As any pediatrician will tell you, parents have a lot of questions regarding their children. From seemingly irrelevant topics, to big life threatening concepts. One of the most common questions health professionals face, is the one about vitamins and kids. In this blog, we discuss the best vitamins for kids.
What are the best vitamins for kids? Is probably a question you too have wondered about. Especially so if you have children of your own. Well there are many answers to that question. First of all, you have the simplest answer. All vitamins are the best vitamins for kids.
As human beings we need all the vitamins. Our body isn’t capable of producing vitamins on its own. We have to attain them from the food we consume.
Another approach towards finding the best vitamins for kids, could be one based on subjective cases. A specific kid who has a deficiency of sorts. In that case, the best vitamins for kids are different from another case, where we have deficiency of another vitamin.
By this point it must have become clear that finding the best vitamins for kids can be a rather daunting task. Nonetheless we compiled a short list of some of the most valuable vitamins for the proper growth of children.
We decide we would include some of the vitamins that play a huge role for those still growing and developing among us.
Best vitamins for kids are the ones hard to come by
The first entry belongs to Vitamin D. It is one of the leading prescriptions for newborns. Our body can make Vitamin D on its own. Well kind of, it’s complicated. You might have heard that sunlight helps us with Vitamin D production.
Most of the time newborns don’t spend much time tanning, thus there is a need for getting vitamin D through artificial means.
Vitamin D is very important for our body, as without it, our body cannot absorb calcium. Calcium is the main ingredient that makes up our bones.
Without it, it is truly hard to envision a fully normal and healthy development of the skeleton.
Vitamin D is also a great ally to our immune system. Other than direct sunlight, Vitamin D can be found, in small doses, in oily fish, butter and margarine.
The Bs and Bs of vitamins
The family of B Vitamins is a well known one. There are eight type of Vitamins B. Starting from Vitamin B1, counting up to Vitamin B7, then jumping to B9, and ending with another jump at B12.
All of them are important in different ways and different areas of our body.
Vitamins B are mostly responsible for the proper cell function in our body. They help regulate the creation and life cycle of cells, while also playing a major role in the metabolism.
The nervous system is another system in our body that highly needs Vitamins B.
As you can see, some of the main things that kids develop during childhood are connected to Vitamins B. They are especially necessary for developing brains. This is why we think that they are some of the best vitamins for kids.
Vitamin C does wonders
Any good pirate knows how amazing Vitamin C is. Protection from scurvy isn’t the only thing that Vitamin C does though. First off Vitamin C builds collagen and is a major component in the process of Iron absorption.
The NHS, which is similar to the CDC but in the UK, lists these three benefits of Vitamin C:
Helping protect and keep cells healthy,
Helping the healing process,
Helping keep your skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilages healthy.
So it is no wonder why we think that Vitamin C makes one of the best vitamins for kids. For example: it is more than simply important to have kids form their organs in a healthy manner. This allows longevity and greater health later down the line.
Vitamin C is an acid, so it has a characteristic sour taste, which means that most citrus fruit contain high levels of Vitamin C. Potatoes, peppers, strawberries, broccoli are some other great sources of Vitamin C.
Iron and Calcium are some of the best vitamins for kids too, kind of
Iron and Calcium aren’t vitamins. They are instead minerals. However, when talking about vitamins, as you see, we have mentioned both those two plenty of times so far. Although technically Iron and Calcium aren’t part of the best vitamins for kids, we saw it fit to give them a shout out here.
Iron for example is absorbed by our body through the help of vitamin C. Iron plays a major role in our blood. Iron deficiency is surprisingly common among teenagers and having an iron rich diet is very important.
Then you have Calcium, the bone-maker. Directly connected with Vitamin D, Calcium is the fundamental makeup of our skeleton.
Iron can be found in red meat, soy flour, liver, beans, dried fruit and much more. Meanwhile Calcium is mostly found in milk and milk products; cheese, yogurt, and alike.
In conclusion
Keep in mind that not every child needs extra doses of vitamins. Always make sure to check with your doctor regarding any concerns, and especially talk to them if you intend on using vitamin capsules.
There are plenty of risks associated with vitamin intoxication. Especially in the younger ages.
It is always best to focus on a healthy and balanced diet for your kids, rather than trying to find out what would be the best vitamins for kids to buy as capsules or any other form…
