Flax is a plant that is used not only in the textile industry. This incredibly beautiful flower of the color of the sky is an excellent healer, whose numerous useful properties will help both adults and children, and from a very early age.
Useful and medicinal properties
For medicinal purposes, flaxseed is used. Seeds form in capsules after the active flowering phase of the plant. They contain the maximum amount of nutrients. This and numerous vitamins, including A, E, PP, B vitamins. Flaxseeds contain a lot of lignin (an important fatty acid for the human body), fiber, glycosides, dietary fiber, useful "correct" carbohydrates. The seeds are rich in potassium, magnesium, phosphorus.
All these components give this plant raw material incredible healing properties. First of all, it is a mild laxative that will help quite quickly with constipation in children, even the smallest ones - up to a year. Flax seeds are used as an anti-inflammatory agent for diseases of the upper respiratory tract, it is a time-tested cough remedy.
Flax will help with stomach ailments and expel worms, stop the inflammatory process on wounds and burns, improve the skin condition in diaper rash in babies and acne in adolescents during puberty.
Flaxseed recipes are beneficial for gut health if a child has dysbiosis. For allergies, they are given to reduce the manifestation of symptoms and alleviate the condition of the child. The polyunsaturated acids in the seeds improve brain function, relieve stress, improve metabolism and help get rid of toxins.
Parents should buy seeds and start using them if their child has one or more of the following health problems:
Diabetes;
Digestive disorders;
Arthritis, joint inflammation;
Cardiovascular diseases;
Immunodeficiency state, weakness after a long illness;
Allergy tendency, allergy in the active phase;
Intestinal dysbiosis;
Skin diseases.
Harm and contraindications
There is no harm from flaxseed when used correctly. And it rarely causes allergies. When taken internally, the seeds are well absorbed. However, even such a remedy can cause negative reactions if it is given to those for whom it is not intended. Flax seeds are contraindicated for children with cholelithiasis, intestinal obstruction, and hepatitis. You can not give this remedy to those who are undergoing treatment with hormones or medicinal antidepressants.
At what age to give?
Flaxseed can be used to treat children under one year old. It is important to observe the age doses: infants under 12 months of age are given a decoction of 10-15 drops at a time, for babies under 3 years old - half a teaspoon. A whole teaspoon can be given to children from 3 to 7 years old, and in the dining room - after 7 years.
A more accurate dose for a particular disease will help you choose a pediatrician.
It is important to observe it, not to exceed it, so as not to harm the child.
The information on the legal age for taking flax on the Internet is incredibly controversial. Some argue that flax seeds should not be given up to three years old, others warn against using the product for children under 12 years old. In pediatric practice, there is almost no negative reaction to this product in children under one year old. And the difference in data can be explained by the lack of centralized clinical studies of the effects of plant matter on children's bodies.
For this reason, flax seeds are not considered an official drug, but are classified by physicians as dietary supplements (biologically active additives).
How to give?
Flaxseeds can be ground into powder and added to food as a tasty and healthy condiment. Linseed oil, which is also obtained from seeds, is generally a unique product. It can be added to salads, main courses, and also used for massage procedures for infants. It softens and moisturizes the delicate skin of babies, quickly heals diaper rash and contact dermatitis.
The most popular way to use it is to prepare a decoction or infusion.
Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers also knew how to brew flaxseeds. This is done quite simply, and the exact recipe depends on the final goal, from which ailment it is planned to treat the child.
- When coughing. Grind two tablespoons of raw materials in a coffee grinder into a powder, and brew with a glass of boiling water. Leave covered for about 40 minutes. Give to the child, depending on the age dose, at least 6 times a day. This remedy is especially effective for dry and unproductive coughs.
- For constipation. A teaspoon of seeds is poured with boiled hot water and allowed to brew for half an hour. Then young children are filtered and given a day to drink the broth up to three times in the age dose. And older children can be offered and eat softened seeds. This not only promotes bowel movement, but is also effective in getting rid of worms. True, it will take a long time to fight parasites in this way - at least 7-10 days.
- For allergies. A tablespoon of crushed seeds is brewed with a glass of boiling water, insisted and applied to the affected skin with urticaria, allergic dermatitis. In case of allergies, which are not accompanied by the appearance of skin rashes, the decoction of seeds can be drunk in an age dosage up to 4 times a day. The agent is allowed to be mixed into juice, tea, fruit drink, water.
- With worms. A tablespoon of seeds is crushed and mixed with a glass of kefir. A child can drink such a drink before meals for half an hour, one quarter of a glass. After a week, you can forget about parasites.
- Dry linen compress. The seeds should be poured into a hot skillet and heated while stirring. Then the hot seed is poured into a linen bag and applied as a warming compress to the sore joints.
Tips
Homemade flaxseed preparations should not be stored in or out of the refrigerator. It is best to prepare a fresh portion of the "medicine" before each meal. The maximum storage time of the broth in the refrigerator is no more than 5 hours.
If the child is not allergic to sugar, honey and he is allowed to eat sweets, you can make candies from flaxseeds by mixing them with honey. You can add seeds to baked goods, soups, and main courses. Systematic use will increase the child's immunity, it is especially useful during periods of seasonal growth of respiratory viral infections and influenza.
Flaxseed kissel will help to cope with intestinal diseases, including parasites. It can also be given in small prophylactic doses to boost immunity.
When constipated, seeds can have both a laxative and a strengthening effect. In order for everything to "work" as it should, the child needs to combine flax-based preparations with plenty of drink, then the fiber, which the plant seeds are rich in, will have the desired effect.
Do not prescribe flax seeds to your child yourself. It is better to entrust this matter to a doctor, he will definitely give the necessary recommendations on the dosage and method of preparing raw materials, if he comes to the conclusion that the child needs to take flaxseed.
Reviews
Most of the reviews on the Internet about treating children with flax seeds are quite positive, especially if they were used as a laxative or antitussive agent. Some parents complain that they cannot force their child to drink a decoction or jelly of their flaxseed, but other mothers and fathers who have encountered this before have found a good way out - to cook porridge from buckwheat, rice, oatmeal and add a few tablespoons of flour obtained when grinding seeds in a coffee grinder. For "conspiracy", masking a specific linseed smell, parents advise adding fresh fruits or berries to such porridge.
Most parents prefer to buy flaxseed oil in regular stores.
Only a small percentage of moms and dads take it from pharmacies. But flax seeds are best taken from pharmacists, since there they are cleaned and prepared in accordance with all sanitary requirements. The most popular manufacturer is Krasnogorskleksredstva. The average cost in Russia is 45-60 rubles per pack. There are about a dozen manufacturers on the market, including foreign ones.
