Viral advice not to give tea to children, this is why doctors prescribe it

Jakarta –

There is a warning in the recipe not to give tea to children as a viral drink on social media. The consultant says that giving tea to children can disrupt the process of iron absorption, thus increasing the risk of anemia.

The post also states that iron has many benefits for children, especially in brain development, boosting immunity, muscle energy source for motor skills, and preventing stunting in children.

Pediatrician Dr. Jati Kusuma Wardhani, SpA, who first shared this content, said that he often finds child patients who have iron deficiency anemia. The practice of giving tea to children is said to be one of the inducements.

“There are many issues regarding giving tea to children, especially with grandmothers or even young mothers who still do not know some of this information,” said Dr. Jati when contacted by detikcom, Wednesday (9/10/ 2024).

Despite this, Dr. Jati said that parents often do not understand this problem. The problem of iron deficiency anemia usually has no typical symptoms and is only detected after a blood test is done in the laboratory.

“Many of these events are not detected because the symptoms in children are very unusual, they are found randomly through laboratory tests in hospitals,” he continued.

Tannin content in So Biang Kerok Tea

Clinical nutritionist Dr. Raissa E Djuanda, MGizi, SpGK, AIFO-K, FINEM explained that tea contains tannin compounds that can bind iron. This makes absorption of iron from freshly eaten food not so good.

This is what causes children to eventually experience iron deficiency and be at risk of anemia.

“There is a substance called tannin in tea. This tannin can bind iron in the food we eat, so that the iron absorption in our body becomes smaller,” said Dr. Raissa, whom detikcom contacted separately, on Wednesday (9/10/2024).

“Children are still growing and developing. So if they lack iron, they have the potential to be anemic and disrupt their growth and development,” he continued.

Despite this, Dr. Raissa emphasized that parents do not need to ban their children from tea completely. As long as tea is not served at the same time as foods high in iron ​​​​​​​​​​​​and is served at times after eating, it is okay to drink tea.

“You can wait at least 1-2 hours to drink tea after eating. If you want to give it to your child, you should choose a tea that is not too strong or choose a tea that contains less tannin, for example green tea, “he explained. Dr. Raissa.

In addition to providing rest after eating, Dr. Reissa also urges parents to give children fruits rich in vitamin C such as oranges, kiwi and strawberries. Vitamin C is one ingredient that helps absorb iron better.

(avk/up)