Doctors remind healthy children only need a variety of foods, not supplements.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — A board-certified pediatrician in Florida, Dr. Mona Amin, said that consumption of supplement can be a risk to children’s health if the dose used is not right. Therefore, taking supplements is not something that is easily recommended to his patients.
Dr Amin said, ideally, healthy children only need a varied diet or one that contains a variety of fruits, vegetables, spices and probiotics. Children also need adequate sleep, hydration, exercise, and exposure to sunlight.
“Pediatricians will sometimes recommend a daily multivitamin to children who don’t like to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables,” said Dr. InsiderFriday (1/7/2022).
According to Dr. Amin, if parents really believe that they have read the results of the research and want to give supplements to their children, he will not be against it. He just wanted parents to weigh the benefits and risks.
In the United States, the supplement industry is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Dr Amin cautions that that means there are no regulations ensuring the product’s safety or even its effectiveness.
A Consumer Lab study in 2017 found nearly half of the supplements in circulation had nutrient levels that were markedly different from label claims. Supplement consumption in the US is hitting an all-time high with recent survey data showing that older people are the main consumers.
A poll by the University of Michigan found half of a nationally representative sample of 1,251 parents surveyed said they depended on supplements. A recent study from Germany also found that the prevalence of drug and supplement use in children increased between 2014 and 2019.
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