Does your child need supplements?

Much of the research into nutritional supplements has been focused on adults. While most of it indicates there are true benefits to taking nutritional supplements, not many doctors recommend supplements to their patients. How do you determine if you should add supplements to your child’s diet?

Pollution and toxins are more damaging to children due to their developing immune systems. This might be a contributing factor to the increase of degenerative diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease being diagnosed in children. The Center for Disease Control announced that children born after the year 2000 have a 1 in 3 chance of developing diabetes in their lifetime.

Many children are picky eaters making it impossible to provide them a full day’s worth of nutrients from diet alone. Current farming practices and food processing methods yield less nutritious foods. In addition, our hectic lifestyles often lead us to select convenience foods to feed our families. Many of these foods lack nutritional value and are usually loaded with salt.

Food portion sizes have increased while nutritional value has gone down. So in essence we are overfeeding and under-nourishing our children. Our children are full of food but lacking nutrients. Now we have what could become an epidemic of overweight children. Statistics from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 1999-2000 showed that approximately 30% of our children aged 6 to 19 are overweight. Being overweight is a contributing factor to many of the childhood illnesses being diagnosed today.

Nutritional deficiencies have been linked to an increase in aggression, anemia, thin and discolored hair and cracked lips. Behavioral problems are also believed to have a basis in malnutrition.

We must take steps to reverse these frightening statistics. We can begin with eating more meals at home. With some preparation we can serve a nutritious meal most nights. Introduce new foods to lay the foundation for healthy future eating habits.

To ensure your children receive the essential nutrients and minerals needed daily, offer them a high quality nutritional supplement in addition to a healthy diet. Not only do nutritional supplements fill any gaps in the diet but also provide the benefits of antioxidants, which offer protection against environmental pollution, among other types of pollution we are unaware of being exposed to.