prepare the starter culture: add 1 bottle of bifidobacteria (5 doses) and 30 g sour cream to boiled milk (40 C, 200 ml). Insist 2-3 hours in a warm place. Cooking kefir: 200 ml of boiled milk at room temperature, 1 tablespoon of sourdough. Mix and leave for 12 hours at room temperature. The finished product can be stored in the refrigerator.
And the easiest way: Mix boiled milk and kefir in a 3: 1 ratio, leave at room temperature for 12 hours. Place the finished product in the refrigerator.
Watching a video on how to make homemade kefir (yogurt):
And one more recipe:
What is the difference between kefir for “children” and for “adults”? Is there a difference?
Children's has a much lower fat content, namely 2.5%. It is enriched with various vitamins and minerals. The milk and sourdough used for its production is of the highest quality. Products intended for children are subject to more stringent testing. However, do not forget to independently check the storage conditions of kefir and its expiration date, since poisoning carries a great danger. Also review the composition. It should not contain any dyes, preservatives, starch, fillers and additives with the letter E. Exclusively milk, yeast on fungi. Seeing in the store a package of kefir that meets all the above requirements, feel free to buy it, in this case, you can not worry about the health of your baby. Popular brands of baby kefir: Agusha and Tema.
Doctor Komarovsky about the dangers of kefir
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