Currently we can find in the market a lot of baby cereal preparations adapted to each stage of growth. Some brands have products for babies from 4 months, but this does not coincide with the recommendations of the WHO advising exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months, age at which it is recommended to complement it with the introduction of solid foods.
If you have been researching porridge, you will surely have heard of the hydrolyzed cereals. But what does this process consist of?
The hydrolysis or dextrinization it is a chemical reaction in which water is used to break down the starch chains into smaller and more easily digestible pieces for babies,
Are hydrolyzed cereals necessary?
If after six months we can start offering cereal-based foods such as rice or pasta to the baby, because it is capable of digesting them naturally, why would they need hydrolyzed cereals to facilitate digestion?
Manufacturers say that thanks to this decomposition, the CHE (enzymatically hydrolyzed cereals) facilitate its intestinal absorption and therefore, they digest better for the baby.
But this process would not be necessary in six-month-old babies who start complementary feeding, since at that age babies are able to digest the hydrates we offer them. Also with hydrolysis cereals are transformed into simple sugars, thus increasing the amount of sugar present in industrial cereals, something not recommended.
