Tahini offers a range of health benefits for your child. Starting from boosting your child’s immunity to triggering a proper brain development, tahini can help your child in many ways. Rich in anti-oxidants this particular food will help your child to fight-off all the disease creating free radicals.
It also provides a number of other health benefits including improved digestion, healthy skin and the ability to fight common cold and flu. Tahini is also known for their antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-cancer properties. It will help your child to cure stomach related problems and will have a cooling affect on his/her digestive process. It is also good for strong and health hair growth. They cure constipation and sooths the nervous system of your child. Overall, tahini can be considered as a super-food for your little one.
What is Tahini?
Tahini is a thick buttery paste that is made from sesame seeds. The finely grounded sesame seeds are made into paste and sold in the market in the name of tahini. Unlike peanut butter or regular butter, tahinis are free of any sort of cholesterol and hence are good for your child’s health.
Tahinis can be given with toast and salad and also can be added to the Sunday Roasts. It usually tastes great and your child will definitely love it. If you are not being able to give your child peanut butters due to his/her nut allergy then tahini serves as a perfect alternative. You can add this buttery delight to any diet you feel like.
Tahini in Your Kids’ Diet: 11 Health Benefits
There are many health benefits offered by tahini. Your baby can be befitted from tahini, in a number of ways.
Boosts Digestion
Sesame seeds contain many digestive enzymes. This helps to improve your child’s digestive capacity. Weekly consumption of tahini can seriously improve the digestive potential of your child. (Pathak, 2017)
It is easy on the stomach and helps your child’s digestion to ease. It also cleanses the intestine and promotes proper bowel movement for your child. Unlike regular butter, tahinis are easily digestible and help your child keep a clean gut.
Improves Metabolism
Better digestion often improves the overall metabolism. During the early growth stage your child requires natural metabolic stimulators. Tahini solves the purpose. Firstly, tahinis are very tasty by nature. Also at the same time, sesame seeds have the natural ability to boost up the appetite of your children. Since consumption of sesame seeds is a problem, tahini offers the perfect solution.
Protects the Liver
Tahini has the capacity to boost and improve the liver function of your child. Consumption of fast foods and fatty foods often causes harm to the liver health. For that reason it is important to offer him/her some natural substitute which will protect the liver functions.
Tahini is that ultimate substitute because it is safe and also has a positive effect on the overall digestive system of your child.
Rich in Vitamin B
Basil is a fantastic source of Vitamin A. It helps your child’s skin to remain healthy. Vitamin B is also good for your child’s little eyes. It will improve his/her vision and fight against any kind of infection in the body.
There are very few vegetarian sources of the B vitamins and tahini is surely one of them. Make sure that your child has enough amount of the paste to ensure adequate vitamin B intake.
Strengthening Hair
Tahini is a fantastic source of iron. That is why she boosts the red blood cell formation in your child’s body. It also strengthens and nourishes hair. If you are worried about the lack of hair in your child’s wee head then feed him/her with tahini. The nourishment derived from this kind of seed will definitely boost the hair growth for your child.
Soothes Nerves
Tahini is also rich in potassium. Potassium is a mineral which ensures proper functioning of heart and the nerves system. In the growth stage it is important for your child to keep his/her healthy and free of any sort of fat.
Anti-oxidant
Tahini contains a high level of anti-oxidants known as phenols. This protects your child’s cell membrane from any sort of damage caused by the free radicals. This means your child will be less prone to falling ill if tahini is given on a regular basis. It will protect your child’s heart and help it remain strong. (Pathak, 2014)
Cures Constipation
Plenty of sugary treat often causes constipation and gas in your little one. The high amount of digestive enzyme present in tahini helps your child to digest food properly. This helps your child to regularize the bowel movement.
Improves Respiratory System
A mixture of tahini with ginger and honey can solve respiratory disorder for your child. You can also simply add tahini to a glass of boiling water and offer it to your child. It will protect his/her lung along with the respiratory tract. (Pathak, 2017)
Fights off Flu
The anti-inflammatory quality of tahini helps in fighting off common cold and flu. Regular consumption of tahini will help your child to fight off flu and common cold and fever. It will also help him/her keep dangerous ailments like bronchitis and influenza. Due to the marvelous antispasmodic properties tahini can also treat diseases like whooping cough. (Pathak, 2014)
Calms Down
Tahini has an overall soothing effect on your child’s nervous system. It uplifts the mood. It also helps them to recover fatigue or exhaustion. In case your child gets tired easily then feed him/her with tahini. Otherwise, also tahini has great impact on the overall nervous system of your child.
Precautions & Measures
Till date, there are no known side effects of tahini. However, when you are planning to feed your child with such seeds, make sure he/she does not choke in it. For that reason you should make sure that the paste is smooth without any seeds remaining. Also you should start adding them to solids like salad or fruits. Then you can add them to any juice or smoothie. Let your child understand the texture and composition of the seed before swallowing them. Otherwise, they might choke themselves leading to a blockage in the food tract.
Tahini are available in Asian or organic food stores. There are also canned desserts available with tahini. However, it is best not to offer your child with canned desserts. You can also sprinkle sesame seeds on yogurt and custard and offer it to your child. However, offering tahini is better than offering raw sesame seeds.
Reference:
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-319-54528-8_59-1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4127822/
