Multivitamins Multibenefits: Back to School
Summer has definitely arrived.
For children, summer is often an exciting time—sometimes with special events—festivals and holiday travel, alongside the break from school routine. It is a time when children spend time with family and friends, often engaged in outdoor activities. Summer is also the season of growth—and children, too, seem to grow more over the summer.
These few weeks of summer heat and holiday travel can alter daily routine, impacting food choices and altering stress levels of both children and adults. Whilst enjoying the refreshment that a summer break can provide, it is important to ensure our children maintain good nutrition status.
Obtaining optimum levels of essential nutrients from food can be challenging even with a really good diet. Current farming methods and the storage and transportation of foods as well as depletion of nutrients from the soil, mean nutrient content of our foods may be reduced.
Growing children require nutrients for optimum growth and development. Alongside a healthy nutrient-rich diet, a multivitamin supplement may help supply essential nutrients to safeguard health and ensure optimum growth and development.
Vitamins are important to helping the body to function and to grow. For example, vitamins can:
- Contribute to reduction of tiredness and fatigue (vitamins B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Folate, C)
- Contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism (vitaminsB1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, biotin, C)
- Contribute to normal psychological function (vitamins B1, B3, B6. B12, Folate, biotin, C)
- Contribute to normal functioning of the nervous system (vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, biotin, C)
- Contribute to normal functioning of the immune system (vitamins B6, B12, Folate, A, C, D)
- Contribute to maintain the normal function of the immune system during and after intense physical activity (vitamin C)
- Contribute to normal function of the heart (vitamin B1)
- Contribute to normal metabolism of iron (vitamins B2, A)
- Increase iron absorption (vitamin C)
- Contribute to protection of cells from oxidative stress (vitamins B2, C, E)
- Contribute to maintenance of normal mucous membranes (vitamins B2, B3, biotin, A)
- Contribute to maintenance of normal vision (vitamins B2, A)
- Contribute to maintenance of normal skin (vitamins B2, B3, biotin, A)
- Contribute to maintenance of normal hair (biotin)
- Contribute to normal red blood cell formation (vitamins B6, B12)
- Contribute to maintenance of normal red blood cells (vitamin B2)
- Contribute to normal blood formation (Folate)
- Contribute to normal mental performance (vitamin B5)
- Contribute to the regulation of hormonal activity (vitamin B6)
- Contribute to normal synthesis and metabolism of steroid hormones, vitamin D and some neurotransmitters (vitamin B5)
- Contribute to normal homocysteine metabolism (vitamins B6, B12, Folate)
- Contribute to normal protein and glycogen metabolism (vitamin B6)
- Contribute to normal amino acid synthesis (Folate)
- Have a role in the process of cell division (vitamins B12, Folate, D)
- Contribute to normal cysteine synthesis (vitamin B6)
- Contribute to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy (Folate)
- Contribute to normal macronutrient metabolism (biotin)
- Contribute to normal collagen formation for the normal function of blood vessels (vitamin C)
- Contribute to normal collagen formation for the normal function of bones, cartilage and teeth (vitamin C)
- Contribute to normal collagen formation for the normal function of gums (vitamin C)
- Contribute to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin (vitamin C)
- Have a role in the process of cell specialisation (vitamin A)
- Contribute to the regeneration of the reduced form of vitamin E (vitamin C)
- Contribute to the maintenance of normal bones (vitamin D)
- Contribute to normal growth and development of bone in children (vitamin D)
- Contribute to the maintenance of normal teeth (vitamin D)
- Contribute to the maintenance of normal muscle function (vitamin D)
- Contribute to normal absorption/utilisation of calcium and phosphorus (vitamin D)
- Contribute to normal calcium levels (vitamin D)
Whilst the summer break can refresh, it can also negatively impact learning; the term ‘summer brain’ is used sometimes to describe the loss of academic skills and knowledge evidenced by lower achievement scores in September.
It’s only a few short weeks before children head back to school and we head into the cooler weather of autumn. Supporting your child’s growth during this time and providing them with the nutrients they will need when they begin their new school year makes sense. Consider adding a daily multivitamin to their routine now.....ready for back-to-school. Ready for life's challenges.
