Which vitamins are important for children?

The most important points in brief

• Basically, children should receive all vitamins in sufficient quantities.
• But there are a few of these healthy active ingredients in particular, where regular intake is particularly important.
• If the supply of these vitamins is below average, this can quickly lead to deficiency symptoms.
• Children's growth and their health depend to a large extent on adequate vitamin intake.

There is hardly a certainty in the broad field of nutrition that is as undisputed as the fact that children have to consume a lot of vitamins. Yes, adults also need these substances, but children are growing and the need for vitamins is even higher. Whether the nervous system, metabolism, immune defense, eyesight, the formation of red blood cells, iron absorption, bone and tooth preservation or cell division: All of these body functions require certain vitamins to run smoothly.

Not only fruits and vegetables are important for children

It is no longer a secret that most of the vitamins are contained in plant-based foods, i.e. in vegetables and fruits. However, there are also vitamins that are either only found in animal products, such as vitamin D (in fish), B3 (niacin, in meat and fish) and B12 (in eggs, milk, meat and fish), or in both animal and vegetable foods like B1 (thiamine, in legumes, vegetables and fish), B2 (riboflavin, in legumes as well as in meat, milk and fish) and B6 (pyridoxine, in avocados and bananas as well as in milk, eggs and meat).

Vitamin D plays a special role, which, as described, can only be consumed through fish with external food. However, the organism can only produce up to a maximum of 20 percent of the required amount of vitamins from the food consumed. The remaining 80 percent is produced by the human skin via a complex process that absorbs UVB rays - i.e. sunlight. Another special case is vitamin A, which in its basic form only occurs in fish, butter and milk, as a preliminary stage, namely as provitamin beta-carotene, but also in carrots, kale, broccoli, spinach and apricots. The body then converts the beta-carotene into vitamin A.

Which vitamins are neglected in today's everyday life in children?

The remaining vitamins, i.e. C, E and K, are found exclusively in fruit and vegetables or in vegetable oils. But what does that mean for children, which vitamins are particularly important? The answer «all» would of course not be wrong, but in principle children with a balanced diet consume almost all the important vitamins in sufficient quantities without causing deficiency symptoms.

It looks different with vitamins A, D and E. Vitamin D in particular is often neglected, simply because children are no longer outside as much as they used to be. The television and the game console make it possible. However, children often do not receive sufficient quantities of vitamins A and E either, and this also applies to folic acid. Folic acid is a vitamin that is contained in lettuce and legumes, but also in spinach and various types of cabbage.

Going out often and a healthy mix of vitamins are essential

So that adolescents receive a balanced supply of vitamins, staying in the fresh air is ideal - paired with a balanced diet that does not neglect fruit, vegetables and legumes, but also whole grain products, animal foods and nuts. Children who are vegetarian can of course leave out the meat, but at the same time they should consume more eggs and dairy products. Vitamins for children, which are administered in a child-friendly form, also have a supportive effect.