Vitamin D in children’s diet

Vitamin D is very important for the health and proper development of children. Parents are usually concerned about the lack of vitamin D in children’s diet. In this article, you can learn all about importance of vitamin D in children’s diet. Also, learn how much vitamin D does a child need, which sources are better, and how to avoid vitamin D deficiency in your child.

Explore in this article:

• Importance of vitamin D in children’s diet
• How much vitamin D does a child need?
• What are the best sources of vitamin D for children?
• Is it possible for a child to have an overdose of vitamin D?

importance of vitamin D in children’s diet

why does a child need vitamin D? importance of Vitamin D in children’s diet is because it helps the body absorb minerals like calcium and build strong teeth and bones. According to experts, a lack of vitamin D in children’s diet causes osteoporosis, a disease that leads to bone deformities and fractures. It can also prevent a child from reaching the height that is naturally in his genes. Additionally, a deficiency in vitamin D can impact the achievement of optimal bone density. Vitamin D acts as a hormone that has many functions in the body, including regulating the activity of the immune system, insulin production, and cell growth.

How much vitamin D does a child need?

Children up to 12 months need 400 international units (IU) or 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day. Children older than one year also need 600 units or 15 micrograms of vitamin D per day. Also, your child does not need to receive the full recommended amount of vitamin D every day. Instead, try to average the recommended amount over several days or a week. In other words, you can plan the child’s diet in such a way that, for example, when you calculate the total intake of vitamin D for a child older than one year in three days, which is 1800 units, and then divide by three to get the daily average After these three days, the total should average about 600 units.

For example, you can include 400 units today, 500 units tomorrow and 900 units of vitamin D in the child’s food.

What are the best sources of vitamin D for children?

Vitamin D is called the “sunshine vitamin” because the body can produce it when exposed to sunlight. But when your child’s body is clothed or covered with sunscreen to prevent the sun’s rays or is not exposed to the sun for other reasons, his body will not be able to produce vitamin D. Other barriers to vitamin D production through sun exposure include smog (a type of air pollution), presence of clouds, having dark skin, and living in certain geographic locations.

Although it’s hard to estimate how much sun exposure a person needs to get the recommended amount of vitamin D, some researchers suggest that spending five to 30 minutes outdoors between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at least twice a week is sufficient. However experts caution that the sun’s UV rays are a primary cause of skin cancer. It’s not easy to judge whether you can get enough vitamin D from the sun without increasing your risk of potentially fatal skin cancer. Therefore, you need to try to find other ways to get the vitamin D you need.

In general, experts recommend that all children, take 400 units of vitamin D supplements every day. Children who are too young to eat chewable vitamins can also take liquid supplements.

Here are foods rich in vitamin D for toddlers:

• 28 grams of salmon or trout: equivalent to 102 units
• 170 grams of enriched yogurt: 80 units
• Half a cup of orange juice, enriched with 25% of the daily requirement of this vitamin: 50 units
• Half a cup of fortified milk (whole, low-fat, or fat-free): 49 units
• Half yolk of a large egg: 10 units

The amount of vitamin D in a food can depending on the brand. Also, children may eat more or less of these foods according to their age and appetite, so it is better to estimate the intake of Vitamin D in children’s diet based on the type and amount of your child’s appetite.

Learn about Food allergy and its symptoms in babies.

Is it possible for a child to have an overdose of vitamin D?

Although some parents are concerned about this, most pediatric experts, are concerned that the current recommended amount is too low and that children need much more.

However, vitamin D can be harmful if taken in large amounts. According to available statistics and recommendations, the safe upper limit for children 12 months and younger is 1,000 to 1,500 units per day. For children aged one to eight, the safe upper limit is 2,500 to 3,000 units per day. Vitamin D is stored in body tissues. Therefore, it is better not to take more than what health professionals recommend. In contrast, vitamin C is not stored in the body and any excess is easily excreted through urine.

Before giving any medicine or supplement to children, it is necessary to first check the dosage of that supplement. after checking give the supplement to the child according to his physical health and the opinion of the child’s doctor so that no problem occurs.

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