The Monday Consult: Should a kid eat lemons?
Thanks for all the great questions submitted for this Monday's consult. While I wait for experts to get back to me with answers to a couple of them, this week's problem comes from my house, where a certain almost-5-year-old boy loves fruit. Normally that's a great thing, but when I have fresh lemons on the counter -- as I often do when cooking -- he invariably reaches for a wedge.
And wants to eat the whole thing, including the peel.
This seemed yucky and probably unhealthful to me, so I have been discouraging him. And with Baltimore spring events looming with their lemon sticks, it seemed like a good time to ask an expert. So I called Robin Spence, a registered dietitian at Union Memorial Hospital who worked with us last year on The Sun's Make Over My Meal series.
This was a new question for Spence, but after doing a little research, she told me my instincts were right. ...
(Read on for more about kids and lemons)
(Photo by Bob Fila/Chicago Tribune)
The biggest hazard of eating lemons regularly, she said, would be to Sam's teeth.
"It definitely it seems that the acid in the lemon juice breaks down the enamel," she said. "The longer it's held in the mouth, as in sucking, the more damage is done."
Lemon peels, she said, "are not terrible," though they should be well-washed to remove bacteria, and organic to prevent the consumption of pesticides.
A once-in-a-while treat like a lemon stick is probably OK, she said; "everything is quantity and frequency." But because my son's teeth are young, she thinks it's better for him not to get into a lemon-sucking habit.
Do you have a question for a future Monday Consult? Please post it below.
Comments
Lemon stick? Do enlighten us non-Baltimoreans!
A lemon stick, often served at fairs and other events like the annual Flower Mart here, is a lemon with one end cut off and a peppermint stick pushed into the middle. You suck the lemon juice through the peppermint stick.
Posted by: suburbancorrespondent | April 14, 2008 7:41 AM
Couldn't you say the same for other varities of citrus? If my child wanted to eat fruit, I'd let him. And if tooth enamel is a concern, he can brush his teeth when he's done.
Apparently oranges, for example, are not as acidic as lemons, so they pose less risk. The key is how long you keep the juice in your mouth, so sucking rather than eating any citrus probably shouldn't become a habit, Spence said. Spence also said some of the harm to teeth actually comes from brushing the acid-softened teeth with a stiff brush.
Posted by: Kayris | April 14, 2008 10:36 AM
Interesting info. My kids love lemons. I read somewhere recently that the lemons found in restaurant's water glasses are often covered with germs and worse. Not sure if I should be glad I know that, or if it's too much information.
Posted by: Kris H. | April 14, 2008 1:08 PM
One other thing to worry about here (as if we didn't already have enough on the worry list): If your child is going to eat the whole lemon or orange even occasionally, I would make sure it's organic. Pesticides used in citrus production tend to lodge in the peel and washing the fruit may not get rid of it.
There's a handy guide to pesticides in fruits and vegetables at http://www.pan-uk.org/Projects/Food/pocketguide.pdf
Posted by: Sara | April 15, 2008 3:18 PM