This is the first in a series of blogs to help prepare our children for the start of term starting with nutrition.
The end of the summer holidays is nearly upon us and preparations for the new school term are happening- uniforms, books, stationery but what about the nutritional needs of children? The nutritionists at BioCare have prepared some good advice in this area.
Healthy children are more likely to grow into healthy adults, so laying down good nutritional foundations in childhood can have lifelong benefits mentally and physically.
We face many environmental and emotional challenges in the modern world, and childhood is a crucial period in developing immune defenses that serve us in adulthood. Continuous environmental challenges and the constant need to adapt place considerable demands on young bodies, and when combined with genetic factors, busy lives, and poor nutritional status, it is easy to see how immune-related ill health may develop.
Immunity is a complex area of health, however, we can take action to equip our little ones with a shield to fend off the onslaught of germs to which they may be exposed.
Key nutrients for immune health suggested by nutritionists at BioCare
There are many names flung around in the media that we associate with immune health, but which are actually useful?
- Vitamin C is no old wives tale. A plethora of clinical studies show germ-busting immune cells need vitamin C to perform their task is well-recognised as a key support for immune function.
- Vitamin D may be best known in some circles for its role in bone health, but it is also an essential immune nutrient. It enhances immunity, and deficiency has been linked to tonsillitis in children
- Vitamin A supports the maintenance of mucous membrane defences such as the ear canal, and helps to increase the immune response.
- Zinc is another important immune nutrient, and deficiency has been associated with increased susceptibility to infections. Importantly for child health, zinc is crucial for the development of acquired immunity, where the body formulates an easy-to-read protocol to follow when a known invader is encountered. It has been found to support immunity in childhood irrespective of immune status, and may shorten the duration of colds by 7 days.
- Elderberry– research shows elderberry extract supports immune function by enabling the immune cells to recognise and attack viral invaders.
The Department of Health recommends that all children from six months to five years old are given supplements, in the form of vitamin drops, which contain vitamins A, C and D it also recommends that all infants and young children aged 6 months to 5 years take a daily supplement containing 7 to 8.5μg of vitamin D.