Should Teenager take vitamins?

 

Many parents wonder what is a good vitamin for their teenagers to take? Like children and adults, teenagers also need to take vitamins. In fact, other than during pregnancy and breast feeding, teens have a greater nutritional and energy requirement during their formative years than any other period of their lives.

 

Why?

Teenagers need to take vitamins for many reasons. For starters, teenage bodies need to take sufficient minerals and vitamins to ensure healthy development during their growth spurts. As teens undergo significant physical and biochemical changes in their bodies, the necessity for vitamins greatly increases.

 

What to Take?

Teenagers should take a multivitamin and mineral supplement daily. Vitamins work better when they are all taken together as one, rather than taking a few individual supplements.  Teens who are more active with athletics and working out need vitamins even more than teens who do not partake in strenuous activities and exercise.

 

Essential Vitamins for Teens

+  B12 and Folic acid are required due to the rapid development of tissue synthesis.
+  Zinc, magnesium and calcium are needed for strong bones and to increase bone density.
+  Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E are required to ensure that newly formed cells function in a healthy manner.
+  Vitamin D and Vitamin B6 are needed in greater amounts during the teenager years for healthy skeletal and tissue growth.

As the amount of calories increases, the requirement for Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2 and Vitamin B3 increases as well.

 

Teenage Diets

Whether it is due to their busy schedules or a lack of concern for eating the right foods, many teenagers are unable to keep a well balanced diet. For whatever reason, during teenage years inadequate diets are more common than in any other stage of development.

Many teenagers are not getting enough of the essential nutrients their bodies need to stay strong and healthy. Here are some interesting, yet alarming, trends and facts about teenage nutrient intake and overall nutrition:

-  During the teenage years, zinc, iron and calcium are frequently at lower levels than their recommended amounts.
-  Vitamin C and Vitamin A are often low.
-  Many teens consume too much sugar and refined carbohydrate foods.
-  Teen phosphorus intake is often too high as a result of an over-consumption of soft drinks and energy drinks.  This often has a negative effect on their calcium levels as well.

As a general rule, those teens who skip regular meals tend to eat less food, including fewer healthy snacks, such as fruits. Consequently, they have the most inadequate diets of all.  For most girls, the desire to be thin is greater than the desire to live a healthy life by eating a balanced diet is another setback.

 

Vitamins for Teens

- Boys

Extra Vitamin A and zinc are sometimes recommended for male teens. Vitamin A is useful in combating free radicals in the body and thus benefits the immune system. Often times, the acne boys experience during their teenage years from hormone growth can be successfully counteracted by Vitamin A as well.

- Girls

Teenage girls need lots of calcium, Vitamin B6 and iron. Vitamin B6 is involved in certain hormonal processes of the menstrual cycle. It helps to cope with rising levels of estrogen. Iron deficiency can occur in teenage girls as they lose iron monthly during menstruation. Calcium ensures strong bones during their formative years.

Summary

Teens need vitamins just as much as every other adult. In fact, teens actually need much more because their bodies are undergoing significant changes. Parents and doctors should assist to ensure that teens are taking the appropriate amount of vitamins through a daily multivitamin supplement.

VIVA corner

VIVA Life Science has 3 wonderful products that can meet teenagers’ daily requirements:  B-easy, Calcium-Magnesium & D, Vivashield. 


Dailyguard can be added if more nutrients are required for supplementation.