The beneficial properties of ginger are widely known to adults, so it is understandable why parents are interested in whether this product can be given to children. Let's see when it is permissible to give ginger to a baby and in what form it is used in childhood.
Beneficial features
Ginger root contains more than four hundred compounds, including many minerals, essential oils, fatty acids, dietary fiber, vitamins and other substances. ANDx availability provides such an effect on the human body:
- Normalization of bowel function and appetite.
- Elimination of muscle pain, vomiting, nausea, headache.
- Thinning the blood and cleansing the body.
- Warming and toning the body.
- Recovery after surgery or illness.
- Removal of worms.
- Pain relief for arthritis or bruises.
- Facilitate breathing through the nose.
- Diaphoretic action.
- Reducing inflammation in sinusitis.
- Improving learning and memory.
Does it strengthen the immune system?
The effect on human immunity is indeed noted in ginger root, therefore, drinks with it are advised to be consumed even in the absence of diseases.
Regular consumption of ginger tea hot in winter and chilled in summer will saturate the child's body with useful substances, and the essential oils of the root will help strengthen the immune system. Also for this purpose, you can add ginger aroma oil to the bathtub for bathing a child over 6 years old.
Does it help with cough?
The use of ginger helps to remove phlegm from the respiratory tract, so this product is effective for wet coughs. Ginger root can also help with dry coughs by softening it. If the baby is coughing, he is advised to both give drinks with ginger and inhale with oil from the root.
Harm
Although rare enough, ginger can cause an allergic reaction and intolerance if the child has an individual sensitivity to this product. So you need to be very careful when trying ginger for the first time.
Contraindications
Ginger should not be used for:
- Peptic ulcer disease.
- Fever.
- Inflammation of the skin.
- Bleeding.
At what age can you give?
Pediatricians recommend the use of ginger in childhood only after two years.
Earlier use of the root for treatment negatively affects the still immature digestive tract of babies.
Admission rules
- It is best to use fresh ginger for the drink intended for the child, as the powder will taste more pungent. If you decide to make tea from powder, then the dosage should be lower.
- When peeling the root, you should try to remove the peel as thin as possible. If the skin is very thin, then you do not need to remove it at all for making tea.
- After peeling, the root should either be grated or cut into small pieces. Please note that the fibrous structure can make grating difficult. Use a garlic crusher and you will crush the ginger root very quickly.
- The benefits of ginger are not lost if the root is chopped, dried or treated with heat, but low temperatures reduce the usefulness of the product, so you should not freeze the root.
- Ginger drinks can be given to your child warm several times throughout the day. Lemon or honey can be added to the drink to enhance the taste, but remember that both of these ingredients are potential allergens.
Recipes
The effects of ginger on the body can be compared to the effects of garlic, however, the ginger root has such advantages as a more pleasant smell and taste, so children drink drinks with ginger more willingly.
Decoction
Cut a piece of about 5 cm from the ginger root, peel and chop. Add boiling water (1 liter) to the ginger and cook over low heat for about ten minutes. Strain the slightly cooled broth, add honey and lemon juice to taste, then give the baby a drink with a cold three times a day, 100 ml.
Tea
Take ginger root (a piece about 3-4 cm is enough) and boiling water (500 ml). The root should be peeled, grated finely, and then filled with water. Let the drink sit for 30 to 60 minutes. Then it can be slightly sweetened with sugar.
With lemon
Put a thin slice of ginger root in boiling water, as well as lemon juice or a slice of fresh lemon. This tea has a rather mild taste and a pleasant citrus-ginger smell. This drink will quickly relieve headaches, relieve colds and eliminate weakness. It is recommended to drink it warm several times during the day. Instead of lemon, you can add slices of orange or grapefruit to ginger tea.
With honey
It is permissible to give this version of ginger tea to babies only if there is no allergy to honey. For its preparation, grated or finely chopped ginger root is boiled with boiling water and allowed to cool slightly. Then add 1-2 tablespoons of honey to the drink.
Green tea with ginger
Such a drink can be prepared for children from 10-11 years old, since it is not recommended to drink green tea before this age.
A teaspoon of green tea is poured into 500 ml of boiling water and infused for five minutes. After straining, a slice of ginger is added to the drink and left for twenty minutes. You can add honey, cinnamon, mint, cardamom, or a slice of lemon to this drink.
Essential oil
The essential oil contained in ginger root has the following properties:
- Expectorant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antiseptic
- Antibacterial
- Pain reliever
Due to this effect, this essential oil is used for colds for inhalation.
Inhalation with ginger will help with dry cough (soften it) and wet (improve sputum discharge). During the procedure, ginger essential oil cleanses the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and helps the body fight bacteria.
How to do inhalation?
At home, a steam inhaler will help to inhale with ginger oil, which can be used from 3 years of age. Add two drops of oil and two milliliters of saline to the dispenser. Carry out the procedure for 5-7 minutes.
In the absence of an inhaler, you can use an ordinary teapot, on the spout of which a funnel made of thick paper is put on. The water in the kettle must be heated to + 40 ° C, and then add two drops of ginger root aromatic oil to it. The child should inhale the vapors from the paper funnel for about five minutes.
Such inhalations should not be carried out at elevated temperatures, as well as at the age of one year.
Tips for choosing
Purchased fresh ginger root should be smooth and firm, free of blemishes, visible fibers and wrinkles. If you come across a fibrous and loose root with wrinkles and spots, then this product is stale.
Buy long ginger roots, as they are richer in nutrients and essential oils. A good quality ginger root should have a thin skin and a fresh smell - you can check these characteristics by picking off a small piece of ginger skin with your fingernail.
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