Vitamins Essential to Children’s Health
Vitamins and minerals are essential elements in the proper nutrition and growth of any child. The nutrients that they get from the foods that they eat should be sufficient to answer the need for proper development. Let us check the vitamins essential to children’s health and other nutritional facts.
- Vitamin A is needed by the body for various reasons. It promotes bone and tissue repair, healthy skin and eyes and immunity responses needed for proper growth and development. Some of the more common sources of Vitamin A are eggs, milk, carrots, yams, cheese and squash.
- The Vitamin B family or what is commonly called Vitamin B Complex include Vitamins B2, B3, B6 and B12. These are the B Vitamins essential to children’s health which may be derived from fish, nuts, meat, eggs, chicken, beans, milk, cheese and soybeans. B Vitamins help in energy production, promote metabolism, and proper functioning of the nervous and circulatory system.
- Promoting the development of healthy skin, muscles and connective tissues makes Vitamin C an indispensable element of good nutrition. Various sources include tomatoes, citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries and green vegetables such as broccoli.
- Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium by the body and also assists in the formation of bones and the teeth. Good sources of calcium such as milk and dairy products, fish oils and egg yolks. Sunlight, probably the best source of Vitamin D, is often missed out and taken for granted.
Aside from these vitamins essential to children’s health, other essential nutrients such as calcium (promotes strong bones needed for growth) and iron (muscle-builder and assists in the formation of healthy red blood cells) are also needed for the body’s proper development. It is also good to take note that too much of everything is not healthy. Large doses of fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamins A, D, E and K may tend to be toxic when absorbed in excessive amounts.
Remember that having good nutrition would mean getting the right kind of foods in their proper amount. You should provide the daily recommended allowance of protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, water, vitamins, minerals and regular exercise combined. It would be best to consult a doctor prior to giving multivitamin supplements to your children. Some vitamins are quite colourful, so make sure to put them properly stored away from children’s reach.
Proper nutrition plays a vital role in the learning and development of a child. To be sure that you are giving the vitamins essential to children’s health, it is best to serve your kids with fresh fruits and vegetables to make them healthy and fit.
Last updated by at .