Teas & Coffee for Babies and Toddlers: Is It Safe and Its Effects

Is Tea Safe for Children to Drink?

Tea is usually not suggested for children, but when your youngster is being particularly defiant, you can give him a cup of tea. Stick to green or herbal teas instead. Green tea is a healthful beverage that contains catechins, natural antioxidants that aid in the destruction of bacteria, increasing concentration, preventing cavities, and maintaining heart health.

Green tea has several health benefits for your child, but he should only consume it once or twice a week. Because green tea includes caffeine, you should only give it to your child in small amounts. You can feed your youngster caffeine-free green tea.

Tea’s Health Benefits for Children 

1. Tea can help to reduce anxiety levels.

Children are prone to anxiety because their reasoning and cognitive capacities are not fully matured. Children can get apprehensive as a result of cutthroat competitiveness and academic pressure. A cup of tea now and then can help people relax and reduce their stress levels.

Anxiety is frequently relieved by drinking oat straw tea or chamomile tea. After consulting with a dietitian, you can give these to your child.

2. It Could Aid in the Treatment of Constipation

You can give your youngster a warm cup of tea if he is constipated. It will assist him in relaxing and having a regular bowel movements. Flaxseed tea is the most effective treatment for constipation in children.

3. It Has the Potential to Relieve Fever

Tea might also help you deal with a fever. You can give your youngster a cup of tea if he has a fever. He can speed up his recovery by adding a piece of ginger and a few cardamom pods to his drink. Peppermint, lemon tea, and chamomile are some more varieties of tea that you can serve to your children.

4. It Has the Potential to Help with Nausea

An unsettled stomach and vomiting characterize nausea. Nausea is prevalent in youngsters because their immune systems are still maturing, making them more susceptible to sickness. Giving ginger tea to someone who is sick can make them feel better.

5. It Has the Potential to Treat Colds and Coughs

Tea can aid in treating coughs and colds in both adults and children. Tea is a traditional remedy for a sore throat and a persistent cough.

When a youngster has a cough, the finest teas to give them are slippery elm or marshmallow tea. If your child also has nasal congestion, coltsfoot or peppermint tea is a good choice.

6. It may aid in the treatment of colic.

Colic, a common cause of severe stomach pain in youngsters, could be the cause. Serving lukewarm tea to children is a beautiful way to treat colic, and the best teas for treating colic are peppermint and chamomile.

When Should You Begin Giving Your Child Tea?

It’s advised not to feed tea to your youngster because it includes caffeine. The sugar may also harm children in the tea. If you want to give tea, only herbal teas should be given. Herbal teas, which contain no caffeine, should only be administered to children aged 4 to 10. Black tea, milk tea or green tea can be served to children aged 12 to 13.

Why Do Children Prefer Coffee?

Coffee use has grown fashionable, and many children believe it to be a substitute for milk, which is not the case. Coffee also tastes wonderful, which is one of the reasons why children prefer to drink it.

The Benefits of Not Allowing Your Child to Drink Coffee

Caffeine in coffee can have a harmful impact on your child’s health. The following are some of the issues that may develop if your youngster consumes too much coffee.

1. Coffee Consumption May Cause Insomnia

Coffee includes caffeine, a stimulant that increases alertness by inhibiting a sleep-inducing hormone in the brain. As a result, if your toddler consumes coffee, he may become aware and stay awake for an extended period of time. Children require a lot of sleep, but if they drink coffee, they may stay awake longer.

2. It Has the Potential to Affect Bone Health

Coffee increases urine production, which causes a calcium deficiency in the body, affecting bone health.

3. It Reduces Children’s Appetite

Caffeine is an appetite suppressant that can harm a child’s health if it replaces nutrient-dense items in his diet. Make sure you don’t offer your growing youngster coffee because he or she requires balanced nourishment.

4. Cavities are a possibility.

Coffee is generally considered acidic, which can lead to tooth decay and enamel thinning, which can lead to oral health issues in children.

5. It Has the Potential to Cause Hyperactivity

Coffee is damaging to children because it is a stimulant that causes hyperactivity, loss of attention, anxiety, and restlessness, all of which are undesirable characteristics at such a young age.

Caffeine should not be given to youngsters because it can cause bone loss and insomnia. Tea is the lesser of the two evils, so if you must, limit yourself to herbal and green teas.

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