Champignons: benefits and harm, Komarovsky’s opinion, at what age can children eat champignons?

Champignon

The name comes from the French word champignon, which means “mushroom”. The cap of the mushroom is massive, with dense flesh. Diameter - from 6 to 15 cm. Some specimens reach up to 25 cm in diameter. The color of the hat varies from white to light brown.

The skin is soft to the touch, not slippery, slightly velvety. The leg reaches 11 cm in height. At the base it has an extension and a characteristic white ring.
The plates that are under the hat are light pink in young specimens, and brown in older specimens. The flesh is white, but when broken it can change color to pink. Peak ripening occurs at the end of October.
Did you know? In China and Korea, champignons are used to treat bronchitis, as well as eating disorders.

Benefits for children's bodies

There are many nutrients in mushrooms - microelements (phosphorus, potassium, iron, sodium, calcium, selenium), valuable amino acids, carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Their caps contain many substances that have a positive effect on metabolism, immunity, as well as mineral salts, vitamins A, B, C, PP, D. There is a small amount of chlorine and sulfur. But the leg has virtually no nutritional value.

Unlike fruits and vegetables, mushrooms do not lose their beneficial properties when heat treated, dried, or frozen.

Taste qualities

The pulp has a pronounced mushroom aroma. Due to their smell, they can be used to prepare various dishes, including soups and snacks.

They perfectly complement meat dishes and are suitable for making pizza. Fresh mushrooms contain only 27 kcal. Protein - 4.3 g, fat - 1 g, carbohydrates - 0.1 g.

Important! Champignons can be confused with the pale toadstool or the light-colored type of fly agaric. Wild mushrooms should not be given to children.

To give or not to give children champignons

The digestive system of babies under one year of age is not yet fully formed. And therefore, the choice of products for a child should be especially careful. After all, they can not eat everything that adults eat. This is especially true for mushrooms, as a product that is quite heavy for the body.

Many parents ask the question: why in the old days people often fed mushrooms even to small children, and this did not harm their body. On the contrary, the children ate this tasty product with pleasure and did not feel any negative reactions. In addition, they were even called “forest meat.” And no wonder: there are so many useful substances in mushrooms that they can leave behind many food products. An excellent vitamin complex, micro- and macroelements, and proteins that are part of mushrooms are, of course, more than beneficial for the body.

And of course there is nothing to say about taste. It is because of their pleasant and unique taste that many people, including children, now, as in past times, love mushrooms so much. But now doctors not only often protest against children receiving mushrooms, but sometimes even categorically prohibit it. Why is this so?

The taste of champignons is excellent, but the composition is not suitable for baby food

Beneficial properties and possible harm

Champignons have a rich mineral composition. They contain:

• saturated and unsaturated fatty acids;
• folic acid;
• ascorbic acid;
• retinol;
• essential oils;
• iodine;
• chromium;
• manganese;
• silicon;
• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• a nicotinic acid;
• calcium;
• chlorine.

• Useful properties of mushrooms:
• strengthen and tone the body;
• replenish reserves of vitamins and microelements;
• remove toxins;
• due to the minimal amount of fat they promote weight loss;
• improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• prevent the occurrence of iron deficiency in the body;
• eliminate headaches;
• strengthen bone tissue.

Eating raw mushrooms without heat treatment can cause severe poisoning and disruption of the stomach and intestines. This is due to the fact that mushrooms absorb all radiation, as well as dust and dirt that is in the environment. It is not recommended to eat mushrooms that were collected near highways, as well as near chemical plants.

Did you know? Champignons are widely used in cosmetology for the preparation of various shampoos and lotions.

Possible harm from eating champignons by a child

So, if champignons are so healthy, then why do experts still recommend limiting their consumption?

The thing is that these wonderful mushrooms bring significant benefits only if the child eats them in small quantities, but if such a product is eaten without moderation, then the risk of various side effects increases significantly.

• The protein contained in champignons is quite difficult to digest, especially if we are talking about a child’s body. Therefore, in case of overeating, side effects such as bloating, pain, flatulence and indigestion are possible.

• There are several varieties of champignons, including forest ones. The main danger of any mushrooms is associated with them - they can easily be confused with a poisonous product. For this very reason, pediatricians strongly do not recommend giving children “wild” mushrooms. It is better to use only artificially grown mushrooms.
• Forest champignons are also dangerous because their quality directly depends on where they grow. So, if the soil has been contaminated, heavy metals are deposited in the champignons, which then enter the child’s body.
• “Home” champignons are grown in soil mixed with manure, which increases the risk of food poisoning. That is why experts advise rinsing each mushroom extremely thoroughly before adding it to the dish.

Contraindications

Contraindications include individual intolerance to the product . It is also not recommended to eat them for children under three years of age. For a child's body, digesting this product may cause difficulties, and they will not be absorbed normally. It is also not recommended for people with liver or kidney problems.

At what age can it be given?

It is difficult to answer this question clearly. First of all, you need to be guided by common sense and the recommendations of experts. The fact is that children’s bodies produce little or no enzymes that break down fungi. This product is definitely not indicated for children of any age with problems with fermentation and gastrointestinal tract.

Expert opinions also vary. Therefore, there are the following / there are such recommendations depending on the age and health status of the baby.

0 – 2 years. The vast majority of doctors recommend not giving children mushrooms in any form as food. However, some parents and doctors still believe that when transferring babies to a common table, already at the age of one and a half years, crushed fungi will not hurt.

From 2 to 5. In this age category, medical representatives are not so categorical. Some people don’t mind the “mushroom menu” already at 2-3 years old. Other experts recommend this diet from the age of five. The main rule is no more than once a week and in very small pieces.

Age – 7 years. It is considered quite safe to get acquainted with forest gifts and their “cultural” counterparts. During this period, children’s digestive organs are already formed. The previous recommendations remain in effect. It is better to give mushroom dishes no more than 2 times a week.

Age – 10-13 years. The right time to try mushroom dishes is if the child is sick or has problems with the gastrointestinal tract. In any case, you need to approach such food with caution to avoid harm.

It is strictly not recommended to give marinated, fried, or salted mushrooms to children.

Dishes for children

By adding mushrooms to your children's diet, you can diversify their menu.

Dishes with champignons that can be given to children from two years old:

• vermicelli with chicken and mushrooms;
• cream of mushroom soup with potatoes;
• omelette with champignons and cheese;
• cream soup;
• broccoli and mushroom casserole;
• borscht with mushrooms.

Dishes containing this product are beneficial for children. But you should carefully introduce them into your diet and give them in small portions. The gradual introduction of a new product will allow it to be absorbed normally, and the body will get used to the new food.

At what age can children eat mushrooms?

It is necessary to introduce mushrooms into a child’s diet as late as possible.
Some parents are so good about mushrooms that they quite calmly give them to their children. But in doing this, they don’t even think about the fact that forest meat can cause very serious harm to the body of a small person. The most unpleasant thing is that when a child has health problems, adults attribute them to the fact that the mushrooms were not prepared correctly or that the child simply ate too much of them.

In fact, the baby’s body reacts to mushrooms in this way only because his digestive system cannot yet cope with such a large amount of heavy protein. That is why most pediatricians advise introducing this product into your child’s diet as late as possible. In view of all this, if you do not want your daughter or son to get poisoned, then at least until they are 2 years old, do not cook dishes with mushrooms for them.

So:

• 2 years . Without harm to his health, the baby can only eat so-called cultivated mushrooms grown in the most sterile conditions, without treatment with chemicals. These could be, for example, champignons or oyster mushrooms.
• 5 years. You can afford to add small amounts of mushrooms to sauces or gravies. It’s true that in this case, you should give preference to healthier mushrooms – porcini mushrooms, aspen mushrooms or boletus mushrooms.
• 7 years . Starting at this age, you can try adding mushrooms to pies, casseroles or meat dishes. But still remember that you are preparing food for a small person, so the amount of forest meat in it should be minimal.
• 10 years. At this age, the child’s digestive system is already fully formed, so mushrooms can be an independent dish. But know that only fresh and organic mushrooms can be present in a child’s diet. Under no circumstances can they be pickled or dried.

Allergy to mushrooms in a child

Signs of an allergic reaction can appear very quickly - within a few minutes after consumption. However, there is also the possibility of a reaction occurring after 24 hours. The following manifestations may be observed:

• skin rashes, itching;
• urticaria, Quincke's edema, anaphylactic shock;
• swelling of the nasal mucosa, larynx, pharynx, runny nose;
• redness of the eyes, itching, swelling of the eyelids, lacrimation;
• sneezing, coughing;
• dizziness, headache;
• increased gas formation, heaviness in the abdomen, nausea, diarrhea.

If at least one of these signs develops, mushrooms should be excluded from the child’s diet.

Why can't children eat mushrooms?

Can children be given mushrooms? Any pediatrician will be categorically against introducing this product into the diet of children, especially wild varieties. And the reason for this ban is explained as follows:

1. Despite all the usefulness of “forest meat” for adults, the chemical composition of the product is very dangerous for the child’s body. The fact is that mushrooms contain a special stable substance - chitin, which is not absorbed even by an adult organism. This substance interferes with the normal absorption of other nutritional components of the product. By the way, it is chitin that makes up the shells of arthropods. The human stomach is unable to cope with this substance, much less the stomach of a child. Often this element causes intoxication of the child’s body.
2. Another good reason for the ban is that mushrooms, in fact, are a sponge that absorbs a colossal amount of harmful substances from the outside - from the atmosphere and soil. And since our ecology is far from ideal, it’s scary to even imagine what might end up in the body of a baby who has tasted such gifts of nature. And these are heavy metals, pesticides and radionuclides. Moreover, heat treatment does not affect these substances in any way.
3. The third and most important reason explaining why children should not eat mushrooms is doubt about their edibility. There are often cases when even the most experienced mushroom pickers made mistakes, which led to tragic consequences. Buying from hand is especially dangerous; in this case, edible and poisonous mushrooms can easily end up in the same basket. Or maybe they were collected along a highway or in an industrial area, where they absorbed all the harmful substances. Therefore, do not risk your health and the health of your children!