Kefir – one of the most popular fermented milk products in the country. It has a number of useful qualities, but many parents think of its advantage for children as this drink contains small percent of alcohol. Kefir is contraindicated to babies, but for the others quality, fresh drink with the small content of alcohol will bring only benefit.
Advantage of kefir
Homeland of kefir – North Ossetia, exactly there began to produce dairy drink on unique ferment. Its advantage is demonstrated by health and long life of mountaineers, and scientists confirm this fact – the product contains a large number of bacteria prebiotics which analogs live in intestines of the person. They promote digestion, help to acquire food with high content of cellulose therefore kefir is well combined with cereals. At a lack of these lactocultures disorders of digestion which are cured by this drink develop.
Kefir helps not only at diseases of a stomach, but also liver, intestines, pancreas. It accelerates digestion process, possesses diuretics and provides to an organism a large amount of protein. There is an opinion that this drink increases immunity, strengthens nervous system and treats sleep disorders. Moreover, there are researches proving that kefir reduces risk of development of cancer.
All listed useful qualities of kefir are right both for adults, and for children. Kefir – an excellent source of calcium, this mineral element is very important during growth of an organism. Also this drink has the weakening action, it calms too active and overexcited children. It is especially useful to drink this fermented milk product for the child suffering from gastrointestinal frustration.
But it is important to know that at excessive acidity kefir, on the contrary, is contraindicated.
When it is possible to give kefir to children?
Despite all listed advantages, kefir possesses also some shortcomings which don't allow to call it unambiguously useful product for children of all age. Kefir contains small percent of alcohol – about 0.5%. This quantity increases if the product costs several hours in heat – in it fermentation continues, and the amount of alcohol can increase up to 1.5%, and in the child's organism the process will continue, concentration can reach 3%.
Therefore children can give only fresh kefir at which storage the temperature condition was observed.
This product contains a lot of rough protein of casein which is well acquired by an adult organism, but doesn't suit newborn children. It is difficult to baby to digest kefir – not only protein, but also the large number of mineral salts, carbohydrates not similar to carbohydrates of maternal milk, the wrong ratio of fatty acids represent a problem for the kid. Therefore doctors recommend to give kefir from eight-months age.