Find out whether it is good or bad to use snow as a source of water during the winter. Probably each of us tried snow in childhood. Moreover, parents have always opposed such actions. We have grown up and have children who also want to try snow. Now we ourselves are against it. The question of whether it is possible to eat snow seems to be extremely relevant and today we will find an answer to it.
The benefits and harms of eating snow
Eating snow, in the first place, you run the risk of catching a cold. However, this is only half the trouble, because the modern ecological situation is extremely unfavorable. If we assume that you live in a remote area, and there are no industrial enterprises near you, then it is the common cold that is the main side effect of drinking snow.
However, now it is difficult to find ecologically clean areas on the planet, and as a result, the answer to the question - is it possible to eat snow remains negative, only there will be much more reasons for abandoning this venture. By consuming snow, you can not only catch a cold, but also get infected with more serious diseases.
Snow has the ability to perfectly absorb dust, in which you can find almost any chemical compound, most of which are toxic. In addition, many chemicals are poorly excreted from the body and tend to accumulate. Do not forget that animals run in the snow, pedestrians walk and cars pass. It is quite understandable that snow in such conditions cannot be clean and safe.
The situation is similar with icicles, which also attract the attention of children, making them want to lick them. Today, experts say that snow can only be consumed in high-mountainous regions. If you melt it, you can drink melt water. However, it will not contain all the mineral salts necessary for the body and therefore should not be consumed for a long time. However, if you do not have such a need, then it is better to drink plain water rather than thawed water.
Scientists understand what a difficult time we live in, and are trying to improve the ecological situation. However, it is quite difficult to do this, but now we will not talk about it, but we will only find out what scientists have found out when studying snow. In 2015, the results of laboratory studies of snow were published. As a result, snowflakes that are already fresh contain a lot of car exhaust.
Scientists from the University of Washington have conducted a larger study of the question of whether it is possible to eat snow. They selected newly fallen snow in the United States and Canada in various areas as a subject of study. Even in regions far from major cities, the snow contained a large amount of coal dust and various pollutants. Scientists have found that snow becomes unusable even before it touches the ground.
Why can't you eat snow?
Let's summarize all of the above and point out the most important reasons why you shouldn't eat snow. Let's dwell only on the main ones, because in fact there are a lot of them.
- High risk of getting sick. Children are active on the street, and this leads to overheating of the body. The easiest way to cool off is to eat a handful of snow. However, such an act can cause the development of tonsillitis, pneumonia and other diseases. In addition, temperature changes can destroy the enamel of the teeth, which is very fragile in children. Do not forget to take a bottle of water or a thermos of tea with you for a walk so that your child can calmly quench his thirst.
- Heavy snow pollution. Today, the planet's atmosphere contains a huge amount of toxins that are emitted from factories and factories. It makes no sense to list all the chemical compounds that are in the air today, but just look at the periodic table. Be sure that any element is in the air. Snow very quickly absorbs various substances and even before it touches the ground, it cannot be eaten due to the high risk of poisoning.
- Animals. There are now a large number of stray cats and dogs living on the street, leaving their excrement in the snow. All these traces of their vital activity will be hidden from view by freshly fallen snow. However, picking up a handful of snow, you never know what "surprise" there may be.
Can yellow snow be eaten?
If white snow attracts children who want to eat it with the illusion of purity, then yellow snow definitely cannot evoke such feelings. We have already found out that even white snow cannot be consumed, let alone yellow.
At the beginning of the article, we said that theoretically, snow can be used only if you live in areas remote from megacities. In practice, however, this should be avoided anyway. When the snow melts, then not all the harmful substances contained in it go into the ground. Some of the toxins rise again into the air and can be carried over great distances by the wind.
After that, all these chemical compounds will again appear on the surface of the earth thanks to snow and rain. Nowadays, only high-mountainous regions can be classified as relatively clean from an ecological point of view. This is due to the fact that many chemical elements cannot rise high into the atmosphere. However, it is worth repeating once again that we live in an extremely poor environment.
Let's see why the snow turns yellow. This fact can be explained by various factors, but we will focus on the main ones. First of all, this is the urine of animals living on the street. It contains a huge amount of toxins that were eliminated from the body with the help of the kidneys. In addition, the amount of toxins in the urine of sick animals is rapidly increasing. The second most common option for yellow snow is synthetic lubricants for cars. Every car or motorcycle uses oil, which often spills onto the ground and, in winter, onto the snow. These materials are most often based on high molecular weight hydrocarbon compounds, to which other substances are added. At the moment, most artificial lubricants are made from propylene or ethylene using heavy synthesis technologies.
Surely you have already understood what threatens the human body when all these compounds get inside. Poisoning can be extremely serious, even fatal. Literally an hour or two after drinking snow that has been exposed to lubricants, your temperature rises sharply and dizziness begins. The further development of events is difficult to predict and various troubles are possible.
How to wean a child from eating snow?
We have already answered the question - is it possible to eat snow? Now it is worth figuring out how to wean your baby from this harmful activity. Let's first find out why snow is so attractive to children:
- Sometimes, with the help of snow, a child just tries to quench his thirst and you should take a thermos of hot tea for a walk with your baby.
- Perhaps the child wants to attract the attention of the parents and you should captivate him with other activities.
- Children want to explore the world and they just wonder how the snow tastes. You should explain to your child that this is ordinary frozen water, which, among other things, is not clean and can be dangerous.
- If the child is too warmly dressed, then with the help of the snow he tries only to cool down.
We figured out the main reasons for children eating snow, it's time to find out how you can wean them from this. You can simply pick up a small bucket of the purest outwardly snow and melt it when you come home. When the baby sees what kind of water it turned out, then for sure the desire to eat snow, he will disappear.
It is necessary to tell the children that the snow is very cold and can cause colds. Do not forget to add that the use of snow can harm your teeth, because enamel cracks from a sharp fluctuation in temperature. It is also worth talking about the reasons for the appearance of yellow, using the example of an animal. Such a visual demonstration will definitely discourage the child from eating snow.
You can arrange a joint viewing of a cartoon called "Winter's Tale". In it, the main character, a bear cub, after consuming snow, became very sick, and the hedgehog was worried and tried with all his might to help. But there is absolutely no need to scare a child with doctors. This approach to education is completely ineffective and can only lead to the development of children's fears, increased nervousness and other mental problems. However, some children, even realizing that it is impossible to eat snow, furtively try to lick an icicle or sit down a small handful of snow.
If you notice that your child is doing this, then offer him ice cream, in a small amount. Let him compare the taste of this delicacy with snow and draw conclusions for himself. In conclusion, it is worth giving two recipes for making healthy and edible snow.
- "Colored Snow". First you need to boil the water, and then add juice or jam to it. Pour the prepared mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. After that, you just need to put ice cubes in a blender and make snow out of it.
- "Yoghurt candies". Fill the syringe with the yogurt your child loves, then make small cakes and freeze them. The lollipops are ready to eat and you can treat them to your little one and his friends.
Why you can't eat snow, see here:
