Essential nutrients for kids

Nowadays, moms are faced with the challenge of providing and establishing the right dietary habits for their children. Imagine their frustration when their children want to eat junk food for lunch and dinner.

But before they give in to her children’s whims, it’s important for them to consider their children’s nutrient requirements that will ensure proper growth and development of both body and mind.

A study utilized by the Department of Health shows the worsening malnutrition problem in the Philippines, especially among school-aged children.

It pinpoints eight essential nutrients that are deficient in the Filipino child: Vitamins A, C, B1 and B2, folic acid, calcium, iron and iodine.

The following lists the reasons why they are necessary for growing children:

• Vitamin A helps strengthen the immune system.

• Vitamin C aids in faster recovery from wounds, burns, and together with Vitamin E, helps reduce the risk of developing cancer later in life.

• Vitamin B1 assists in blood formation and brain function.

• Vitamin B2 or riboflavin is essential for healthy red blood cell formation and antibody production, and helps in the metabolism of all foods.

• Iron makes kids more energetic and gives their skin a healthy pinkish glow.

• Folic acid promotes healthier hair and nails.

• Calcium is needed for muscle growth and is critical for bone growth and bone development in children.

• Iodine is important for the proper development of brain and body function.

It is therefore crucial for Filipino parents to know the essential nutrients they have to provide their kids, may it be from balanced diets or from nutrition-packed chocolate-powdered drinks.

Picking the right supplement, the one which contains the right blend where the macronutrients complement with micronutrients, can spell a great difference to their future.