Do Healthy Kids Need Vitamins & Supplements?

March 20, 2023
  
Adequate nutrition intake is important for kids due to growth and development. On top of that, having a balanced nutrition helps in preventing health conditions such as malnutrition and overweight.  

Are vitamins and supplements necessary for healthy children?
Kids are able to obtain adequate nutrients from their daily food intake. Therefore, vitamins and supplements are supposed to be given to children who have symptoms or diagnosed with vitamins deficiency. However, kids who are not taking balanced meal will tend to have inadequate nutrients. For examples, those kids are like picky eaters, having irregular meal intakes, having digestive health conditions or having food restrictions due to allergies.  

Besides, kids who are on vegetarian or vegan diet tend to be lacking in iron, vitamin B12, zinc and calcium. Thus, vitamins and supplements are suitable to be given to kids in the categories mentioned. Children can take vitamins and supplements to boost their immune system and appetite. Besides, studies found that more than 50% of Malaysian children do not obtain adequate calcium and vitamin D as suggested in Recommended Nutrients Intake (RNI) Malaysia. Therefore, calcium and vitamin D supplements can be given to children who do not take dairy products and vegetables daily.  

Vitamins & Supplements Deficiency and Overdose in Children
Nutrients Benefits Effect of Deficiency Effect of Overdose
Vitamin A
  • For healthy eye, growth, development and immune system
  • Eye, skin, growth issues
  • Severe headache, blurred vision and dizziness
Vitamin B complex
  • Helps in energy production, promote cell health and appetite
  • Fatigue, nausea, anemia
  • Lost feeling in limbs, nervous system damage and live
Vitamin C
  • Antioxidant that protect cells, improve iron absorption
  • Scurvy, aneamia, bleeding gums
  • Diarrhea, nausea, gastric discomfort, increase rick of kidney stones
Calcium and Vitamin D
  • Essential for bone health and growth
  • Rickets, weak bones/ nails, muscle cramp, confusion
  • Kidney stones, bone pain, muscle weakness
Iron
  • For growth, development and essential in blood production
  • Anemia, fatigue, poor concentration
  • Bloody vomit/ stool, gastric discomfort
Zinc
  • Helps in immune system and metabolism
  • Growth retardation, loss of appetite, impaired immune system
  • Bloody diarrhea, gastric discomfort
Probiotics
  • For gut health, constipation, diarrhea and immune system
  • Not available
  • Bloating, infection in critically ill child (depends on individual)
Prebiotics
  • Work together with probiotics, suitable for kids who does not take adequate fruits and vegetable daily
  • Constipation, colic
  • Bloating, intestinal discomfort
Nutrients Benefits Effect of Deficiency Effect of Overdose
Vitamin A
  • For healthy eye, growth, development and immune system
  • Eye, skin, growth issues
  • Severe headache, blurred vision and dizziness
Vitamin B complex
  • Helps in energy production, promote cell health and appetite
  • Fatigue, nausea, anemia
  • Lost feeling in limbs, nervous system damage and live
Vitamin C
  • Antioxidant that protect cells, improve iron absorption
  • Scurvy, aneamia, bleeding gums
  • Diarrhea, nausea, gastric discomfort, increase rick of kidney stones
Calcium and Vitamin D
  • Essential for bone health and growth
  • Rickets, weak bones/ nails, muscle cramp, confusion
  • Kidney stones, bone pain, muscle weakness
Iron
  • For growth, development and essential in blood production
  • Anemia, fatigue, poor concentration
  • Bloody vomit/ stool, gastric discomfort
Zinc
  • Helps in immune system and metabolism
  • Growth retardation, loss of appetite, impaired immune system
  • Bloody diarrhea, gastric discomfort
Probiotics
  • For gut health, constipation, diarrhea and immune system
  • Not available
  • Bloating, infection in critically ill child (depends on individual)
Prebiotics
  • Work together with probiotics, suitable for kids who does not take adequate fruits and vegetable daily
  • Constipation, colic
  • Bloating, intestinal discomfort
Vitamin A

Benefits
For healthy eye, growth, development and immune system

Effect of Deficiency
Eye, skin, growth issues

Effect of Overdose
Severe headache, blurred vision and dizziness

Vitamin B complex

Benefits
Helps in energy production, promote cell health and appetite

Effect of Deficiency
Fatigue, nausea, anemia

Effect of Overdose
Lost feeling in limbs, nervous system damage and live

Vitamin C

Benefits
Antioxidant that protect cells, improve iron absorption

Effect of Deficiency
Scurvy, aneamia, bleeding gums

Effect of Overdose
Diarrhea, nausea, gastric discomfort, increase rick of kidney stones

Calcium and Vitamin D

Benefits
Essential for bone health and growth

Effect of Deficiency
Rickets, weak bones/ nails, muscle cramp, confusion

Effect of Overdose
Kidney stones, bone pain, muscle weakness

Iron

Benefits
For growth, development and essential in blood production

Effect of Deficiency
Anemia, fatigue, poor concentration

Effect of Overdose
Bloody vomit/ stool, gastric discomfort

Zinc

Benefits
Helps in immune system and metabolism

Effect of Deficiency
Growth retardation, loss of appetite, impaired immune system

Effect of Overdose
Bloody diarrhea, gastric discomfort

Probiotics

Benefits
For gut health, constipation, diarrhea and immune system

Effect of Deficiency
Not available

Effect of Overdose
Bloating, infection in critically ill child (depends on individual)

Prebiotics

Benefits
Work together with probiotics, suitable for kids who does not take adequate fruits and vegetable daily

Effect of Deficiency
Constipation, colic

Effect of Overdose
Bloating, intestinal discomfort

 
How to ensure that your child is getting enough nutrition through their diet?
  • Take meal on time, avoid skipping meals
  • Take balanced meal and adequate protein portion using Malaysian Healthy Plate (quarter quarter half)
  • Take dairy products daily such as milk (2 glasses a day)
  • Increase intake of wholegrain products, choose wholegrain cereal, oat biscuit, etc
  • Add on healthy snacks by choosing fruits, vegetable chips, yoghurt, cereal, blended fruits sorbet, etc
  • Reduce on fast food, processed food, sugary beverages and high calorie snacks
  • Expose to sunlight (15-30 minutes, 2-3 times a week) or do more outdoor activities for bone health  

       
Yap Pau Lin
Dietitian
Columbia Asia Hospital - Iskandar Puteri
 
 
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  This article first appeared in BabyTalk.
 
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