Supplement Vitamins Correctly

Vitamins are very necessary for the body, but improper vitamin supplementation will lead to a deficiency or excess of vitamins that are too much, damaging to health. 

Supplement Vitamins Correctly

What causes vitamin deficiency?

Due to lack of Vitamins in meals

1. Seen in children living in difficult economic families, so the meals for children are not of good quality.
2. Due to eating moldy rice or long-term lack of Vitamin B1. Vegetables to wilt or refrigerate for too long. Due to improper processing of food, such as boiling over and over again. Due to excessive dietary practices or infants not being breastfed.

Vitamin deficiency due to some diseases

1. Children with malnutrition, prolonged diarrhea, absorption disorders, liver and bile diseases. are children who are often deficient in vitamins and minerals.
2. Children with malaria can cause Vitamin B1 deficiency and Vitamin B1 deficiency can further complicate malaria.

Vitamin deficiency due to other causes

1. Vitamin deficiency can be seen in premature babies, twins.
2. Children grow up so fast that the need for Vitamins will be higher than our usual daily supply.

How to provide vitamins for children?

1. Users need to know the US.RDA index, this index for each vitamin and micronutrient is usually listed on the medicine box. Be careful with preparations with a concentration of more than 5 times the allowed daily dose.
2. Single vitamin and micronutrient preparations often have very high content, such as Vitamin B12 type 5,000-10,000mcg (800% - 1,600% daily requirement), Vitamin C 1,000mg, elemental zinc 100mg (800% - 1,600% daily requirement). higher than 330% - 660% of daily needs) . when used, it is necessary to consult and strictly follow the instructions of the doctor.
3. Parents when using vitamins and micronutrients in combination form (multi-vitamin, multi-mineral.) must clearly distinguish formulas for children under 1 year old and under 4 years old. 
4. Vitamins are elements that are always available in food (vegetables, fruits, grains, meat, fish.), so if using quality food, no dieting, no absorption disorders in the digestive tract. There is no shortage, no need to supplement.
5. However, over-advertising on supplements, vitamins and micronutrients is making drug abuse more widespread and common, causing unpredictable complications due to. excess vitamins and micronutrients. .

Vitamin supplements and micronutrients are spreading drug abuse

What are the dangers of overdosing on vitamins?

Too much vitamin can also be dangerous for the child's body.

1. Excess vitamin A can cause poisoning, increase intracranial pressure, lead to vomiting, headaches, affect bone development, slow growth, and neurological disorders. Vitamin A can also cause teratogens, so it should not be given to the mother immediately before pregnancy and especially should not be used for pregnant women in the first 3 months.
2. Excess Vitamin B6 can lead to polyneuritis, memory loss, and decreased Prolactin secretion.
3. Because there is no accumulation phenomenon, there is almost no excess of Vitamin C, but if taken in high doses orally, it can cause peptic ulcers and diarrhea. High doses of parenteral administration can cause hemolysis, especially in people with G6PD deficiency.
4. Excess vitamin D can make children anorexia, fatigue, vomiting, thickened periosteum, in some cases may be retarded, intellectually impaired. In some cases, too much vitamin D can cause kidney failure and death very quickly.
5. Excess vitamin K is usually only seen with prolonged parenteral administration, which can cause hemolysis and jaundice.

In addition, some parents have a habit of arbitrarily using tonics, which can also inadvertently make children deficient in vitamins and micronutrients due to drug interactions. Sulfamide, Methotrexate. reduce absorption of B vitamins; High doses of vitamin E deplete Vitamin A reserves; High doses of vitamin C destroy Vitamin B12; Excess zinc interferes with iron absorption.

See the article Too much vitamin C causes insomnia and increases blood pressure

Conditions for the body to synthesize vitamins best

1. A typical case can be mentioned is Vitamin D. There are not many foods containing this Vitamin, but it is produced when the body is exposed to the sun, the time to sunbathe is good from 7 to 10 am.
2. Some vitamins such as A, D, K, E are only soluble in oil, so when cooking foods containing these vitamins, we need to add less fat.
3. Vitamins are often very easily destroyed when at high temperatures, so when cooking food, we should not cook too much, for too long Vitamins will fly away.
4. In addition, when using vitamins should be advised and prescribed by a doctor.

Jessica Tanner

Update 08 May 2023