Aronia and Child Growth
In addition to a variety of vitamins and iron, aronia berries are packed with fiber and aid in your child’s digestion. Daily consumption of aronia in smaller doses, for children over one year old, has been proven effective in preventing infections.
Based on studies, pediatric gastroenterology specialists explain how aronia can help children, the benefits of aronia, and how aronia can be consumed.
Benefits of consuming aronia during childhood
For the proper development of a child, it’s good to know that berries are full of fiber and ensure very good digestion. Along with fiber, they are rich in vitamins and minerals. 100g of aronia contains 93% of the daily iron requirement for a healthy body. Due to its high iron and vitamin content, aronia helps combat infections, especially in the urinary tract, as well as headaches and migraines. With its composition, aronia has been included in the class of immune modulators, which is why it can be used in preventing infections, including in children, specialists say.
Fresh or dried aronia can be cooked or used in cakes and savory dishes. Most studies are related to adulthood, and research exists on effective dosages. It is recommended to use 200-300g of fresh berries or 0.5 to 0.7 dl of fresh juice per day. Since aronia is not yet sufficiently researched for children, there are no exact guidelines indicating the dosage they should consume.
Specialists state that daily use of aronia juice in smaller doses during winter months, for children over one year old, has proven effective in preventing infections. Positive results have been achieved in children with irregular digestion. Diluted aronia juice or jam, as well as aronia cakes, can be offered to children, making it easier for them to consume.
Numerous studies have shown a beneficial effect of aronia, which contains over 300 active compounds. The most important antioxidant effect is the prevention of free radical development that can cause a series of serious illnesses and malignant diseases.
When aronia is used regularly, blood fat and blood pressure are normalized, and the risk of cardiovascular diseases is reduced. Additionally, aronia regulates pancreas function and blood sugar levels, aiding in the treatment of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Due to high amounts of beta-carotene and zeaxanthin, consuming aronia and its derivatives also protects the skin very well.
How can aronia be introduced into the diet?
For a healthy breakfast or dessert, it will be enough to mix aronia juice and a banana. Optionally, you can add ginger, cinnamon, chia seeds, or anything else of your choice. In a very similar way, you can also make fruit yogurt that will especially delight children, who are great lovers of sweets. As ingredients, you will need aronia juice, yogurt, fruit, sugar, or honey. Aronia juice can be added to pancake mix or simply added as a topping to your child’s favorite ice cream.
For parents who want to limit sugar consumption in children, the best solution is to use honey or agave syrup in combination. Raw aronia may not be very appreciated by children due to its bitter taste, but when included in various recipes and cakes, children can easily overlook its presence.
As a fleshy fruit, it can be included in cakes with a lot of dough and even in tarts or loaf cakes, having an absolutely delicious appearance after baking.
Being a colorful fruit, aronia is very easy to introduce into a child’s diet, as children are very delighted by food with a special chromaticity, which means administration will be very easy.