It can be hard to get your toddler to consume their daily share of vitamins – especially if they are picky eaters. Therefore, it is important to ensure that we provide them with the most nourishing daily diet and if the nutrition remains inadequate then giving them the best multivitamin for kids is a must to avoid health issues arising out of nutritional deficiencies.
Studies have shown that nearly 19.8 million children under the age of six in India suffer from malnutrition, with astonishingly low waist to height ratios.
Kids need about the same type of vitamins that adults do but in lesser quantities. They especially require nutrients like phosphorus, manganese, iodine and zinc to support cognitive development. It is essential that they get an adequate supply of these nutrients at an early stage to support their growth.
Ideally speaking, these requirements can be met by adding food sources like
- Dairy Products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt
- Fresh fruits and leafy, green vegetables
- Animal-based protein. like chicken, fish, meat
- Whole grains like rice, Bajra, and wheat
Health Benefits Of Different Vitamins for Kids
Here are some benefits your child derives from getting adequate dose of vitamins:
- Vitamin A: This ensures proper growth and development of bones, boosts tissue repair, maintains proper eye health and increases the healing of wounds. A few good sources of Vitamin A are carrots, cheese and yams.
- Vitamin B: The B-class of nutrients consists of vitamins like B2, B3, B6 etc which help in boosting metabolic activity and regulating energy levels. Some good sources of Vitamin B are yoghurt, fish and soybeans.
- Vitamin C: Consumption of Vitamin C is essential for the development of muscles and improving connective tissues such as skin. Lack of vitamin C has been known to cause scurvy, a condition characterized by weakness and gum bleeding. Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and tomatoes are excellent sources of obtaining Vitamin C.
- Vitamin D: The consumption of Vitamin D is vital for the proper formation of bones and teeth. Lack of vitamin D, especially among children can cause rickets, a complication characterised by the deformation of bones. While proteins like salmon and mackerel are good sources, the best way to provide your child with Vitamin D would be to let them bask in the sun for a few minutes every day.
- Iron: Consumption of iron is essential for the formation of haemoglobin – a component of the red blood cells. Most children in India suffer from an iron deficiency, which leads to a condition called anaemia, which is characterized by weakness and fatigue. Leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale and animal-based protein such as red meat are some excellent sources of iron.
However, it is possible that despite efforts your child is not getting adequate nutrition from the food he or she consumes. Lifestyles, hectic schedules, a fussy eater, or an allergic child can be the many reasons why your little one’s nutrition remains incomplete. In cases like these, paediatricians often recommend supplementing the child’s diet with multivitamins to ensure a blanched nutrient intake.
Why do Children Need To Consume Multivitamins?
If you are looking for the best multivitamin for kids you must first understand why we need to give them to children in the first place. Multivitamins supplements contain essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals in the right quantity to help to provide a balanced intake to your children and meet their daily vitamin requirements. They help cover up nutritional gaps in everyday diet and aid your child’s growth and development. Here are some benefits of opting for multivitamins for kids:
- Brain Power: Consumption of multivitamins has been linked to an increased capacity of learning, better memory power and overall cognitive development in children.
- Eye Health: Multivitamins are essential for maintaining healthy eyes. Most children suffer from poor eyesight. Studies have shown that adding multivitamins as a part of your child’s diet reduces the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.
- Energy requirements: Growing children engage in a lot of physical and mental activity – which often leads to exhaustion. Research has shown that adding multivitamins to their diet has resulted in a significant increase in energy levels and glucose distribution in the body.
- Immunity Boost: It is common for children to fall sick more often – this is often caused due to a weakened immune system. Consumption of multivitamins has been shown to significantly boost their metabolic activity and their immune system, thereby lowering their chances of contracting a disease.
- Bone Development: Consumption of multivitamins has also shown a direct correlation to the strengthening of muscle tissue and bone density.
- Preventing Obesity: Childhood obesity has become a growing concern among most children in India. This can be caused due to insufficient metabolic activity, which often tampers the hunger hormones. Consumption of multivitamins helps regulate the proper metabolic activity, which helps in burning unwanted fat.
Forms Of Multivitamins available in the market
There are various forms of multivitamins for kids available in the market. This depends on both the type of vitamins that they contain, as well as their physical form. Multivitamins are most commonly found as :
- Tablets: Multivitamin tablets are typically inexpensive, have a long shelf life and are portable. However, most kids have difficulty swallowing them as they have a hard form.
- Softgel Capsules: Softgel capsules are the better alternative to tablets. They contain multivitamins in gel-filled capsules which makes it easier for kids to swallow them while providing the same nutritional and storage value as tablets. However, they have a comparatively shorter shelf-life.
- Liquid Form: Liquid multivitamins offer the highest rate of absorption as they enter the bloodstream directly upon consumption. However, they fail to offer the same level of portability as tablets and are comparatively more expensive.
The best way to ensure that your children meet their daily nutritional requirements would be to constitute a healthy balanced diet where they consume various food sources and then supplement it with multivitamins for kids so that they get the best of both worlds.
