Vitamins and minerals are essential for children’s proper growth and development. Most children meet their nutrient (vitamin and mineral) needs when eating nutritious foods. Others, who are picky eaters, need vitamin supplements.
Even though vitamins and minerals are calorie-free and don’t provide your child with energy, they help the body’s systems and metabolic processes function optimally.
Let’s talk about some common vitamins, why vitamins are important for your child, and where you can go in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida, for high-quality pediatric care.
Vitamins for Children
Vitamins are of two types: fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins. You take fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D, K, and E, from food, and your body stores these in your body’s fat tissues and liver. Your body uses these vitamins when it needs them.
On the other hand, water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and are not stored in the body. These vitamins travel through your bloodstream and get used. They come out of your body during urination when they aren’t needed. These are vitamin C and vitamin B complexes.
Let’s talk about the importance of these vitamins for your child.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A greatly affects your child’s eyesight, especially night vision. This vitamin helps see colors and fights body infection by boosting the immune system.
Milk fortified with vitamin A, dark green leafy vegetables, and orange fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamin A.
Vitamin B Complex
Vitamin B complex consists of B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), niacin, B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid, B12 (cobalamine), biotin, and pantothenic acid. They are important for your child’s metabolic activity, heart, and nervous system. Vitamin B12 also enhances the production of red blood cells.
The B vitamins are found in eggs, beans and peas, meats, whole grains, fish, and seafood.
Vitamin C
This vitamin is key to your child’s immunity. It keeps your child’s tissues, such as bones, blood vessels, and gums, in good shape and absorbs iron from food. Citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, and kiwi are rich in vitamin C.
Vitamin D
This vitamin is vital to form strong bones and teeth in your child. Vitamin D also lets your body absorb the essential minerals from food.
Sunlight is an excellent source of vitamin D, but it comes with a risk for skin cancer. So, if your child is vulnerable to skin cancer, you can include vitamin D-rich food like fish, liver, egg yolk, milk, and fortified cereal in their diet.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E plays a great role in strengthening your child’s immune system as well as protecting the cells and tissues from damage. Vitamin E is also important for healthy red blood cells.
Whole grains such as wheat and oats, egg yolks, nuts and seeds, wheat germs, leafy green vegetables, and vegetable oils are rich sources of this vitamin.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K prevents excess blood loss at the times when your child gets a cut. This vitamin activates specific clot-forming cells, causes them to stick together, and stops bleeding.
Dairy products, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, and vegetable oils are rich in vitamin K.
Children’s Health Experts in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
If you want to keep your child healthy and safe and seek the expertise of a child specialist, visit us at Children’s Medical Center. Our highly qualified, trained, and compassionate pediatricians offer a full range of comprehensive pediatric services.
To schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified physicians, call Children’s Medical Center today at the location nearest to you or fill out a form at our convenient patient portal.
