Micronutrients and children: what mothers should know
A mother dedicates every waking moment to the betterment of her child. She nurses the child's wounds, reads them bedtime stories and ensures that they eat the most nutritional food for their physical and mental growth. A mother's job is never done. To perform her motherly duties she only has the knowledge and resources she picked up along the way.
That is why it is essential that mothers understand the importance of proper nutrition in helping their little ones reach their maximum potential. Everyone knows the importance of macronutrients, like carbohydrates, proteins and fat. However, people rarely know, or even understand, the importance of micronutrients. Perhaps because of their size or lack of understanding, we often forget these tiny nutrients that play a vital role in keeping our bodies healthy and functioning normally.
Micronutrients, which include both vitamins and minerals, are found naturally in a variety of plant and animal-based food. Vitamins are tiny organic compounds that can be categorised into two types: fat soluble and water soluble. The fat soluble ones are vitamins A, D, E and K. The water soluble vitamins are vitamin B and C.
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient needed for the normal functioning of the visual system, growth and development, immune function and reproduction. It can be found in eggs, milk, fish, meat, leafy green vegetables, orange and yellow vegetables, tomato products, fruits and certain vegetable oils.
Vitamin D, on the other hand, is present in very few food types but most people obtain it from exposure to the sun. This happens when ultraviolet rays from the sun strike our skins and trigger the production of vitamin D. It is needed for health and to maintain strong bones as it helps the body absorb calcium from food. It can also be found in cod, cod liver oil, egg yolks, milk, butter, salmon, shrimp, oysters and fortified cereals.
Vitamin E aids in the immune functions and vitamin K helps in the clotting of blood and the production of protein for healthy bones and tissue. Then there is vitamin C, probably the best known vitamin, which plays an essential part in wound healing. It also plays an important role in immune functions.
Vitamin B comes in several forms such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pentathonic acid, B6, biotin, folic acid and B12. Each of them plays an important role in the maintenance of normal bodily functions. Most vitamin B's, like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and B6, are needed for energy metabolism while B6, B12 and folic acid are needed for the formation of healthy red blood cells.
Then, of course, we have minerals. These, too, fall into two categories. The ones we need in smaller amounts are called trace minerals and those we need in larger quantities are called macro minerals.
Iron, one of the most abundant metals on Earth, is a trace mineral. It is essential to most life forms and to normal human physiology. Almost two-thirds of iron in the body is found in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissues. Smaller amounts are found in myoglobin, the protein that helps supply oxygen to the muscles. With these two vital functions being dependent on iron it is no surprise that adolescents have a very high need for it, especially during their period of rapid growth.
There are two forms of dietary iron: heme and non-heme. Heme iron can be found in meat, poultry and fish. Non-heme, on the other hand, is found in cereals, legumes, some fruits and dark green vegetables. However, heme iron can be degraded and converted to non-heme iron if food is cooked at a high temperature for too long.
Zinc, another trace mineral, supports normal growth and development during childhood and adolescence. It also plays a role in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing and cell division. A daily intake of zinc is required because the body has no specialized zinc storage system. It can be found in oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, eggs, and dairy products such as yogurt.
Then we have calcium which is a macro mineral and the most abundant mineral in the body. A majority (99%)
of calcium is stored in the bones and teeth where it supports its structure and function. It is further needed for muscle function and nerve transmission. The body uses bone tissue as a source of calcium to maintain constant concentrations of calcium in the blood, muscle and intercellular fluids.
Both major and trace minerals play key roles to keep our body healthy and functioning normally. Both types also work in synergy with vitamins and other nutrients in the body's metabolism, growth and development. With this in mind, mothers should be aware that children need a varied diet that encompasses all their growing needs. However, this is not always possible due to cost, time, availability of food or the eating habits of children. In these cases micronutrient fortified foods or dietary supplements would be beneficial.
Thilini Jayasinghe
BSc (Sri Lanka), MSc (PGIA, Sri Lanka), MSc (Sydney)
Nutritionist
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