18 Supplements For Your Growing Teenage Body Up till 18 YO

Supplements to ensure that your growing body is optimized

By Fred S.
18 Supplements For Your Growing Teenage Body Up till 18 YO

The new generation spends continues to spend less and less time with their parents, and more of it on their devices. It’s either that, or they’re outside for hanging out with friends. Due to this, parents lose control over what their teens eat almost all the time. This can stray the kids away from a balanced diet, as they gravitate towards more junk food and late-night deliveries. In such a situation, supplements might be a great way to ensure that your children get the vitamins and minerals they need for healthy growth and strong immunity.

Why Taking Supplements Are Important?

Yes, the best way to attain nutrients is to eat healthy food. Adding more fruits and vegetables to one’s diet has a direct positive impact on countering nutrition deficiencies. But, let’s be honest; when is the last time your kid had some broccoli with a smile on their face? Would they ever happily choose a salad over a Big Mac? Nah, who would?

In small quantities, vitamins are essential for our bodies to maintain normal metabolism. We don’t naturally produce them, so it has to come through an external source. Either a balanced diet needs to be maintained, or extra vitamin supplements become necessary. However, there are a lot of picky eaters out there, or children with poor appetite, who refuse to maintain a balanced diet. Apart from that, the family’s following a restricted diet, such a vegan or vegetarian ones, may also not consume a wide enough variety of foods to have a balanced diet.

As a parent, it’s your responsibility to ensure your children are getting everything they need to maintain their health and growth. No matter the challenges, you’ve got to find ways to keep their vitamin and mineral intake up to the mark. Perhaps, that might be part of the reason why one-third of US children have dietary supplements in their routine. A few wisely chosen supplements can do the job for your family too!

Safety Measures before Using Supplements

We’ve established that children who follow restrictive diets, are picky eaters, or suffer from ailments that hinder nutrients absorption, supplements can come in handy.

Of course, supplements aren’t fun and games, you’re supposed to consult with a professional healthcare expert before exposing your child to one.

It’s advisable to look for brands known for their high quality, and have been independently tested by a reliable third party. Bodies like the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), the NSF International, Informed-Choice, or ConsumerLab.com are good examples for such third-party testers.

Also, it’s important to choose vitamins that are specially designed and geared towards children. Make sure they don’t contain mega doses of vitamins or minerals that exceed the nutrient needs of young children.

Speaking of that, it’s important to also bring up how different types of vitamins and minerals are known to be helpful during different stages of your growing up children. There have been researches and studies conducted to figure out what’s essential during which stages, and in which areas the body usually falls short during different stages of growing up. Keeping those studies in view, the next part of the article points out which supplements you should look for, depending on the age group of your child. Keep reading!

Your Tween and Teen Years

In one’s teen years, the importance of calcium and vitamin D rules. Muscle and bone growth is at its peak, and calcium is absolutely essential for it all. Without sufficient vitamin D though, the body fails to absorb the calcium from foods and drinks. Failing to provide the body with what it needs to build bones during this stage can lead to serious effects later on, such as a risk of brittle bones. In these crucial bone-building days of a child, sufficient doses of vitamin D and calcium need to be attained side by side. But how much?

According to the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements, tweens and teens need around 1,300 mg of calcium and 600 international units of vitamin D on a daily basis. It’s always preferable to get these doses of nutrients naturally from the foods we eat, but that doesn’t always happen. Due to special needs, circumstances, or just the uninviting nature of some foods, supplements seem to be a more appealing option. During your visit to the pediatrician, make sure you talk about their diet, nutrition, and the supplements you’re looking to buy for them.

Supplement Suggestion: Nature Made Calcium 500mg + Vitamin D Tabs

Nature Made Calcium 500 mg Tablets with Vitamin D

For developing healthy teeth, bones, and muscles, the transition of your child into a young adult will need a good supply of calcium! Ensuring sufficient amounts of calcium and vitamin D intake in the growing years of a girl can highly reduce the risk of osteoporosis in women later on. These Nature Made tablets are made just for that, deriving their contents from natural ingredients. It’s a neutral flavor, free of gluten, artificial ingredients, or other allergens.

Each serving (one tablet) consists of 500 mg of calcium and 400 international units of vitamin D3.

Why This One?

These calcium and vitamin D tablets from Nature Made contain natural ingredients that come from animals and plants. The body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium effectively, and this tablet brings them both into a single package.

Your 20s (men)

The calcium and vitamin D needs persist even in a man’s 20s. Though, requirements for other vitamins and minerals are on the rise as well. Depending on one’s diet, taking a certain type of supplements would make sense. For example, a vegan man in his 20s would generally benefit from some extra vitamin B12, as its main source is animal products. You must make sure your body is getting enough of it, because it’s what keeps nerve cells and blood cells healthy, and aids in the production of DNA.

Supplement Suggestion: Best Vitality 100% Natural Vitamin B Complex

Ultimate Vitamin B Complex Dietary Supplement

This popular supplement is targeted for buyers following a diet plan that doesn’t include sufficient amounts of vitamin B12. Usually, that means vegans, and hence these tablets are vegan too – made fully from plant-based ingredients. The components used are all-natural, making these tablets completely safe for everyone. The Best Vitality B Complex is a tried and true formula, containing a sufficient dosage of vitamin B12, folic acid, and B6, to ensure healthy cell regeneration.  

Why This One?

Coming with a powerful trio of vitamin B12, B6, and folic acid, each tablet has the potential to lift your teen’s mood! They supply essential nutrients for healthy skin, nails, and hair, which play a huge role in enhancing your confidence! Most importantly, the ingredients are all plant-based, making it perfect for all vegan and vegetarian people.

Your 20s (women)

These are a woman’s child-bearing years! Women usually tend to have babies in their mid to late 20s, which brings a whole new perspective to the requirements of nutrients. When planning to conceive, it’s advisable to start taking a prenatal vitamin supplement that includes folic acid and B-complex. This should start before getting pregnant, as folic acid reduces neural tube birth defect risks, and other B vitamins help with a healthy and smooth pregnancy. These vitamin supplements can also reduce autism risks of our baby! During this all, the body still needs a consistent dose of vitamin D and calcium, whether they come from food or supplements.

Country Life Daily Total One Maxi-Sorb Multivitamins (With Iron)

Country Life Daily Total One Iron Free Multivitamin & Multimineral Complex

These tablets are incredibly good for women in their 20s – especially if they plan on becoming mothers soon! It contains the benefits of the vitamins and minerals that play an important role in maintaining good health. The tablets consist of vegetarian ingredients and come in a chewable form that makes things super convenient. Coming with Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D, E, K, folic acid, and much more, they’re all you need!  

Why This One?

These multivitamins for teens have no animal fat or meat content in them. They’re supposed to be taken in doses of one tablet daily, and promises complete nutrition! They’re also known to boost energy metabolism, thanks to a special digestive blend they contain. Moreover, they’re completely free from dairy ingredients, artificial sweeteners, wheat, or preservatives!  

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Summary

Our body is a complex machine that runs on a very specific type of fuel, an important part of which is attributed to vitamins and minerals. Without sufficient doses of these, growth would hinder, and the body comes to a risk of experiencing many illnesses and weaknesses later on. To prevent this from happening, it’s the parents’ responsibility to make sure a child gets exactly what he/she needs to grow without absolutely any compromises on health. For that, supplements help by filling in the deficiencies effectively. Remember to consult a healthcare expert before you take any step further though. All the best!

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