Fish

The 7 Benefits of Snakehead Fish for Babies

Snakehead fish has higher albumin protein and is recommended for babies to be given solid food or complementary foods at 6 months to increase the growth of the child’s brain.

Other protein, snakeheads fish contain zinc, calcium, omega-3, and amino acid and have many benefits for babies such as ward off microorganism cause disease and be healthy, DNA synthesis, growth and development of cells. Find more on,

1.     MPASI

The high protein in snakehead fish is very good used as MPASI menu (complementary foods for breast milk). In 100 grams snakehead fish contain 25,2 grams of protein. It is higher than chicken and eggs.

Otherwise, 100-gram snakehead fish is already enough to fulfill the requirement of nutrition for babies, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.

To process the MPASI menu with snakehead fish, make sure to clean the skin and bones of the fish to make it soft and easy to swallow even can add other ingredients such as carrot, broccoli, and other vegetables to get more nutrition in MPASI.

2.     Improve Baby’s Brain Health

At the age of 0 to 6 months, the baby’s brain is growing rapidly. These are the golden times for babies. Brain development needs to be monitored so that if there is a delay, the mother will directly check at the hospital and handled it swiftly.

In addition to monitoring in development of the baby’s brain, mothers have to maintain the nutrition consumed by babies. Giving a snakehead fish as a source of protein can be a choice to increase the health of a baby’s brain.

By the health benefits of chickpeas for babies to improve brain. Moreover, during getting older, the function of the brain the following decrease. A study in the Journal Archives of Neurology explains that the baby often eating this snakehead fish will reduce mental health slowly.

In addition, those who like to eat fish minimally once per week have a more gray matter which is the main tissue that is responsible for regulating emotion and memory.

The food intake of nutrition omega-3 fatty acids and DHA are essential to protect against reduced cognition within age for normal brain functioning.

  • Children’s Brain Smarter

Children’s intelligence is determined by several factors like genetics, and nutrition intake due to knowledge. Fish is a good source intake nutrition for a child’s brain.

According to seafood nutrition, fish can make children, and infants smarter because the human brain contains 60% fat. Therefore, omega-3 fatty acids found in snakehead fish can be the one of important molecules to determine the child’s brain’s ability to think.

  • Children IQ’s Higher

Types of fish both freshwater and seawater contain omega-3 which is good for a child’s brain. Children who like to eat this fish at least once per week are able to get achievement well at school.

Omega-3 from seafood helps the development of the brainchildren get well and leads to higher IQ due to will have abilities in reading and spelling skills well.

In addition, children eat snakehead fish at least once per week routinely to give impact the quality of better sleep than IQ for children whom routine consuming snakehead fish have the highest point than children who are rarely even never to eat.

3.     Asthma Disease

Asthma isn’t only occurred to adult people but also to babies and infants. It started with symptoms of chronic inflammation of the air duct. Even though, research from the Journal Library of Science, mentions that babies and infants consuming snakehead fish routinely can reduce the risk of asthma to 24% lower than babies who can’t consume fish.

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the air duct that causes the narrowing of the bronchial tubes. Asthma can treat by the health benefits of okra vegetables.

According to data from the US Centers for disease control (CDC), the prevalence of asthma increased from 7,3% to 8,4% di the US over 10 years affecting 235 million people worldwide in 2011.

From laboratory studies, the high intake of long-chain n3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn3PUFAs) might prevent asthma. There is study research to voluntary found that people who eat snakehead fish more than once per week have a risk reduced significantly by around 6% to 45% than won’t eat.

4.     Helping the Process of Forming Body Cells and Muscles

The component of Nutrition and protein in snakehead fish is very good for helping the process of forming body cells and muscles. It will be the next benefit of snakehead fish.

If the baby is used to and routinely consuming snakehead fish, wishful the body will get stronger than attach to diseases specifically caused by changes in weather such as flu, and fever.

With the benefits of calcium carbonate for the body is good forming bones and muscles. Quoting from the Harvard School of Public Health, protein is responsible for digesting and releasing acids to the bloodstream which is neutralized by the body with calcium and other substances.

Research says that by eating high protein like snakehead fish then the body will use it to create new protein in muscles and bones. In addition, a protein is used as a source of energy.

Protein is found in the whole body in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and almost in every part of the body. It is forming enzymes that move a lot of chemical reaction and hemoglobin carry oxygen in the blood.

Digesting protein to release acid into the bloodstream, usually neutralized by the body with calcium and buffering agents. As a result, early research theorized that eating a lot of protein needs more calcium probably pull out from the bone.

5.     Improve Malnutrition (Stunting)

The benefit of snakehead fish, if consumed regularly by pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and infants, will be used to improve malnutrition. Because in 100 grams of snakehead, fish have much nutrition and are important for health, especially for the baby.

There are several factors of stunt babies like lacking of intake of food during pregnancy, condition of bad sanitation, limited health facilities, earlier get an infection when the child’s birth, changes in hormones in pregnant women or babies, and emotional bonding between parents and child is less strong.

Stunting in children can do earlier which is the pregnancy phase of a child at the age of 2 or is often called the first 1000 of life (HPK). Consuming vitamin A untuk anak is good for prevent stunting, According to the Directorate of Health Promotion and Community Empowerment, Ministry of Health Republic Indonesia stunting can be prevented in these ways,

  • Nutritional for Pregnancy

One of the most treats to prevent stunts is the fulfillment of nutrition during pregnancy. The Millennium Challenge Account Indonesia Health Institute recommended that pregnant women always consume healthy food and nutrition even supplements according to recommended the doctor.

  • Exclusive Breastfeeding

According to Veronika Scherbaum from University Hohenheim, Jerman explains that It is the next step to prevent stunting. Breast milk has the function to reduce opportunity stunting in a child with nutrition and macro.

Recommendation for a mother to keep giving breastmilk to their child for 6 months. Whey protein and colostrum found in breastmilk boost the baby’s immune system is vulnerable.

  • Providing Healthy MPASI as companion breastfeeding

It’s a third step to prevent stunting. Mothers can be given MPASI or fortified food adds nutrients to the baby at the age of 6 months and makes sure moms provide it with healthy food. For the fortified food, the mother has to consult first with a doctor.

  • Monitoring the Growth and Development of Childs

Parents have to keep monitoring their children physically as weight and height. 

  • Keep the Environment Clean

The factor of a dirty environment can increase occur the opportunity for stunting. A study conducted by Harvard Chan School stated that diarrhea is the third factor that causes health problems. 

In addition, the soft texture of snakehead fish is easy to consume for babies so their digestion won’t be disturbed. It is because snakehead fish contain less collagen protein fewer than chicken meat or fish which is safe to consume for babies.

6.     Increase the Immune System

A Baby’s body is often susceptive to get various diseases. That’s why babies need to intake nutrition for the body against viruses and bacteria. The benefits of calcium lactate and snakehead fish has zinc to make a strong immune system.

Snakehead’s mineral is helpful in the synthesis of DNA, the growth and development of baby, growing cells and baby’s growing well.

7.     Relieves Swelling in the Baby

During their growth, the baby will explore the environment and this activity always make them fall and cause swelling or brushing. The albumin protein in snakehead fish can relieve swelling in a baby’s human.

The protein albumin is working by controlling osmotic pressure in the blood and maintaining the level of water in the blood plasma. Thus, it can maintain blood volume so can excessive swelling doesn’t occur in the body.

According to Indonesian Food Composition Data (DKPI) snakehead fish (per 100 grams of nutrition),

NutritionUnit of Measurement
Water79,6 gram
Calories80 kkal
Protein16,2 gram
Fat0,5 gram
Carbohydrate2,6 mg
Calcium170 mg
Phosphorus139 mg
Iron0,1 mg
Sodium65 mg
Potassium254 mg
Copper0,3 mg
Zinc0,4 mg
Retinol (Vit. A)335 mikrogram (mcg)
Thiamin (Vit. B1)0,4 mg
Riboflavin (Vit. B2)0,2 mg
Niacin (Vit. B3)0,1 mg