We will figure out how to use vitamins correctly, what symptoms signal a lack of them, and what products you need to make up a children's diet if there are not enough vitamins. The body cannot work without vitamins, which is why we need them.
Vitamins are low molecular weight organic compounds of various chemical nature, necessary in small amounts for the normal metabolism and vital activity of living organisms.
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Although some vitamins are synthesized by the intestinal microflora or formed under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, we mainly get them from food or pharmaceuticals.
Read also: 5 Reasons To Eat More Vitamin C Foods
What you need to know
- Vitamins are best obtained from food rather than from bubbles and jars. Not at all because everything is "natural" in the products, but in the preparations - "chemistry." It's just that everyone needs a balanced diet at all and always.
- Vitamin supplements are needed when the child has increased stress (training, intense study, stress) or is often sick.
- Pharmacy supplements are needed when there is a real risk of disease. For example, in our country, it makes sense to drink vitamin D in autumn and winter. We get too little sun when almost all our skin is covered with clothes, and the sky is covered with clouds.
- You can do without exotic fruits and vegetables. The same cabbage is not inferior in usefulness to lemons.
- The less processed the product, the more vitamins it contains.
- Vitamins do not accumulate in the body for a long time. Fat-soluble ones are eliminated more slowly, water-soluble ones - faster. It is useless to eat more berries in the summer to “stock up on vitamins.” You should always eat well.
Do I need to eat everything at once
The interaction between trace elements is a complex system. One substance can enhance or suppress the action of another.
The most famous examples are related to B vitamins. B12 should be taken separately from B1, so as not to provoke allergic reactions, and separately from B6 and C so that their influence on each other does not destroy trace elements. B6 and B1 are also not the best choices for simultaneous use.
In order for the body to assimilate the maximum usefulness, products containing antagonist vitamins should be eaten with a break of several hours, that is, they should be distributed for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Vitamins also interact with minerals. B6 works well with magnesium, while B9 interferes with zinc absorption. So if the pediatrician advises taking vitamin and mineral complexes, then buy those in which the compatibility has already been taken into account. And do not try to eat all healthy foods in one meal; make a menu for the day.
What and when to eat
Serious cases of vitamin deficiency, when diseases develop due to a lack of vitamins, are rare. A small deficiency - more often. But this shortage is successfully disguised under a variety of diseases and conditions.
The child is often sick
It is widely believed in our country that more vitamin C is needed to “strengthen immunity.” And the World Health Organization believes that vitamin A deficiency has a much stronger effect on susceptibility to infections.
Try making carrot bread. If the child does not like carrots, it does not matter; all orange vegetables are rich in vitamin A and carotene. Products with vitamin A and carotene; liver, oil, sea buckthorn, rose hips, peppers, pumpkin, tomatoes, parsley.
The child gets tired quickly and does not absorb information well
One of the culprits of this condition is vitamin B1, or rather, its lack. If a child's gums are bleeding when brushing teeth, this can point to a vitamin C deficiency. As we already mentioned, there is a lot of it in cabbage and citrus fruits.
Foods with vitamin B1: peas, nuts, oatmeal, whole grain bread.
Foods with vitamin C: rose hips, sorrel, lemon, gooseberries, parsley, radishes, currants.
The child is irritable and sleepy
Disturbances in the neurological system's functionality, in general, are often associated with a lack of B vitamins. I want to sleep and swear because of a lack of B6; if the appetite disappears at the same time, then B12 must also be added to the diet.
Foods with vitamin B6: nuts, cereals, tomatoes, grain bread, red bell peppers.
Foods with vitamin B12: liver, meat, milk, fish, eggs, cheese.
The skin is peeling, and the lips are constantly chapped
Such symptoms suggest that you need to lean on vitamin B2, meat, eggs, and green leafy vegetables—foods with vitamin B2: liver, milk, eggs, spinach, Brussels sprouts, fish.
Pallor, weakness, and anemia, the child's nails are peeling; hair is dull
A possible cause of these symptoms is a lack of folic acid (aka vitamin B9). It is found in green leafy vegetables and orange juice.
Foods with vitamin B9; spinach, nuts, cabbage, cereals, eggplants, green onions, oranges, apples.
Slow growth, sweating, slouching, muscle weakness
Such signs may indicate a lack of vitamin D. Do not talk about the signs of rickets in babies - in theory; the doctor should notice them at a regular examination if they are present. But it's not just babies that need vitamin D.
Also read: Heat Treatment Destroys Vitamins In Vegetables: Truth Or Myth
The ideal method to obtain vitamin D is by walking in the sun. Naturally, not in direct hot light, so as not to cause burns. Are you wondering how to take your child away from the computer and send him out to play a bit? Think of the games that made you reluctant to go home late into the night.
Dermatitis, digestive disorders
Redness on the skin, combined with indigestion and lethargy and lethargy, may indicate a lack of vitamin PP (aka B3, aka nicotinic acid). More nuts! But more often, a lack of vitamin PP occurs because of gastrointestinal system malfunctions. Do not forget about yogurt, which contains probiotics: they affect digestion and34 contribute to the production of vitamin K.
Adapted and translated by The Cop Cart Staff
Sources: Life hacker
