Does your child have enough vitamins?

Most children can get all the nutrients they need in a healthy and balanced diet and do not need additional supplementation. If you always want to consider an additional cost to deal with all potential vitamin gap, consult your health care provider first, then select an adapted age with a logo verified by a third party.

Jump at the main dishes to remember.

What vitamins do children need?

Children need a variety of vitamins and minerals to support their growing body and minds. Vitamin and mineral needs change as your child grows. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, grains and dairy products contain many of the important nutrients that growing bodies need.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is soluble fatty vitamin and excessive quantities are stored in the liver. Vitamin helps support ocular health, immune system, growth and development and reproduction.

The recommended food allowance (GDR; the average daily supply necessary to meet the nutrient needs of almost all healthy individuals) for vitamin A in children is as follows:

• Micrograms from 1 to 300 years (MCG)
• 4 to 8: 400 mcg
• 9 to 13 years old: 600 mcg
• Women aged 14 to 18: 700 mcg
• Males aged 14 to 18: 900 mcg

Vitamin A food sources include:

• Cantaloupe
• Carrots
• Dairy products
• Eggs
• Fish
• Fortified cereals
• Green leafy vegetables (for example, green cabbage, curly cabbage, spinach)
• Organize meat
• Red peppers
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes

Vitamin B

B vitamins are soluble vitamins in the water found in a variety of vitamin foods and supplements.

There are eight vitamins B, in particular:

• B1: Thiamine
• B2: Riboflavine
• B3: Niacer
• B5: Pantothetic acid
• B6: pyridoxine
• B7: Biotin
• B9: Folat
• B12: Cobalamine

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a soluble vitamin in essential water. Vitamin C is antioxidant and helps support the immune system. It also improves the absorption of iron, promotes the healing of wounds and is involved in the production of collagen.

The GDR for vitamin C in children is as follows:

• Aged 1 to 3: 15 milligrams (MG)
• 4 to 8: 25 mg
• 9 to 13: 45 mg
• Women aged 14 to 18: 65 mg
• Men aged 14 to 18: 75 mg

Vitamin C food sources include:

• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cantaloupe
• Grapefruit or grapefruit juice
• Kiwifruit
• Oranges or orange juice
• Red peppers
• Strawberries

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin found in certain foods and supplements. Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium and for bone growth. It also plays a role in glucose metabolism, cell growth, immune function and neuromuscular function (interaction between the nervous system and muscles), and it can reduce inflammation.

Breed infants need vitamin D supplementation. From birth, infants should receive 400 international vitamin D units per day. This should continue until they have weaned or drink 32 ounces of fortified formula or whole milk daily. The GDR for vitamin D in children aged 1 to 18 is 15 mcg or 600 IU per day.

Vitamin D food sources include:

• Eggs
• Fortified cereals
• Enriched milk
• Liver
• Mushrooms
• Salmon
• Trout
• Tuna

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an important antioxidant. It helps to fight against unstable damaging molecules in the body, known as free radicals, and supports the immune system.

The GDR for vitamin E in children is as follows:

• Aged 1 to 3: 6 mg
• 4 to 8 years old: 7 mg
• 9 to 13 years old: 11 mg
• 14 and over: 15 mg

Vitamin E food sources include:

• Almonds
• Broccoli
• Corn oil
• Hazelnut
• Peanut butter
• Peanuts
• Spinach
• Sunflower seeds
• Bravabeur of cartame, soy and sunflower oil
• Wheat germ oil

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is necessary for blood coagulation and bone metabolism. Most children have enough vitamin K thanks to a diet and supplementation is generally not necessary.

The GDR for vitamin K in children is as follows:

• 1 to 3:30 am mcg
• 4 to 8 years old: 55 mcg
• 9 to 13 years old: 60 mcg
• 14-18 years: 75 mcg

Vitamin K food sources include:

• Blueberry
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Chicken
• Green leafy vegetables
• Grenade
• Pumpkin
• Soy and soy oil

Iron

Iron is a vital mineral which is responsible for many different functions in the body. Hemoglobin, which transports oxygen throughout the body, contains iron. Iron also supports the immune system, is necessary for growth and development, helps to make hormones and supports muscle metabolism.

The GDR for iron in children is as follows:

• Aged 1 to 3: 7 mg
• 4 to 8 years old: 10 mg
• 9 to 13 years old: 8 mg
• Women aged 14 to 18: 15 mg
• Men aged 14 to 18: 11 mg

There are two different types of iron, heme and non -hematic iron. Hematic iron is better absorbed by the body and comes from meat, poultry and fish. Non -hematic iron is found in fortified plants and foods as well as meat, poultry and fish.

Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, and the majority of calcium is stored in the bones. Calcium helps form solid teeth and bones. It also helps blood coagulation, nerve transmission, hormonal secretion, muscle function and expansion and contraction of blood vessels.

The GDR for calcium in children is as follows:

• Aged 1 to 3: 700 mg
• 4 to 8 years old: 1,000 mg
• 9 to 18 years old: 1,300 mg

Calcium food sources include:

• Beans
• Cheese
• Fortified cereals
• Fortified orange juice
• Ice
• Milk
• Salmon
• Spinach
• Tofu
• Yogurt

Do you have to consider a vitamin or a supplement for children?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend giving vitamins or supplements to healthy children over 1 to 1 years. Most vitamins and nutrients can be obtained by consuming a healthy and balanced diet. If your child eats a variety of food and develops appropriately, vitamin or supplement is generally not necessary.

Even if your child is a difficult eater, it is likely that he gets enough food for food. An examination of the 2018 search has shown that although difficult eaters have lower intake of vitamins and minerals, they always met their nutritional needs.

Take additional vitamins in case it is not a great idea. In the United States, around 33% of children and adolescents take vitamins or supplements. An excess of vitamins can accumulate can cause toxicities. Symptoms of high levels of vitamins include:

• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea
• Tremors
• Vomiting
• Weakness

How to choose a supplement

If your supplier recommends an supplement, choose the one suitable for age. Different ages need different amounts of vitamins and minerals. It is better to stay within the recommended limits, unless your supplier indicates otherwise.

Avoid products with excess sugar, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors and aromas and citric acid. Citric acid is used as a preservative, but it can erode dental enamel.

When choosing a product, look for a label indicating that the product has been tested by a third party, such as the American pharmacopoeia (USP), NSF or ConsumerLab.com. These products have been tested for contaminants, follow good appropriate manufacturing practices (GMP) and contain what they declare on the label. Products with GMP NPA (Natural Products Association) certification ensure that the product has been securely manufactured.

When to ask a supplier

If you think your child can benefit from vitamins or supplements, it is best to check first with his pediatrician. Most children who develop properly and eat a healthy diet do not need supplementation. If they have certain medical conditions or if their growth has slowed down, your supplier may recommend a supplement.

Main to remember

• Children need a variety of vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. By eating a balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, cereals, dairy products and lean meats, most children can get all the nutrients they need.
• If you think your child needs additional vitamins, first check with your supplier; Most children do not need additional supplementation.
• If your supplier recommends an supplement, search for products that contain a logo certifying third-party verification and choose an age-adapted logo and do not contain unnecessary ingredients.