by Travis King

Created on: March 15, 2010

Do children need vitamin supplements? Not necessarily. Most children, if they are eating a balanced diet, will receive sufficient nutrition from their food. For thousands of years we survived without supplements, and those who ate what we recognize today as a healthy diet were relatively healthy. In recent times, nutritional advances have taught us that certain foods, or chemicals found in foods, play a role in preventing certain diseases. For example, for most of history sailors were often stricken with a disease called scurvy, but when sailors ate foods rich in vitamin C, they did not get scurvy. Another example is vitamin D, which our bodies create when exposed to sunlight. Recent studies have shown that many people do not get enough of this important nutrient. The growing science of nutrition is teaching us many things about the roles of nutrients and how they keep us healthy.

If children eat a healthy diet based on a variety of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts, they will probably not need vitamin supplements. However, many children, especially in poverty-stricken countries and even in rich countries where children feast on macaroni and cheese, don't get adequate nutrition from their food. These children will probably need to supplement with vitamins and other nutrients. Some children also have medical conditions that affect their absorption of nutrients, so they also may need to supplement. You should always consult a doctor, however, before giving your child supplements. There are tests available to monitor the levels of nutrients in the body, which can determine if your child needs supplements, what kind, and how much.

The drawback to supplements is not always that you may not get enough of a nutrient but that you may get too much. Taking super-doses of vitamins and minerals, especially fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K, can cause health problems as bad as those caused by deficiencies. Many people do not realize that more is not always better, and can in fact be harmful in the case of nutrition.

In summary, if your child is eating a healthy diet and getting enough water, sunshine and exercise, he or she should not need vitamin supplements unless prescribed by your doctor. You should always ask your doctor before giving your child supplements, especially large doses of vitamins, which may be harmful. We are learning more and more about nutrition every day, and this information will help our children to be healthy and successful in the future.

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