Yogurt is a fermented food made from milk which has a myriad of health benefits. Sweet acid is very effective for digestion. No wonder yogurt is one of the favorite snacks of most adults. Well, what about babies? Are there benefits of yogurt for babies?
Can the baby be given yogurt?
Who says babies shouldn't be given yogurt? Many of you might think your baby should not be given yogurt because his intestines are not ready to receive acidic food, so worry that the baby will get diarrhea or stomach ache after eating yogurt. However, actually for adults and for babies, yogurt can both be beneficial for health.
Benefits of yogurt for babies
Yes, yogurt can be given to your baby. Precisely yogurt contains many important nutrients that are needed by babies in their growth period. Some of the ingredients in yogurt are beneficial for babies, such as calcium, protein, vitamins, fat, and of course probiotics or good bacteria.
Well, here are some of the benefits of yogurt for babies:
1. Helps strengthen the immune system
The content of lactic acid and probiotics in yogurt can help build a good immune system in infants. Drinking yogurt regularly can actually prevent babies from diseases caused by bacteria, such as diarrhea and dysentery.
In addition, it also helps speed up the treatment of diarrhea in infants. A study shows that babies given yogurt when treating diarrhea can recover faster than babies who only receive treatment without yogurt.
2. Helps prevent digestive problems
The benefits of yogurt for other babies is to help prevent digestive problems. Lactic acid contained in yogurt can help balance acid-base in the body, thus helping prevent digestive problems.
Lactic acid bacteria contained in yogurt, such as Bifidobacterium lactis can reduce the risk of irritable bowel syndrome and constipation, while Lactobacillus acidophilus can help reduce symptoms of lactose intolerance.
Yogurt also contains Streptococcus thermophilus which can overcome stomach cramps and flatulence.
3. Helps improve bone health
Yogurt contains substances needed in bone development, such as protein, calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, and magnesium.
In addition, yogurt also contains lactoferrin, an iron-protein bond that can help build bone cells and inhibit the activity of osteoclasts, cells that can destroy bone.
4. Helps meet nutritional needs
Yogurt contains many vitamins and minerals that can help the development and growth of the baby. Some types of vitamins contained in yogurt, such as vitamins A, C, B2, B3, B6, D, E, K, and folate. In addition, it also contains minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, sodium, and other minerals.
When can a baby eat yogurt?
Babies may be given yogurt when they have started to be able to eat solid food, around the age of 6 months or 8 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends giving babies yogurt and cheese earlier since babies can receive solid food, while giving cow's milk should be delayed until the baby is one year old. This is because babies do not easily digest cow's milk such as breast milk or formula milk.
Choose plain yogurt, no extra sweeteners, pasteurized, and those made from pure milk (not low-fat milk). Addition of sweeteners in yogurt can support the occurrence of obesity and cavities.
Check the sugar content in the nutritional value information in yogurt products to find out whether the yogurt contains additional sweeteners / sugar or not. If the yogurt product contains added sugar, the name corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, honey, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, lactose, maltose, malt syrup, molasses, and sucrose, should do not choose for your baby.
If your baby has milk allergy or shows allergy symptoms (such as itching and red spots) after being given milk, you should not give him yogurt until you see a doctor.