As a parent, you know that your children need to get the right amount of vitamins and minerals to stay healthy and active. However, it can be hard to know which vitamins our child needs and how much is vital to keeping them in good health. With so much information regarding what children do and don’t need, it can be hard to decipher fact from fiction.
Fear not! In this article, we break down the following:
- The difference between vitamins and minerals
- Vitamins and minerals’ role in development
- Why kids need vitamins and minerals
What are Vitamins and Minerals
We all know that vitamins and minerals are healthy for us and that we need them. Most often, we get our vitamins and minerals from the foods we eat, but there are some foods that are richer in nutrients than others. Let’s take a closer look at vitamins and minerals:
Types of Vitamins
There are two categories of vitamins: fat-soluble and water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K) will dissolve in fat and remain in the body. On the other hand, water-soluble vitamins (C and B-complex) need to dissolve in water before a person’s body can absorb them. The body cannot store water-soluble vitamins, and if you have a surplus of these vitamins in your system, the body will pass them.
Types of Minerals
Like vitamins, there are two types of minerals that the body needs: macrominerals and trace minerals. The body needs larger amounts of macrominerals (macro means big), and these minerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sodium.
The body only needs a few trace minerals, and these minerals consist of iron, manganese, copper, cobalt, iodine and zinc.
Why Children Need Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals are needed for a kid’s health, but why? Here are a few reasons:
- Needed for growth. Vitamins and minerals are needed to fuel growth. As children grow, they experience many changes, making eating right and supplementing nutrients he or she may be lacking very important.
- Strong bones and teeth. We have all heard that we need calcium for strong bones, but it’s not a lie! Calcium, as well as vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium and phosphorus help protect a child’s bones against fractures and breaks.
How Nutritional Deficiency Can Affect Childhood Development
Being deficient in certain vitamins and minerals can negatively affect a child’s brain development. Research done by Purdue University found that children diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity (ADHD) had lower levels of omega 3 in the form of DHA in their bloodstream. In this study, researchers found that adding an omega 3 supplement helped improve a child with ADHD’s behavior.
Eating Healthy, Learning and Development
In a study conducted with over one million children, the research found that children performed better in school when sugar and food additive intake was reduced. Results found that when removing sugar and additives, school rankings increased to become the best ever – from 12.9 percent of the students performing two or more grades below current education level to just 4.9 percent performing below current education level.
Mayo Clinic found that adding vitamins and minerals can be beneficial to a child if:
- They have a delay in development and physical growth
- They have certain chronic diseases or food allergies
- They have a restrictive diet, such as the vegan diet
Help Your Kids Get the Nutrients They Need With Healthy for Life
At Healthy for Life, we want to make sure people, whether it’s children or adults, big or small, are living their healthiest and fullest life. If you believe that your child is deficient in any vitamins and minerals, take a look at our different supplement offerings that can help people of all ages add the nutrients their body needs!
For additional information on safeguarding you and your loved ones health, download our eBook today!