JAKARTA - Professor of Food and Nutrition from the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) Prof. Dr. Ir Ali Khomsan did not advise children, especially under the age of five (toddlers) to be introduced to coffee. This is because the digestion of toddlers is growing and is not well familiar with the food that should be eaten.
"Children drink milk, obviously the best and the most nutritious. Drink coffee later," said Ali at the event "National Nutrition Day: The Importance of Balanced Nutritions in Daily Life" in Jakarta, Antara, Wednesday, January 25.
This condition is contrary to the belief in the community that provides coffee to children to avoid getting hot. Sometimes, children are also given one to two drops of coffee which are actually just to show customs or culture. But again, Ali did not recommend this action.
Coffee contains antioxidants and is a diuretic nature which is said to be able to get rid of rocks in the body, but must be accompanied by water intake.
When someone gets older, they are invited to drink coffee. However, there is a risk of increasing blood pressure for a moment in someone who consumes coffee.
"So, if children become addicted to drinking coffee, it is possible that their blood pressure will increase gradually until adulthood, suddenly they will become hypertension sufferers," he said, suggesting hypertension patients should stay away from coffee.
Prof. Ali added, like three money with coffee, herbs should also not be introduced to toddlers, considering that there is no research that has tested certain herbs in children. This condition, he said, is often a reference for someone to say that children should not be introduced to herbs.
But then the question is whether the little kids need to drink coffee or not. Here, the short answer may not be.
Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as broadcast by Healthline said children and babies should try not to drink drinks that contain caffeine. The academy in 2018 concluded caffeine has no place in children's food.
Caffeine may make a person feel more alert, fresh so ready to handle a long list of tasks. However, the baby's body cannot handle it easily, and a smaller amount can affect its function. The baby may react to caffeine by acting restlessly, anxiously to even experiencing symptoms such as collics.
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