Should your child eat cabbage or not?

Cabbage is inherently a familiar dish in every meal of many Vietnamese families. In addition to its natural crunchy and sweet taste, this vegetable also brings a wealth of practical health values, especially with the growth and development of children. If your baby has started to enter the weaning phase and the mother is thinking of feeding them cabbage, aFamilyToday Health invites you to immediately learn the benefits, the right time and how to get acquainted with this dish. !

Nutrition for children in early life is very important. However, the choice of food and the appropriate feeding for the child is not well understood by all mothers. In fact, cabbage is very delicious and nutritious, but if not careful, children eat not only profit but also easily face immeasurable dangers to health.

To avoid this situation, parents should carefully learn the information related to the consumption of this food through the following article.

Revealing the nutritional values ​​received when eating cabbage

Cabbage is a rich source of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the body, such as vitamins A, C, E, calcium, phosphorus, iron and typical active compounds, carotene. These components play an important role in enhancing the body's immune system.

Interestingly, the vitamin C content of this cruciferous vegetable is much higher than that of oranges. Not only that, it also owns a lot of fiber to aid in the digestion of children very well.

Two of the most commonly consumed cabbage types today are green and purple cabbage. However, purple cabbage is said to be a little more in terms of nutritional value than the other brother. According to statistics, a bowl of purple cabbage supplemented with 10 times more vitamin A and twice as much iron as green cabbage.

Young children eat cabbage and the amazing health benefits

With the above nutritional ingredients, cabbage deserves to be present in the diet of all ages. Here are the health values ​​that this vegetable brings to young children:

1. Good for the digestive system

As mentioned above, cabbage is an excellent source of fiber. This component when entering the intestine will absorb water, expand to increase volume and soften stools. Not only that, it also stimulates peristalsis, increases contractility to expel feces. It is these things that make it easier for children to go outside, thereby eliminating the toxins stored in the body.

Cabbage also contains a compound called glucosinolate, which is hydrolyzed by certain types of gut microorganisms for the use of prebiotics. This is a very necessary factor to ensure the balance of the microflora in the intestine.

2. Good for the heart

According to many studies, people who regularly eat steamed vegetables of the Brassica family such as cabbage will prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease . Explaining this benefit, scientists said that glucosinolate compounds have the ability to reduce inflammation and fight oxidative stress in the body. These effects are essential for promoting cardiovascular health.

In addition, the high potassium content in cabbage helps to reduce the symptoms of hypertension, while also limiting the blockage of blood vessels to the heart.

3. Children eat cabbage to enhance immunity

This effect of cabbage is due to the presence of high levels of compound anthocyanins. This ingredient is known to have anti-inflammatory effects and increase cytokine formation in the body. Accordingly, the cytokines play a role in modulating the immune response. In particular, anthocyanins are found abundantly in dark red or purple fruits or vegetables.

Revealing the right time for mothers to introduce cabbage to your baby

From the age of 8 months , the mother can feed her baby cabbage. In principle, like any other solid food, cabbage should be thoroughly cooked and pureed so that it is easy for children to swallow and digest well.

In case if you are worried that your baby is prone to gas when eating cabbage, it is best to just use the leaf and remove the midrib before processing. The advice is that you should steam the cabbage and combine it with other vegetables to avoid the leaf damage and keep the natural crispness and sweetness.

How child should not eat cabbage?

This is probably the question of many parents, especially first-time parents. Although undeniably the wonderful effects of cabbage, this vegetable will not be suitable if your child falls into one of the following situations:

1. Children with poor digestive system

Cabbage is considered as a natural " laxative " because of its rich fiber content. Therefore, children who are diagnosed with poor digestive system and suffering from diarrhea need to limit their consumption of this vegetable.

For older children, if they eat too much cabbage (especially raw dishes like salads, pickles), it can easily lead to gas, indigestion due to gas in the abdomen.

2. Children with hypothyroidism

Two of the cabbage effects mentioned in the article come from glucosinolate. But in some cases, this substance is hydrolyzed to isothiocyanate and thiocyanate can cause thyroid disease . Therefore, it is better for parents to remove cabbage from their baby's diet to prevent hypothyroidism from worsening.

3. Children about to undergo surgery should not eat cabbage

Doctors recommend that parents should abstain from feeding children cabbage for at least two weeks before the surgery. This is because this vegetable has an effect on blood sugar and interferes with blood sugar control during and after surgery.

Overall, cabbage is the perfect choice for a child's menu as the baby enters the weaning phase. It is important that parents should feed their baby cooked cabbage, absolutely avoiding raw use even with older children. If your baby is in the situation that should not consume this vegetable, you can consult your doctor about the right nutrition for your child's condition.