Some of the health benefits of Kola Nuts for your baby includes improvement in metabolism, boosting digestion, protection against infections, improves energy, enables bronchodilation and acts as an appetite suppressant.
Can I give Kola Nuts to my infant?
The Kola nut is actually a caffeine-containing nut of evergreen trees of the genus Cola, mostly of the species Cola acuminata and Cola nitida. The nut’s aroma is sweet and rose-like. The very first taste is bitter, however it sweetens upon chewing. The nut can be boiled to extract the cola.
Kola nuts help reduce sensations of hunger and tiredness and are chewed throughout Brazil and the West Indies as a mouth freshener and also to help with digestion and to combat other ailments.
Kola nuts are best avoided by very young children and infants as they contain caffeine and can lead to over stimulation. In very young children it can lead to severe symptoms such as nasal trouble, diarrhea, skin reactions, breathing trouble, and even anaphylaxis.
It is therefore best not to give Kola Nuts to very young babies and infants. Once your baby is older and can successfully chew his or her own food you can introduce Kola nuts in their diet.
You can introduce this nut via extract, powder, or as whole. Kola Nut extract, extract products, and powders can be used in various ways to help benefit your child.
Health Benefits of Kola Nuts for your Kid
Kola nuts and its products have many health benefits for your kids. Since the ancient times this nut and its extract has been used for its caffeine content and many other health benefits. Lets have a look at some of the health benefits of Kola Nuts for kids.
1.Helps in Digestion:
Kola Nut, kola nut extracts, kola nut powder, all other kola nut products help accelerate the production of gastric acid in your child’s body and greatly helps stimulate faster digestion. Research has shown that kola nut can even be successfully used as a cure in children suffering from nervous diarrhea.
For hundreds of years, kola nuts have already been chewed or consumed simply by indigenous cultures in Africa both in ceremonies as well as in the management of digestive upset.
2. Improves Blood Circulation:
By stimulating heart rate as well as increasing circulation in your kid’s body, kola nuts have the ability to enhance oxygenation to particular important areas of his or her body, including the skin, extremities, organs, and also the brain.
For this reason kola nuts are occasionally known as intellectual boosters in children, as a higher level of oxygen within the brain have already been associated with higher levels of cognition and concentration.
Improved circulation can also encourage faster healing of wounds in your kid as well as cellular repair throughout the increased flow of oxygen and nutrients.
3. Protects Against Infections:
Members of the mycobacterium species that are responsible for illnesses such as meningitis and tuberculosis show significant reduction in growth and development when introduced to kola nut extracts.
Kola nut extract can be given to your child to help boost the health of his or her immune system as well as fight off infections and bacteria.
4. Metabolism Booster:
In a 2006 publication of the “African Journal of Biotechnology,” scientists noted that liquid extracts from the kola nut boosted heart rate and metabolic rate. In low concentrations, caffeine like that present in the kola nut boosts heart rate and metabolism but at greater concentrations can be fatal.
That is why you need to maintain moderation in the intake of these nuts by your children. Research has shown that kids consuming more than one kola nut per day may be at a greater risk of developing heart disorders. That is why it is very important for you to keep check on the consumption of these nuts by your kid.
5. Improves Nervous System Stimulation:
One tablespoon of kola nut powder in your kids morning coffee or energy drink can be great for his or her nervous as well as muscular energies. However, the research conducted by the University of Maryland Medical Center warns against the harmful effects of kola nut including chances of seizures and psychosis.
Therefore, it is always advisable to consult your physician or your child’s pediatrician before you start using kola nuts as a nervous system stimulator for your kid.
6.Provides Energy and Enables Bronchodilation in Children:
According to recent research reports, kola nut is a superb source of caffeine, theophylline as well as theobromine. Theophylliine is known to relax muscles and in addition dilates bronchioles in children who are suffering from bronchitis and asthma.
Also kola nuts can help provide energy to your kids and help them overcome signs of tiredness and long-term fatigue.
What are the possible side effects of Kola Nuts for my child?
Even though, kola nut seems to have beneficial relevance, it is good to take some precaution in its consumption. Kola nut might cause insomnia, anxiety, nervousness, gastrointestinal problems, and tremors. If there is any indication of an overdose in your child, diarrhea, nausea, and/or cramps may follow.
Heavy usage of kola nut or even consuming large volumes of beverages infused with kola extracts has been related to inhibition of bone development in adolescents. Several professionals suggest that teenagers need to limit consumption of drinks that contains kola extracts and kola products so as to decrease their chance of osteoporosis in later life.
Kids with stomach ulcers should avoid the nuts altogether as consumption of kola nuts induces increased production of gastric juice and worsens the state of health. Moreover, prolonged usage of these can cause reduction in testosterone level, sperm motility, viability, and count thus promoting infertility in your boy later on in his life. Likewise in in your baby girl it can lead to reduction in weight of ovary and womb at a later stage in her life.
