Nutrition is of greater importance in children than in adults. While adults are fed only for the continuation of life, children are fed for both the continuation of life and growth. In short, nutrition serves as a building block in children. In this sense, the health of the child is parallel to proper nutrition. While malnourished children experience signs of nutritional deficiencies, inadequate growth and frequent illnesses, many diseases can also occur in children fed with excess calories and additives. Adequate or inadequate nutrition are very broad and difficult to define concepts, so families often experience the confusion of not knowing what to do.
Does nutrition affect our immune system? The effects of nutrition on the immune system begin in infancy. The best nutrition option for babies for the first 4-6 months is breast milk. The baby should not start complementary foods either early or late. Food reactions may occur if started before 4 months or later than 6 months.
In today's world, in parallel with the need for quick nutrition and the development of the food industry, nutrition with additives has become very common. Nutrition with additives affects all systems as well as the immune system. These effects may be in the form of an increase in allergic reactions or in the form of suppression of immune functions. The immune system may be suppressed in a child who is malnourished, that is, especially a child who consumes less protein, vitamins, minerals, and pre/pro biotics. However, giving extra food and alternative foods to a child who is already well fed will not give the immune system extra strength. If a child has congenital immune system deficiency disease, it cannot be corrected with nutrition. In this case, the missing part of the immune system must be replaced with medications.
Food allergies are very common today. Food allergy is an immune system disorder that affects millions of people, causes a deterioration in the quality of life of the person and his family, and can lead to serious consequences. The reasons for the increase in food allergies date back to the pregnancy period. Starting from the period in the womb, factors such as stress, use of antibiotics and some other drugs, and genetic predisposition can affect the process of food allergy formation. food allergy In children, it can cause restlessness, loss of appetite, digestive and respiratory system problems, growth retardation and skin diseases. For this reason, allergy diagnosis should be made correctly and any harm to our child should be prevented. However, diagnosing food allergy when it is not present causes unnecessary dieting and exposes the child to nutritional risks.
As a result, the child's nutrition is in close interaction with the immune system. It is extremely important to support the child's development and immune system by feeding him/her correctly, not too little or too much.
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