by Anonymouse

Created on: April 23, 2008   Last Updated: July 07, 2008

Children who do not consume enough vitamins may become unhealthy, sick, or even diseased. From their first days of life, people need vitamins to build immunities and stay healthy. An English scientist named Dr. William Fletcher noted this during the early twentieth century when he discovered a correlation between the consumption of polished rice and sometimes fatal cases of beriberi. The husks of unpolished rice contain vitamin B. These same husks are stripped during the polishing process. Consumers of the unpolished rice stayed healthy, while the others became vitamin B deficient and contracted disease.

Bearing this knowledge in mind, every responsible parent naturally poses the question: Which vitamins does a child need to stay healthy? How much is too much? There is such a thing as too much; iron poisoning is a leading cause of death in children because iron supplement often look and taste like candy. In the case of poison related emergencies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promote a call to poison control at 1-800-222-1222; having this number handy could save an invaluable life.

Children need enough nutrients to develop properly without being harmed. A lack of vitamin A can cause loss of vision. On the contrary, according to the Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon, "Severe cases of hypervitaminosis A may result in liver damage, hemorrhage, and coma." Quite the balancing act, it's not unusual to wonder whether one is tipping the scales too far in either direction.

Fortunately, for curious or concerned parents, there are professionals armed with useful information. Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Donna Dimarco of Pompano Beach, Florida advises: "the simplest way to maintain good health and to insure that our bodies function properly is to make wise food choices (foods that are nutrient rich, whole and fresh) then to chew that food well in order to release all the nutrients that nature has provided for us."

The key is not bottled supplements, but simply a balanced diet. Babies get every nutrient they need from breast milk. By the time they become toddlers, the consumption of vitamins A (carrots, oranges), C (fruit), and D (fish, eggs, sunlight), iron (red meat, almonds, greens), and calcium (dairy products) becomes increasingly necessary. A new phase begins around a child's first day of school. From that time forward, most children will benefit well from a diet similar to that of their parents. A standard food pyramid best illustrates what this consists

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>