Each child has a unique nutritional requirement. But all children need the right amount of nutrients, like macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), to achieve average weight for their age and height. Therefore, aside from serving healthy foods, like milk, fruits, vegetables, and grains, to your children, you also need to provide supplements, such as vitamins, to gain weight and increase their energy reserve.
Best Vitamins To Gain Weight
Food supplements include essential minerals and vitamins to increase appetite and gain weight in children. The essential vitamins to help accomplish this goal include the following:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B Complex
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
Children also need essential minerals to aid vitamins in cellular functions. Here are the minerals you should look for to help your kids gain weight:
- Calcium
- Iron
- Zinc
- Iodine
Importance Of Vitamin Supplementation For Kids
Providing the best vitamins for kids to gain weight should be every parent’s priority. During childhood years, the body is active and requires high nutrient levels for faster growth and development.
Children need vitamins to gain weight in the Philippines. For those who live in coastal areas, children might lack access to fruit trees and vegetables. On the other hand, those who reside in mountainous regions of the country may lack iodine, a nutrient typically found in fish and seafood. Likewise, children in urban areas need to take supplements due to the lack of available, accessible sources of vitamin- and mineral-rich foods.
How Do Vitamins Help Children Gain Weight
Vitamins and minerals don’t cause added weight directly since they don’t have caloric content. Instead, they help macronutrients, like carbohydrates, and cells, tissues, and organs to carry out important functions.
Here are the essential vitamins and how each can help your child gain weight:
1. Vitamin A
The rich food sources of vitamin A include meat, liver, eggs, milk, carrots, sweet potatoes, and orange fruit. Vitamin A is the recommended micronutrient for healthy eyesight, skin, immune function, and overall growth and development. Hence, kids can attain a stronger immune system with vitamin A, improving weight among children indirectly.
2. Vitamin B Complex
Vitamin B complex is one of the many best vitamins to gain weight for Filipino children. Here’s a list of B vitamins and their functions:
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Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
Children can obtain thiamine from fish, meat, whole-grain bread, fortified breakfast cereals, and yeast extracts. Vitamin B1 aids in energy release energy from foods allowing the muscles and nervous system to work properly.
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Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Vitamin B2 is naturally available in milk, yogurt, cheese, meat, eggs, yeast extracts, and wholegrain bread, as well as fortified breakfast cereals. Vitamin B2 helps the cells release energy from the food children eat and improves overall tissue and organ function, which helps them gain weight indirectly.
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Niacin (Vitamin B3)
The best niacin or vitamin B3 sources include meat, chicken, fish, yeast extracts, and nuts. Vitamin B3, like other B vitamins, helps release energy or glucose from food. Vitamin B complex supplementation ensures your cells receive the right energy supply and convert extra carbohydrates into fat properly for children to gain weight.
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Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)
You get vitamin B6 from meat, fish, wholegrain foods, vegetables, and nuts. Vitamin B6 releases energy from protein and helps with red blood cell production and brain function.
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Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)
Vitamin B12 or cobalamin can be found in animal foods such as fish, meat, milk, and eggs, as well as fortified breakfast cereals. This B vitamin helps in proper growth and development and red blood cell production, affecting weight gain. By visiting the health site you can know this about per Geeks Health.com
1. Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
To get vitamin C, people need to consume fruits, like kiwi and orange, and vegetables, like potatoes and capsicums. This important vitamin helps the body fight infection and builds collagen. It also helps absorb iron (to prevent anemia) from food. With vitamin supplements, your children will have stronger bones, gums, and teeth. Hence, a daily dose of vitamins to gain weight is imperative for good pediatric health.
2. Vitamin D
Humans obtain vitamin D from direct sun exposure, activating this vitamin on the skin. Vitamin D is available in relatively small amounts in fish liver oils, oily fish, egg yolks, margarine, mushrooms, and butter. Vitamin D helps in proper calcium absorption, keeping the bones stronger and healthier than ever for growing children, affecting their gaining of weight, and avoiding malnourishment.
3. Vitamin E
Tocopherol or vitamin E plays a significant role in eye and skin health. Seeds, nuts, canola oils, and sunflower have vitamin E, boosting your child’s immune system. With healthier immunity, eyes, and skin, children are less likely to suffer from diseases and impairment that may affect their appetite to eat and gain weight.
4. Vitamin K
Green leafy vegetables, like kale, lettuce, spinach, collard greens, and broccoli, are rich in vitamin K. This vitamin is also present in beans and eggs. Vitamin K is crucial in proper blood clot formation to avoid bleeding. Supplementing vitamin K through multivitamins helps your children get the right amount to promote healthy blood cells, which aid in weight gain and immune boost.
Role Of Multivitamins In Weight Gain
Vitamins and minerals in multivitamins help in the proper growth and development of young children. Aside from vitamins, children need minerals to avoid deficiency and perform at their best in school and during playtime.
When your children have complete vitamins and minerals found in multivitamins, they have a better appetite, making them eat more nutritious foods you serve them. Children’s essential minerals to sustain their energy include folic acid, calcium, zinc, iron, and iodine. They also need trace amounts of magnesium, copper, chromium, and phosphorus.
Conclusion
You’re now more confident in choosing the best supplement for your children. As a parent, it’s important to provide nutritious foods and supplements to your children to meet their nutritional needs. Choosing the right vitamins to gain weight and boost immunity is crucial to achieving children’s overall health and well-being. Filipino children and parents have plenty of food supplement brands to choose from nowadays. Just make sure you pick one that you and pediatricans trust.
