If they’re eating a balanced diet, why do kids still sometimes need dietary supplements? We asked the experts from Natures Aid
Parents are often told that a child will get everything they need from a healthy balanced diet, but this is an ideal grounded on two, often unrealistic, assumptions.
The first being that parents will always have the time and resources to create every meal from scratch using only the best, fresh high-quality ingredients. Secondly – that the child will happily eat everything they are given, and never reject foods, throw food or avoid certain food types.
Even if you do, by some miracle, manage to get your child to eat everything you place in front of them, using all those fresh ingredients – can we be sure that the foods we are serving up really do contain all the nutrients they are supposed to?
The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) is carried out every year in the UK, and is designed to collect detailed information on the food consumption, nutrient intake and nutritional status of the general population. It includes adults and children 1.5 years and over living in the UK. This study has been running for 11 years, and consistently shows that many children are low in vital nutrients, including Iron, Vitamin D and Folic acid.
This is not because we are failing as parents, but because the truth is that not one of us is likely to manage to eat a truly balanced diet every day – we all have good days and bad days. Our children are the same. One day something will be their favourite food, the next we might be trying to poison them with it!
Nutrition
Many nutritionists believe that, taking all this into consideration, combined with the fact that childhood is a time of great growth and development and therefore huge nutritional demands, there is a very strong argument for children’s supplements – helping parents to fill the nutritional gaps.
Some of the most valuable nutrients we may want to look out for will include:
• Iron: an essential nutrient; most people are aware that it is required to form healthy red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body. Iron also plays an essential role in the cognitive development of children. Babies are born with enough Iron to see them through the first six months of their life, after this point though it needs to be present in their diet.
• DHA: an essential omega 3 fatty acid. DHA is primarily found in oily fish like sardines, not something most young children will choose to eat! 250mg DHA is required daily by the body to support healthy brain function and healthy vision.
• Vitamin D: something we have all become more aware of in recent years, Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium and supports healthy bone development in children. It also supports healthy muscle function as well as supporting the normal functioning of the immune system in children. Many children have been found to have low levels of Vitamin D, mainly due to the lack of sunshine here in the UK. For this reason, the UK’s Department of Health recommends that all children – from birth to the age of five – take a vitamin D supplement providing 400iu vitamin D.
• Vitamin C: vitamin C we all know helps to support a healthy immune system, however it plays many other important supportive roles for our children as they grow. Vitamin C is required for the proper formation of collagen, this in turn helps to support healthy skin, blood vessels, bones, and teeth!
If you are considering using a supplement for your child, do look for products which are healthy, with no added sugars, no artificial sweeteners, and no added colours. Tablets or gummies at a young age present a choking hazard, as well as a potential risk for an accidental overdose if your little one mistakes them for sweets.
Liquids are best for younger children as they can be easily added to any food or drink your little one may be having.
Natures Aid have been manufacturing and supplying high-quality nutritional supplements since 1981. Natures Aid have become one of the UK’s favourite brands of vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. Natures Aid products are manufactured in our own purpose-built factory in the UK. Their award winning 0-5 children’s vitamin range, Mini Drops, can be purchased on their site. www.naturesaid.co.uk/mini-drops-i53
