Raspberries for children: at what age can I give?

The raspberry bushes strewn with bright berries grow on each seasonal dacha. They are valued for their unique composition and excellent taste, familiar from childhood. The use of raspberries is undeniable, it is grown in order to feast on, stock up valuable fruits for the winter, make a healing broth for a child, treat them with a spoon of jam to cheer up and prevent flu.

Synonym for sweet life

“Raspberry jingle”, a funny songwriter, a robin and many other names and phrases indicate the popularity and folk love for this fragrant berry. The first planting of garden raspberries was organized by order of Yuri Dolgoruky in the distant XII century. Since then, the properties of the plant have been well studied, and application has been found for all its parts. Cooking, medicine, cosmetology - these are the most common areas of application of berries, leaves, young shoots of a bush. The harvest of forest raspberries is honestly shared between people and animals, and the garden is almost completely owned by children. They bravely climb into the thick of thorny branches for their favorite treat.

Description and properties

Raspberry belongs to shrubs, unpretentious, grows on almost any soil, subject to a sufficient amount of moisture. A feature is considered its ability to quickly conquer a new space due to creeping rhizomes. Therefore, it is planted mainly around the perimeter of a country or personal plot, fencing the territory of growth with dug sheets of iron or slate. Young shoots bear fruit, in the second year the old vygonki are cut out, and new ones come from the basal buds. Distinguish between seasonal and remontant species.

Breeders have bred many varieties, golden berries or such a successful hybrid as hedgehog obtained from crosses with blackberries have already become familiar.

Important: regardless of the color and size of the berries, their composition is almost identical. Each berry contains:

• vitamins;
• micro and macro elements;
• pectin;
• essential oils;
• cellulose;
• tannins;
• organic acids;
• water.

Calorie content is small, only 50 g per 100 kcal. Berries, juice, compotes, decoctions and infusions are recommended for low immunity, frequent colds, during the flu epidemic. This tool will perfectly support the health of babies and pregnant women, it is preferable to use folk remedies to avoid a number of side effects from pharmacy medicines.

The properties of raspberries as a natural antibiotic, its anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effect, which is manifested due to the large amount of vitamin C and salicylic acid in all parts of the plant, are well known.

Also raspberries are capable of:

• increase appetite;
• relieve swelling;
• cleanse the intestines and prevent stagnant processes;
• remove toxins and salts of heavy metals;
• prevent vitamin deficiency;
• increase the tone of the body;
• relieve stress;
• stabilize the emotional background;
• reduce the severity of menopausal syndrome;
• lower the temperature;
• to ease the state of fever.

Benefits for children

Kids who learn about the existence of such goodies are hard to stop from regularly visiting raspberries. They, under any pretext, try to be nearby to intercept a handful of berries. The first acquaintance begins with a few drops of juice, diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 1. For children under 1 year of age, it is not recommended to give the product due to the high acid content.

Raspberries have an average level of allergenicity, the reaction to it is much milder than to strawberries, nevertheless, you do not need to give a lot of berries at once, it is better to go along the path of a gradual increase in quantity. For a child 1 - 1.5 years old, 50-70 grams is enough. berries per day. As you grow older, the serving increases.

Raspberry helps to establish digestion, supplies the child’s body with necessary vitamins and minerals, improves immunity, protects against colds, fungal and viral infections. The diaphoretic and analgesic effect of fresh berries and decoctions based on them is very valuable for children's colds. A raspberry-based product can reduce the temperature, relieve the sensation of suffocation and a headache with a cold, have a soothing and easy sleeping pill.

Magnesium and potassium support the cardiovascular system during the period of growth of the child, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, reduce emotional bursts. The antitoxic effect persists even in jam, and fresh berries quickly remove toxins, stimulate intestinal motility. The main thing is not to overdo it with the amount, otherwise you can get a full-fledged long-term diarrhea and allergies.

You should know: raspberries are included in the children's diet for overweight and metabolic disorders to accelerate the metabolism and breakdown of fats.

Raspberry delicacy is contraindicated in case of individual intolerance, in the period of exacerbation of gastritis, ulcers, inflammatory processes in the intestines. Renal failure and too thick blood also cause rejection of the product.

Criterias of choice

It is best to give the child freshly picked berries from the bush. If this is not possible and the delicacy is purchased on the market, then you need to pay attention to the integrity of the berries, the lack of juice on the bottom of the container. The aroma should be fresh, slightly sweet. In the event of a sour smell, the berries will have to be put into wine or liquor; children can no longer eat them.

Storage

Five-minute jam also does not lose its medicinal properties. For its preparation, equal parts of berries and granulated sugar are taken, mixed and left warm for several hours. Once the juice has stood out, the mixture is brought to a boil over low heat with constant stirring. From the moment of boiling, they detect it for 5 minutes, then turn it off and roll it into sterilized jars.

Jelly, stewed fruit, jelly, desserts based on tasty and healthy raspberries also remain favorite children's treats. From the first year of life, the child, having learned the taste of raspberries, is looking forward to next summer to try the delicious berries again.

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