Stop feeding children under 5 years old balut eggs immediately.

Many families feed very young children balut eggs, but nutritionists recommend not giving this dish to children under 5 years old.

1. Nutritious dish...

Although balut is a popular dish, it is very nutritious. Balut contains 182 kcal of energy; 13.6 grams of protein; 12.4 grams of lipid; 82 mg of calcium; 212 grams of phosphorus and 600 mg of cholesterol. It also contains a lot of beta carotene, vitamins A, B, C, iron, etc.

Balut eggs contain quite high levels of vitamin A (retinol) and provitamin A (beta carotene).

Compared to regular duck eggs, balut eggs have many times more nutritional value because the development process from egg to embryo causes some substances to transform into many necessary substances to help the growth process of the embryo, creating nutritional value for balut eggs.

Oriental medicine considers fertilized eggs a "food - tonic" that has the effect of nourishing yin, blood, improving intelligence, brightening eyes, and helping the body to mature quickly.

2. But children under 5 years old should not eat

Because balut is very nutritious, cheap and easy to buy, many families like to buy this food to nourish the elderly and children, especially malnourished and weak children.

Although balut is a nutritious dish, nutritionists advise against overusing this dish because if you eat too much, your body will not be able to absorb all the nutrients in the egg, which will overload the digestive system and even cause diarrhea.

Moreover, not everyone can eat this dish. For example, many families feed very young children balut eggs, but nutritionists recommend not feeding children under 5 years old balut eggs.

According to Dr. Doan Thi Tuong Vy - Former Head of Nutrition Department, Hospital 198, children under 5 years old should not eat balut eggs.

"On average, 100g of fertilized eggs contains about 1,000mcg, while children's needs are only about 300 - 500mcg. Eating a lot of fertilized eggs regularly causes excess vitamin A.

Because vitamin A is soluble in fat, when there is excess, it accumulates under the skin and liver, causing yellow skin, peeling of the epidermis, affecting bone formation" - Dr. Tuong Vy said.

If children under 5 years old eat a lot of balut eggs, there will be very serious consequences such as:

- Excess vitamin A: Balut eggs contain very high levels of vitamin A and provitamin A. Children under 5 years old only need to eat 100g of balut eggs to consume 2-3 times the body's daily vitamin A requirement.

Excess vitamin A will cause many harmful effects such as jaundice, peeling of the skin epidermis, and affect the formation of the skeletal system in children.

- Causes digestive disorders: Children under 5 years old have an incomplete digestive system, so if they eat foods with too much fat like balut eggs, it will cause indigestion, bloating, diarrhea...

- Increases blood cholesterol: Cholesterol in duck eggs is necessary for the formation of nerve cells in children. However, if consumed in excess, it will increase the risk of high blood fat levels, causing cardiovascular diseases.

According to Health and Life