Can children drink herbal tea: the expert answers

Young children, especially those under one year of age, should not be given any tea, including herbal teas. The myth about the benefits of such a drink for babies has long been dispelled, while it is known that the negative impact can be quite strong.

Thus, in an exclusive commentary for OBOZREVATEL, Victoria Stelmakh, founder of the largest Ukrainian-language Facebook group on complementary foods and an expert on baby food, noted that children are not recommended to drink any type of tea.

According to the expert, herbal teas contain various types of plants. The vast majority of them contain phenolic compounds that impede the absorption of iron in the body by up to 62%. In the future, this can lead to the development of anemia.

There is no definitive evidence that herbal teas are beneficial or safe for children, and most studies suggest the opposite. Since most herbal teas contain medicinal herbs, they can do much more harm than good. And, like any other medicine, they should be taken as recommended by a doctor and the dosage should be strictly controlled.

Moreover, tea contains caffeine, which, according to the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), is not recommended for children under 12 years of age.

However, based on the results of some current research, herbal teas can cause neurological problems regularly, as well as symptoms of toxicity: agitation, irritability, vomiting, sudden movements, and seizures.

The text was checked by MedOboz project manager Viktor Lytvynenko.