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| Supplements
for Kids |
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The
use of nutritional supplements in children is more controversial
than their use in other age groups. While most of us feel that
the use of nutritional supplements in adults makes sense, especially
as we get older or in those who exercise, or women during pregnancy
and lactation, that's not the case when talking about supplementation
in children.
 The
reasons are many but the two main ones are that first of all
it's not needed in children since they eat a variety and quantity
of food that should provide all the nutrients they need. The
second reason is that we're more protective of our children
and as such are not willing to use a variety of nutritional
supplements in which we don't have all the answers as to the
long-term effects of these supplements.
These are two reasonable concerns and as such need to be examined
in more detail keeping in mind that these feelings are usually
reserved for young children and not for older teenagers. The
reason being that young children are more under our control
while teenagers are more like adults with all the connotations
and dietary imbalances that apply to adults.
Can
they get all their nutrients from whole foods?
Dramatic
changes take place in children's bodies from the time they're
born up to the end of their teenage years. Girls have sudden
spurts of growth between the ages of 10 and 15, and boys slightly
later, between 12 and 19. Children's calorie needs vary; 1200
a day for a one-year-old, 1600 for a five-year-old, 2100 for
a 16-year-old girl and 2700 for a boy of the same age.
Ideally
the nutritional needs of children could be satisfied by a healthy
and wholesome diet. Unfortunately while it's possible to control
what our children eat up to the time they go to school, it's
not possible to make sure that the school-age children know
what foods are best to eat, that they have access to these foods,
or that the foods they eat are not nutritionally depleted (coming
from depleted soils and highly processed) and thus may not contain
the necessary nutrients.
The bottom line is that all children should be encouraged to
adopt a healthy lifestyle and diet and to use nutritional supplements
according to their varying needs.
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Dr. Di Pasquale is a licensed physician in Ontario, Canada, focusing on Nutrition and Sports Medicine, as well as a world class athlete for over twenty years... [more]
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