Is drinking too much kadha a health risk for kids?
The most Googled health topic in 2020 was ‘how to boost immunity’, a clear indication of people wanting to adopt any means that would protect against Covid19. But too much of anything is bad, and the same applies to kadhas as well.
Common side-effects of kadhas for children
Are your children suffering from any of these symptoms since they started drinking kadhas?
- boils in the mouth, dry mouth
- nose bleed and headache
- acidity, heartburn, feeling heated up
- nausea
- constipation or diarrhea
- yellow eyes
If you notice these, take them to the doctor without delay and specify the ingredients you have been using to make kadhas.
What causes these side-effects?
There are many changes that happen in the body by drinking herbal infusions. These include:
- Common ingredients used to make kadha include black pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, giloy, cloves, cardamom and tulsi. All these items heat up the body
- Give the kids Kadha in cold or damp weather. Drinking it in summer can cause problems
- Having kadha specifically made to fight cold and fever for no reason can create liver problems
- Spices like clove, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon can damage the lining in the stomach, which in turn can cause gastritis, stomach ulcers and even intestinal disease
- Children normally have good metabolism. Drinking lemon water daily on empty stomach may not be good for them. It may instead lead to gastic problems, nausea, and headache
How much kadha is safe?
Firstly, it’s best to consult a doctor before giving kadha to children. These precautions can also help:
- Don’t give them more than 50 ml at a time. In case of cough or cold, it may be taken twice daily
- Children should not have kadha immediately on waking up. Having it between 4 to 5 pm is best
- The quantity of warm ingredients like black pepper, ginger and garam masala should be limited for children
- Unlike adults, children do not suffer much from side effects like higher blood sugar or blood pressure. On the other hand, gastric and liver problems are prevalent among them. To neutralise acidity and heartburn, add honey to their kadha
- Children can also have kadha after a light breakfast