Children and Vitamins - An Unnecessary Combination

With all the talk about vitamins, deficiencies, and malnutrition, many parents have become worried about the required amounts of vitamins, and children not getting enough. Ideally, though, if your child is following a healthy, balanced diet, there should be no need for any supplemental vitamins.

There are, however, exceptions to every rule. Some children simply refuse to eat certain foods containing essential vitamins and minerals, leaving themselves vulnerable to deficiencies. If you cannot find an "acceptable" replacement food substance containing the required vitamin, the shortage will have to be addressed. There are also some cases where illness causes temporary loss of appetite in children, and vitamins have to be supplemented temporarily, to keep the body functioning optimally, and keep recovery on track.

Another, very real threat, is the over-indulgence in junk food. Because it was meant to appeal to the senses, most children would prefer it to normal food if given a choice. The result is a trend towards obesity and vitamin deficiencies.

Fortunately, the marketing efforts of manufacturers, even incorporating cartoon characters into the packaging, has made it more appealing to children, and vitamins can now be associated with "fun". As a precaution to children who may be taking extra dosages unnoticed, or as part of a game, care has been taken to develop supplements that cannot easily be overdosed.

On the whole, children should not need to take vitamin supplements. As a parent, you are advised to simply provide a balanced diet to your children, and vitamins contained in the fruits and vegetables consumed should be enough.

Are you becoming confused among all the vitamin supplements being promoted? You can make sense of it all by visiting our website on Vitamin Benefits.

Contrary to what manufacturers would like you to believe, taking vitamins in unbalanced combinations may be detrimental, as you will see by reading this article on Combination Vitamins A and D.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Doynes