Experts’ warnings and common mistake of vietnamese mothers when supplementing calcium for children

Eva.vn – Almost every parent knows that calcium is necessary for the development of children, especially in terms of height. However, many parents do not fully understand calcium as well as know-how to choose and supplement the right amount of calcium for their children…     

Parents who want their children to be tall and healthy should always find ways to supplement the best nutrients. However, there is an alarming fact that many people are now taking calcium supplements in the wrong way, causing bad consequences for the health and future development of children.

To properly understand the mechanism of calcium absorption and know how to safely and effectively supplement calcium for children, parents should refer to the sharing of Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop – President of the Vietnam Nutrition Association, Former Director of the National Institute of Nutrition:

1. Properly understand of calcium and avoid taking calcium supplements in the wrong way

Question 1: Dear Professor, every parent wants their child to be healthy, develop maximum height and one of the ways many parents choose is to supplement calcium for their children. However, not everyone understands what calcium is and how it works. Could you explain more for parents to understand?

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop: It is true that many parents want their children to grow taller and pay attention to calcium supplements for their children. Calcium is really an essential mineral for the health and growth of children.

In the human body, 99% of calcium is in bones and teeth and only 1% is in blood cells. According to research, nutrients, as well as calcium from food sources, are the best, however, calcium in the Vietnamese diet only meets about 50-60% of the recommended needs.

Therefore, we need to supplement calcium, especially for children of growing age. For example: At the pre-puberty stage (8-10 years old in girls and 9-12 years old in boys), if a reasonable diet is ensured (enough calcium, protein, zinc, vitamin A, energy). …), children can increase in height by 8-10cm/year.

At the pre-puberty stage (8-10 years old in girls and 9-12 years old in boys), if a reasonable diet is ensured (enough calcium, protein, zinc, vitamin A, energy). …), children can increase in height by 8-10cm/year.

Question 2: Many parents think that the more calcium you add, the taller your child will be, is this true, Professor? What are the health risks of not getting enough or too much calcium?

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop: Parents must be familiar with the saying “too much of anything is not good”. This is true in calcium supplements for children. Lack of calcium will affect the solidity of bones and teeth and the child’s ability to grow taller: teeth grow slowly, children may have rickets (hair has signs of the rim, protruding bones, concave breasts, not sleeping well at night). Calcium deficiency also affects the immune system, reducing resistance to fight diseases.

Too much supplementation leading to excess calcium can also cause consequences for children such as constipation, early ossification… Excess calcium for a long time can also cause some more serious consequences such as calcium accumulation causing calcification or kidney stones, causing the body to reduce the absorption of other minerals such as iron, magnesium, and zinc. To ensure the right amount of calcium supplements for children, parents should consult with doctors or nutritionists.

Lack of calcium will affect the solidity of bones and teeth and the child’s ability to grow taller. Too much supplementation leading to excess calcium can also cause consequences for children such as constipation, early ossification.

Question 3: In addition to the inappropriate dosage supplementation that causes “more harm than benefit” as above, parents are often prone to other mistakes when supplementing calcium for children, Professor.

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop: Because of worrying that the amount of calcium in the diet is not enough for their children, some parents abuse medicinal products to supplement calcium with high content, or choose the types of calcium that are difficult to absorb, leading to an excess of calcium in children.

Milk and calcium-rich provide the best calcium for children.

In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the time of calcium supplementation for children as well as the side effects when using the wrong combination. For example, avoid taking calcium with iron because calcium will interfere with iron absorption, which can cause anemia in children.

In addition, many parents do not know and pay attention to calcium supplements combined with D3, K2 – a set of 3 to help optimize calcium absorption, so they cannot promote the effectiveness of this nutrient.

2. How should calcium supplements be given to children?

Question 4: Dear Professor, how should calcium supplements be given to children, and what amount should be appropriate??

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop: Calcium requirements depend on age, sex, developmental stage, and physiological status; Therefore, when supplementing calcium for children, parents need to find out how much calcium their children need per day to avoid affecting the development of children.

According to the recommended nutritional needs for Vietnamese people of Ministry of Health, National Institute of Nutrition (2016):

The calcium requirement (mg/day) by age and gender for Vietnamese children is given as follows: 6-11 months old is 400 mg/day, 1-2-year-old is 500 mg/day, 3-5 years old 600 mg/day, 6-7 years old is 650 mg/day, 8-9 years old is 700 mg/day, 10-19 years old is 1000 mg/day. The calcium (Ca) requirement of the body is determined in correlation with Phosphor (P): the desired Ca/P ratio is at least > 0.8 at any age, preferably 1-1.5 (especially for children).

Question: What should parents pay attention to in order to supplement the calcium for children correctly and sufficiently to promote the highest effectiveness and not cause side effects, Professor?

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop: There are 4 things parents need to pay attention to make sure their children absorb calcium most effectively: 

• Pay attention to dosage: Supplement for children according to the recommended needs and age-appropriate.
• Right time: Calcium supplementation for children is best in the morning, 30 to 60 minutes after meals.
• Combine Calcium with vitamins D3 and K2: Vitamin D3 and Calcium are inseparable duos because vitamin D3 is a nutrient that helps the baby’s body absorb calcium better.

Parents need combine Calcium with vitamins D3 and K2 helps the baby’s body absorb calcium better.

Vitamin K2 is likened to a “carrier” to bring calcium to the right place and take excess calcium from blood vessels or soft tissues to place in teeth and bones. At the same time, Vitamin K2 will help stimulate bone-forming cells, helping children’s bones to quickly grow to increase height.

• Choose an easy-absorb type of calcium, for example, Nano-calcium.

Question 5: According to what you’ve just mentioned, recently, experts often talk about the great role of Nano-calcium, so how is Nano-calcium different from regular calcium, and what advantages does this nutrient have??

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop: Nano calcium is calcium with an extremely small size (less than 60mm), maximizes its ability to penetrate into blood vessels, and is the first choice to supplement into the body. According to studies, Nano calcium is 200 times more absorbable than regular calcium.

At the same time, the Nano form also helps to reduce the daily calcium supply, thereby reducing the side effects caused by calcium such as kidney stones, constipation, and digestive disorders.

3. Mother’s choice nutrition, Baby’s future

Question 6: So could you suggest Eva’s parents with food sources rich in Nano calcium to supplement their children, help them grow taller and have strong bones.?

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop: As I have shared, according to studies, calcium from daily foods that children eat and drink is the best source of calcium. However, most conventional diets only meet 50-60% of the calcium needed for children.

To overcome this situation, to help children get enough calcium from their own diet, every day, parents should focus on letting their children use calcium-rich products such as milk and milk-based products (cheese, fresh milk, yogurt …), calcium-rich dishes such as meat, shrimp, crab, fish, or vegetables like kale, celery, cabbage, fish mint…

Milk is one of the most effective height-increasing foods. Milk is rich in calcium, which promotes the development of the whole body and helps keep bones strong. Mothers can choose Smarta Grow milk supplemented with a set of 3 nutrients: Nano Calcium, Vitamin D3, and K2 to help children absorb calcium maximally, limit calcium deposition in the blood, and supplement DHA, supporting children’s brain intellectual development. A reasonable number of serves for children to drink milk is 2-3 cups per day.

Thank you Professor for the useful information!

With expert advice, parents who “love their children wisely” will understand how their children’s bodies are developing and need to be cared for with nutrition to grow up healthy and strong. Parents will know how to supplement their children with important nutrients, especially calcium, by choosing calcium-rich milk products combined with vitamins D3 and K2 according to the appropriate formula.

Loving a child wisely is not difficult, as long as a wise mother always understands her child…

Cre: https://eva.vn/lam-me/sai-lam-pho-bien-cua-me-viet-khi-bo-sung-canxi-cho-tre-va-canh-bao-cua-chuyen-gia-c10a479129.html?fbclid=IwAR0-5vgJwFTI_cEDiRX5ygXH-sp_HvQk5-dXI70Uc9iNC9UueGkTZzW8Yxc