It is undeniable that vitamins are essential, but nature took charge of the distribution in such a way for so many foods, it's difficult in Western countries a child stay with a deficit of some of them.
Despite the progress that has taken place
in the dissemination of knowledge on child health among parents, some myths tend
to persist over time. Vitamin supplements are one of them.
Without quite knowing why, many parents who, in different situations,
do not resist asking the question:
“So… can we give
some vitamins?”, as if these substances were
the miracle cure for
situations such as lack of
appetite, the infections or laziness.
What are vitamins?
In general, everyone knows that the key elements of
the diet, of children and adults,
are proteins, sugars and fats. They are the fundamental constituents
of our body, for all are essential
to shape and give
energy to all our organs.
But beyond these elements,
however, the body also
needs other substances,
although in small
amounts, so you can run smoothly and optimally.
These other substances include
vitamins.
Vitamins do not work as
constituents of our body or
as an energy source, but are indispensable so that it can
work. Although they exist in the body
in minimal amounts, each vitamin plays an important role in the operation
of some part of the body or
the formation of tissue or organ.
Vitamins do not work as
constituents of our body or
as an energy source, but are indispensable so that it can
work. Although they exist in the body
in minimal amounts, each vitamin plays an important role in the operation
of some part of the body or
the formation of tissue or organ.
For this reason, all vitamins are
important for various conditions such as the
structure of the bones, the resistance of the
teeth, wound healing,
or stopping bleeding due to a cut.
The problem is that our bodies
can not manufacture vitamins.
Therefore, we have to pick them up in various foods.
However, vitamin requirements are so small that a balanced diet
is all that we need
to maintain adequate levels of
vitamins.
Vitamin A
It is the vitamin,
of the eyes. It plays a major
role in vision under low light (such as vision in the dark or night) and
color vision. But in addition,
also it has a very important role
in the growth and maintenance of other
organs such as the bones and the skin.
The lack of vitamin A leads
mainly to changes in the eye,
that settle very slowly and
no one moment to the next. The main feature is
that the child has difficulty seeing
in low light, namely at night, and
difficulty in distinguish
colors.
In more severe cases, it may happen exaggerated dry eyes and skin
which may lead to scarring.
Breast milk provides the newborn the necessary amounts of
vitamin A and all artificial
milks are supplemented with
this vitamin.
After the stage of lactation,
vitamin A can be
found in many vegetables,
such as carrots, spinach or pumpkin
(who does not have heard
the saying
that carrots make beautiful eyes?), in some fruits (such as
peaches), milk,
butter and eggs.
Vitamin C
It is the star of vitamins. Who has not heard
dozens of food ads for children with vitamin
C supplements? Vitamin C
is essential in the formation of
numerous constituents of the
organism, and the
functioning of many organs.
It is thanks to her that
the child can have healthy teeth,
strong muscles and sturdy bones.
It is also an important vitamin
in the resistance to infections,
wound healing and the
organism's capacity to stop bleeding.
Its deficiency causes a condition known as scurvy, in which the child has many deformations of bones and joints,
dental problems, inability to withstand even
the most commonplace infections, difficulty in sustaining
bleeding due, for example, a small cut, and delayed wound healing. This disease is extremely unusual today.
The mother's breast
and artificial milks have
adequate amounts of
vitamin C, so that the baby or newborn
does not need supplements of this vitamin. In the older child, some fruits are a rich source of vitamin C.
This is the case of orange, tangerine,
lemon, melon, watermelon, strawberries or kiwi.
Also some vegetables are rich
in this vitamin, such as broccoli, spinach and tomatoes.
Vitamin D
It’s one of the most important vitamins.
It is essential for the formation
of bones and teeth and without it the child can not
grow normally. Its lack
causes a disease called
rickets, in which the child
does not grow normally and their bones do not have any resistance.
It is the only vitamin which the child's body can manufacture, as this vitamin is produced in the skin whenever the child
is exposed to the sun rays.
Mother's milk contains little vitamin D, so it
is common pediatricians to suggest to parents that the child take a vitamin
D supplement in the first months of life.
The older child is already producing much of their vitamin
D in the skin if exposed to sunlight. Foods such as milk, cereals, vegetables and
fruits have very little
amount of this vitamin.
Rather, fish and eggs are
rich in it.
Vitamin K
It is an important vitamin for
blood clotting. Without it, any wound,
however small, will
not stop bleeding. As
newborn babies may not have sufficient amounts of this vitamin
at birth, all receive a vitamin
K injection a few minutes after birth.
Vitamin K exists
in the many
foods that a balanced diet
does not leave that there is a lack of this vitamin.
Are particularly rich in this vitamin
some vegetables such as broccoli,
spinach, tomatoes and cheese.
Vitamins B
They are a true family of vitamins with
weird names like B1,
B2, B6, B12. These vitamins
are useful in the production of
energy in the body and in the production of red blood cells
in the blood.
They all come in a huge variety of foods (like fish, meat, cereals, spinach, broccoli) and their
deficiency is rare in Western countries,
unless they are committing very serious dietary mistakes. The most symptomatic are vegetarian diets, which can lead to a lack
of vitamin B12, which is important for blood formation,
and cause anemia
In
summary
Vitamins are essential for health, and they keep the proper functioning
of the immune system, that is,
these nutrients can not be lacking on a diet. In childhood, these substances are combined with the physical growth and neuropsychological development.
• Vitamins are essential elements
for the construction, and the child's body functioning.
• The required amounts of each vitamin in the diet are minimal,
and they exist in large quantities of food, so
a balanced diet provides the child
all the vitamins she needs without the need for
extra supplements.
• Only in
severe cases of malnutrition or coarse food
errors is that the child may be deficient in some vitamin. Some diseases can
also cause a child's
ability to absorb some vitamins,
but they are rare situations, and easy to identify by the doctor.
• There are on sale dozens of
drops, syrups, gum and pills containing vitamins to be given
to children as a supplement to
their food. They should not be given
except in particular situations
and prescribed by the child's pediatrician.
• The only vitamin supplement recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, to be given to healthy children, is the vitamin D supplement.
The biggest source of essential
vitamins for children is in a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, meats, milk
and dairy products. "The lack of these substances is a determining factor
for the onset of nutritional deficiencies or the appearance of various
pathological manifestations that have repercussions in adulthood.
When there is a disorderly diet or
poor absorption of some important
nutrients to keep the immune efficiency, it is
necessary, under the
guidance of a doctor or nutritionist,
to take vitamin
supplements. The B vitamins (B1, B2, B3,
B5, B6, B8), and vitamins A, C, D and
E, for example, are important to the
physical and mental development
of the child.
The food supplement must be taken
into account as a substitute for a poor diet, especially when the children is sick or does not eat properly.
What is the safest place to buy
supplements, to which you do not have direct access? The Amazon website is the
largest and safest global shopping site, with products for all tastes and
deliveries to the entire world, and you do not even have to leave home, so it’s
a good option.
That’s why this kind of supplements
can be purchased online, at Amazon (safely and with the quality of this great
company), in the form of supplements of capsules or powder, or even in dried
fruit form in some cases.
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