Vitamin deficiencies do not only cause growth and development problems. It also prevents children from having radiant hair, skin, and nails. What vitamins should you give to make sure your child will not suffer such health consequences?
Vitamin Bs, C, A, and E are crucial for hair, skin, and nails. As the saying goes: "A healthy outside begins from the inside." What your child eats matters, and ensuring they get enough vitamins will make them look healthy inside and out!
A healthy outside follows after good nutrition. Every parent wants their children to have smooth and shiny hair, glowing and clear skin, and strong nails.
In this article, you will learn about:
- What are the essential vitamins for children's hair, skin, and nails, and where can you get them?
- How much of these vitamins should your child take to keep their hair, skin, and nails healthy?
- What will happen if your child is not getting enough of these vitamins?
Read on to learn more!
Nutrition for Children's Hair, Skin, and Nails
Did you know that your child's nutritional status is one of the indicators that reflects their health on the outside?
The hair, skin, and nails are parts of the body's integumentary system. It is the largest organ system that serves as a physical barrier to protect the inside of the body from external elements in the environment.
Vitamin deficiencies are detectable in children's hair, skin, and nails. As a responsible parent, you should be mindful of your child's diet by letting them eat healthy and nutritious foods such as:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Grain foods (bread, breakfast cereals, rice, corn, etc.)
- Milk and other dairy products
- Meats (lean meat, fish, and poultry)
- Eggs
- Legumes (peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.)
- Seeds
- Nuts
Moreover, you can let your child take dietary supplements to help boost their vitamin intake. Balancing children's diet and supplementation is an excellent combination to support hair, skin, and nail health.
If you are looking for quality kid-friendly nutrition support, we have our Kids Good Stuff to help meet your child's nutritional needs.
Vitamins for Children's Hair, Skin, and Nails
Let's enumerate the vitamins that support healthy hair, skin, and nails.
The Vitamin Bs
The B vitamins (B-complex vitamins) are essential for hair growth. It plays a vital role in producing red blood cells, which carry nutrients and oxygen to the scalp and hair follicles.
Research revealed that vitamins B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folic acid), and B12 (cobalamin) are necessary for the production of new healthy skin cells.
Aside from hair nourishment, biotin (B7) is also known for its effect on strengthening fingernails.
Vitamin B Deficiency
If a child is B vitamin deficient, they may experience nail infection, seborrhoea, patchy red rash, fungal skin, hair loss, brittle hair, or brittle nails.
Recommended Daily Intake
See the chart below for your child's daily intake requirements of Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), Vitamin B7 (biotin), Vitamin B9 (folic acid) and Vitamain B12 (cobalamin).
Sources of B Vitamins
Foods high in vitamin Bs are leafy vegetables, fruits, whole grains, meats, eggs and dairy products, legumes, seeds, and nuts.
Nuzest's Kids Good Stuff can provide the B vitamins for your child's hair, skin, and nail health! In every serving, they will get:
Vitamin C
Ascorbic acid or vitamin C is an essential nutrient and antioxidant needed for healing and fighting off infection. It also helps strengthens tissues, muscles, and the skin.
Furthermore, vitamin C promotes collagen production that keeps the skin plump and tight. Collagen is known as the building block of fingernails, hair, and teeth.
Vitamin C Deficiency
Achild will more likely develop scurvy in chronic conditions if they have a severe vitamin C deficiency. It is a disease that comes with skin fragility, impaired wound healing, corkscrew hairs, and bleeding gums.
Vitamin C deficiency also prevents proper nail growth, which can result in brittle and broken nails.
Recommended Daily Intake
The recommended daily intake of vitamin C for children 4–8 years old is 25mg, and 45mg for children 9-13 years old.
Sources of Vitamin C
Vitamin C-rich foods are mainly found in red bell peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, green vegetables, Brussel sprouts, and citrus fruits.
For every serving of Nuzest’s Kids Good Stuff, it has 100mg of vitamin C, equivalent to 261% of your child’s daily need for vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Retinol, or vitamin A, also an antioxidant, is vital in promoting and maintaining the skin’s epidermis and dermis. It is needed for the skin’s immunity, skin cell production, and moisturization.
Vitamin A supports the sebum secretion in the hair. Sebum is a substance that moisturizes the scalp and prevents hair breakage.
Vitamin A Deficiency
Aside from night blindness, children who have chronic vitamin A deficiency can experience dry skin, eczema, poor wound healing, and thin and brittle hair.
Recommended Daily Intake
The recommended daily intake of vitamin A is 400mcg for children 4 to 8 years and 600 mcg for children 9-13 years old.
Vitamin A Sources
Vitamin A is mainly found in animal products such as milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, liver and liver products, and fatty or oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, and trout.
A serving of our Kids Good Stuff contains 400μg of vitamin A which is equivalent to 63% of your child’s daily need for this vitamin.
Vitamin E
Tocopherol or vitamin E is an antioxidant that may have benefits for your child’s hair and skin. It helps prevents oxidative stress, which can cause hair and skin damage.
Vitamin E Deficiency
There are limited human studies that support the association between vitamin E deficiency and skin health. However, based on an animal study, vitamin E deficiency can cause skin ulceration in rats.
Recommended Daily Intake
The recommended daily intake of vitamin E is 7mg for children 4 to 8 years and 11mg for 9-13 years old.
Vitamin E Sources
Sources of foods rich in vitamin E are found in nuts, seeds, avocados, sweet peppers, and mangoes.
For every serving of our Nuzest’s Kids Good Stuff, it contains 10mg of vitamin E, covering 122% of your child’s daily need for this vitamin.
Nourish Your Child Inside and Out with Our Kids Good Stuff!
Boost your child’s vitamin intake with Nuzest’s Kids Good Stuff! It’s low in sugar, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and non-GMO.
The Kids Good Stuff is a delicious and nutrient-dense nutritional support made from real fruit and vegetables, with protein, calcium, probiotics, and more! It helps fill any nutritional gaps in your child’s diet! Everyone of all ages from 4 and up is welcome to give it a try!
KIDS GOOD STUFF
Made from real fruit and veg, with protein, calcium, probiotics and more, it's the all-in-one nutritional support their growing bodies need. Plus, there's absolutely zero bad stuff! It's quick, easy, healthy and delicious ....YUM!
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.
