Do Children Need Supplements?

Are kids just the latest target in the Lucrative Vitamin Marketplace, or is there a genuine need for supplements for them?
 

Doctors are often asked if children need dietary supplements. The answer is that some children need supplements in certain circumstances. “Generally speaking, healthy children do not need dietary supplements if they are taking a wide range of food items every day,” says Professor Quak Seng Hock, Head & Senior Consultant of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Hepatology at National university Hospital.

“These should include adequate intake of good quality protein, unrefined carbohydrates and an adequate supply of long chain polyunsaturated fats, fresh vegetables and fruits. Kids with a limited intake of these nutrients, such as picky eaters or those who have a restricted intake in certain food groups, dietary supplement would be necessary. For example, vitamin B12 and iron are recommended among children who are strict vegetarians.”

As a parent, it is important to know what supplements to give your child, in which combinations and when, says Professor Kerryn Phelps, who is also a GP. “Supplements will never replace a healthy, balanced diet of fresh whole foods in a child with no problems with their digestion. That presumes that children are eating healthy diets with all the essential nutrients they need and they are able to digest and absorb those nutrients. Of course, that is not always the case.”