Are you worried that your child might be underweight no matter how much you feed him? If that's the case, it may have something to do with vitamin deficiencies. Then, you might ask yourself: "What vitamins should I give my child for him to gain a healthy weight"?

To improve the weight of your child, you need to feed them more calories from nutrient-dense foods. Vitamins can effectively promote appetite and encourage weight gain if your child is deficient in specific nutrients that may have caused weight loss. They may need vitamins thiamine, biotin, cobalamin, vitamin C, and vitamin D.

As a parent, you'll certainly do everything to ensure that your child receives adequate nutrition to keep their body healthy. Their body weight is one of the bases to check if their growth and development are right on track.

In this article, you will find out how vitamins can help your child gain a healthy body weight. Let's dive in!

If you notice your child is getting skinnier and skinnier, it may suggest that he is underweight.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that a person's weight status is determined by their body mass index (BMI). Using the Body Mass Index (BMI) percentiles, a child with a healthy weight belongs in the 5th percentile to the 85th percentile. If they belong below the 5th percentile, they are considered underweight.

Here are more ways for your to tell if your child may be underweight: Check how their clothes fit.

1. Kids are expected to grow rapidly. However, if you notice that your child doesn't outgrow his clothes as the season's pass, you might need to see the pediatrician to assess their nutritional status.
2. Check the child's ribs if they stick out. If the child's ribs are prominently visible, it can also suggest that they might be underweight.

Lack of nutritious food intake, genetics, and certain medical conditions are the main factors why your child is underweight for their age. It can:

• Negatively get in the way of their growth.
• Limit them from developing their full potential.
• Hinder them from joining physical activities with their peers. 

Children are known to be picky with their food. As they undergo growth changes, it can affect their appetite as well. Loss of appetite is also one of the side effects of certain micronutrient deficiencies - especially for vitamins. Thus, it results in growth failure.

Once your child is confirmed that they are underweight, the doctor will need to determine their eating habits and diet quality.

If your child has not gained weight due to nutritional deficiencies, it is best to see the pediatrician for a proper diagnosis. It is necessary for the doctor to first identify if there is an underlying condition or a medication that is interfering with the body's nutrient absorption.

The concept of gaining weight is not only about consuming more calories, though. For instance, a child can eat junk foods and cakes all day and get a lot of extra calories, but he'll be feeding his body with saturated fat and sugars, which can damage health.

Typically, improving a child's weight is corrected by increasing dietary intake of the nutrient combined with nutritional supplements.

You might have heard from your friends or other parents suggesting to give some multivitamins to "fatten up" your child to achieve a healthy weight. How true is this?

The truth is, NO. There is actually a misconception around the idea that vitamins can directly cause weight gain. In fact, vitamins do not mainly function that way. Not on their own, at least.

Vitamins are not calorie-containing nutrients (like carbohydrates, fats, and protein) which the body stores as body fat (when consumed in excess) and result in weight gain. They are essential for the body's metabolic function to stay healthy at the optimum level. Additionally, vitamins are crucial to prevent certain vitamin deficiencies that can contribute to poor appetite.

In general, fixing a nutrient deficiency is done by eating foods rich in that nutrient. Once the vitamin deficiency is corrected, you will no longer experience a loss of appetite because of the deficiency.

When appetite is restored, you'll often feel hungry because the body is trying its best to recover from the loss of proper nourishment. That's how you can quickly gain weight if you lose control of your appetite and not being mindful of your calorie intake.  

An underweight child may not be getting the nutrients he needs to develop healthily. To help get his health on track, parents should see their children eating a well-balanced diet and following healthy habits.

We all know that all vitamins are essential to help our body to function properly.

These are the vitamins that play a role in healthy weight gain:

Vitamin Bs

B vitamins are essential for energy metabolism and the production and maintenance of blood cells, skin cells, brain cells, and other body tissues.

Children with certain vitamin B deficiencies can potentially impair appetite. In the long run, poor appetite can result in malnutrition, which can also hinder their ability to gain weight.

Vitamin B deficiencies that are related to weight loss are thiamine (B1), biotin (B7), and cobalamin (B12).

• Thiamin (B1). A crucial B vitamin for energy metabolism. It helps maintain healthy cell function necessary for children's growth and development.
• Biotin (B7) and Cobalamin (B12).  These B vitamins play an essential role in improving your child's appetite.

Foods rich in B vitamins include green leafy vegetables, fruits, whole grains, meats, eggs and dairy products, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is necessary for boosting your child's immune system and maintaining normal growth and development. A healthy immune system can protect your child from various illnesses that may result in weight loss.

Furthermore, vitamin C helps promote iron absorption from the foods your child eats. Thus, it can stimulate your child's appetite, and they can appreciate the taste of food better.

Food rich in vitamin C is found in red bell peppers, green vegetables, citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, and Brussel sprouts.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is known as the "sunshine vitamin" that helps keep our bones healthy. Aside from that, it also promotes several vitamin and mineral absorption, and it is considered an efficient appetite booster to help children gain more weight.

Our body can produce its own vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. When we talk about vitamin D in food form, that refers to Vitamin D3.

Take your child for a short walk to get an ample dose of sunlight to activate vitamin D synthesis.

There are only a few foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D3. You can mainly find it from fatty fish and fish liver oils. Some smaller amounts of it are found in cheese, egg yolks, and cheese.

Prevent your child from becoming underweight! Good nutrition is the key to ensuring your child will grow strong and healthy. Encourage your child to eat a healthy and balanced diet by serving various foods in every meal.

Complement your child's meals with Nuzest's Kids Good Stuff to get the vitamins they need to achieve a healthy weight. Everyone of all ages from 4 and up is welcome to give it a try!

This is how much of these vitamins your child can get for every serving of Nuzest's Kids Good Stuff:

Kids Good Stuff is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and non-GMO! It is a delicious and nutrient-dense nutritional support that is low in sugar and made from real fruit and vegetables, with protein, calcium, probiotics, and more!

You can let your child choose the flavor too! We have wild strawberry, rich chocolate, and vanilla caramel.

Disclaimer:

The information provided on Nuzest is for educational and informational purposes only. The information provided on this site is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional advice or care. Please speak to your qualified healthcare professional in the event that something you have read here raises questions or concerns regarding your health.