Do Kids Really Need Vitamin Supplements?

Parents‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ today are more conscious of their children’s nutrition than ever before. After they get done preparing well-balanced lunches, they are off searching for better snack choices. The whole day seems to be spent in the effort of making sure that kids get the right nutrients that will help them grow. However, despite all this knowledge, the question keeps being asked: Are vitamins necessary, or is a well-balanced diet sufficient?

Parents confused with the rise of packaged foods, fussy eating habits, and hectic lifestyles often think that supplements can provide the nutrition that their children lack and hence enhance their immunity. Knowing exactly which moments are the ones in which supplements are needed and which moments are not helps to bring up healthier children without making them dependent on external ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌support.

Understanding Vitamins and Their Role in Growth

What‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ vitamins do children need? Children’s vitamins are essential to their proper growth, development of the brain, strong bones, and a good immune system. Most of these nutrients should naturally be taken from regular food. A balanced plate is generally composed of:

• Fruits and vegetables to provide vitamins A and C
• Whole grains and cereals to provide B vitamins
• Milk and dairy products to provide calcium and vitamin D
• Nuts, eggs, and legumes to provide protein and iron

When a child is eating a well-balanced diet on a regular basis, vitamin supplements are often not necessary. However, many families face the problem of their children being picky eaters or having dietary restrictions; that’s the point at which the conversation ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌starts.

When Supplements May Be Needed

Not‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ every child requires vitamin tablets or syrups daily. Still, supplements can be helpful in some circumstances. A doctor might suggest it if a child has:

Bad or Unpredictable Eating Habits
Children who strongly resist vegetables, fruits, or meat for a long time can lack essential vitamins such as iron, folate, or vitamin C.

Health Conditions
Some diseases affect the absorption of nutrients. Children with celiac disease, lactose intolerance, or chronic gut issues may have nutritional needs that require the provision of extra help.

Delayed Growth or Low Body Weight
Nutrients are the source of energy for development. If growth stages are slower than they should be, supplements may help get nutrition back on track along with diet correction.

Vitamin D and Iron Deficiencies
These two insufficiencies are very common among Indian children. The lack of exposure to the sun or the low consumption of dairy and meat can double the necessity of ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌supplementation.

Supplements Are Helpful but Not a Replacement for Food

‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌Vitamins could be helpers in the course of health, but they are not capable of providing what whole foods do. Whole natural food is made up of fibre, healthy fats, antioxidants and minerals that are in perfect biological balance – supplements are just there to fill the gaps. If someone is using them too much without consulting a doctor, then it may lead to side effects, especially with fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K that are retained in the body.

A good rule to follow would be: food first, supplements only if ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌necessary.

How Parents Can Support Healthy Nutrition Daily

By‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ applying simple and consistent practices at home, you can make a child’s nutrition more powerful: 

• Provide colourful meals rather than the same foods repeatedly 
• Introduce new products gradually and put on no pressure 
• Make snacks better with nuts, fruits and vegetables 
• Change sugary drinks for milk or fresh juices 
• Help your child to go outside and play with friends so he will get his vitamin D the natural way 

Little changes may gradually make your kid able to get most vitamins naturally without having to depend solely on ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌supplements.

Vitamin‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ supplements can be a help to children who have some specific deficiencies, but balanced nutrition from whole foods is always the healthier primary source. Each child’s body is unique, and thus parents are advised not to give supplements on their own but to get medical advice first. In case you are not sure about your child’s food intake or growth, a session with a skilled Pediatrician in Chromepet will provide you with the correct evaluation and only if needed, the supplementation plan. Sugam Hospital is equipped with excellent pediatric care to make sure that kids get what is really necessary for their bodies no more, no ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌less.