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Vitamins your child needs

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Growing children need all the help they can get and vitamins have, for a long time, been considered clever little helpers. They can be found naturally in food and contribute to proper functioning of the body and overall wellbeing. With just a small daily dose, vitamins can even prevent disease and illnesses. 

Here are the five vitamins your child needs for optimal growth and development:

Vitamin A

Forms of the vitamin

Retinol, retinal, retinoic acid and beta-carotene.

Important functions

· Improves eye health and promotes healthy vision.

· Maintains healthy skin.

· Strengthens the immune system.

· Crucial for reproduction and growth of bone, teeth and body cells.

Recommended dietary allowance

0-6 months – 400 μg/day

7-12 months – 500 μg/day

1-3 years – 300 μg/day

4-8 years – 400 μg/day

9-13 years – 600 μg/day

Food sources

Dairy products (milk, yoghurt and cheese), carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, butternut, spinach, broccoli, oranges, berries, and tomatoes.

Vitamin B

Forms of the vitamin

Multiple forms exist, each with their own unique characteristics and functions in the body:

· Thiamine (Vitamin B1).

· Riboflavin (Vitamin B2).

· Niacin (Vitamin B3)

· Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6).

· Cobalamin (Vitamin B12).

· Folate also known as folic acid.

· Pantothenic acid.

· Choline.

· Biotin.

Important functions

· All B vitamins are used to release energy from food and play a direct and indirect role in energy metabolism.

· Choline plays an essential role in brain functioning as it is needed to synthesize neurotransmitters.

· Folate is important in DNA synthesis and new cell formation.

· Vitamin B6 assists with red blood cell production.

· Vitamin B12 helps maintain nerve cells.

Recommended dietary allowance

0-6 months

7-12 months

1-3 years

4-8 years

9-13 years

Vitamin B1

0.2 mg/day

0.3 mg/day

0.5 mg/day

0.6 mg/day

0.9 mg/day

Vitamin B2

0.3 mg/day

0.4 mg/day

0.5 mg/day

0.6 mg/day

0.9 mg/day

Vitamin B3

2 mg/day

4 mg/day

6 mg/day

8 mg/day

12 mg/day

Vitamin B6

0.1 mg/day

0.3 mg/day

0.5 mg/day

0.6 mg/day

1.0 mg/day

Vitamin B12

0.4 μg/day

0.5 μg/day

0.9 μg/day

1.2 μg/day

1.8 μg/day

0-6 months

7-12 months

1-3 years

4-8 years

9-13 years

Folate

65 μg/day

80 μg/day

150 μg/day

200 μg/day

300 μg/day

Pantothenic acid

1.7 mg/day

1.8 mg/day

2 mg/day

3 mg/day

4 mg/day

Choline

125 mg/day

150 mg/day

200 mg/day

250 mg/day

375 mg/day

Biotin

5 μg/day

6 μg/day

8 μg/day

12 μg/day

20 μg/day

Food sources

Bananas, watermelon, avocados, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and organ meats (liver, kidneys and giblets).

Vitamin C

Forms of the vitamin

Ascorbic acid.

Important functions

· Plays an important role in collagen formation to keep skin, teeth, bones, ligaments and tendons healthy.

· Protects the body from inflammation, infection, and injury.

· Enhances the absorption of iron in the body.

Recommended dietary allowance

0-6 months – 40 mg/day

7-12 months – 50 mg/day

1-3 years – 15 mg/day

4-8 years – 25 mg/day

9-13 years – 45 mg/day

Food sources

Red peppers, strawberries, kiwi fruit, papaya, and cabbage.

Vitamin D

Forms of the vitamin

Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3).

Important functions

· Helps calcium absorption from the intestines to enable good bone mineralisation and prevent rickets.

· Plays a major role in teeth and bone growth by maintaining blood concentrations of calcium and phosphorus.

· Plays an essential role in cells of the immune system, brain and nervous system, skin, pancreas and muscles.

Recommended dietary allowance

0-6 months – 400 IU/day

7-12 months – 400 IU /day

1-3 years – 600 IU /day

4-8 years – 600 IU /day

9-13 years – 600 IU /day

Food sources

Oily fish such as pilchards, sardines, salmon, mackerel, and tuna; eggs, and mushrooms.

Vitamin E

Forms of the vitamin

Alpha-tocopherol.

Important functions

· Protects vulnerable cells from destruction and injury.

· May reduce the risk of heart disease and protect fatty acids in the body from oxidation.

Recommended dietary allowance

0-6 months – 4 mg/day

7-12 months – 5 mg/day

1-3 years – 6 mg/day

4-8 years – 7 mg/day

9-13 years – 11 mg/day

Food sources

Vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.

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