Path: Home page › Vitamins and minerals › Children's vitamins for appetite
Among the factors influencing children's health, a special place is occupied by the consumption of sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals, which allow all systems of the body to actively develop, have a positive effect on the processes occurring in it, and strengthen the immune defense.
A lack of useful components often provokes increased fatigue, lack of desire to eat, moodiness, insomnia, susceptibility to disease - in a word, leads to disruption of normal life. To prevent such a situation, it is necessary from a very early age to teach children to eat well and to properly organize their diet.
However, not every child can be fed with enough food that is required for the normal functioning of the body. There may be several reasons for this, but one of the most common is poor appetite. In turn, reluctance to eat food can be caused by hypovitaminosis. It is possible to break this vicious circle using a whole range of measures:
- taking vitamins to increase appetite;
- increased physical activity;
- review of diet;
- changing eating habits;
- preventing stressful situations.
Vitamins and minerals for appetite
Of particular importance in the formation of the desire to eat food are:
| Vitamin/mineral | Function | Sources in products | Signs of Deficiency |
| A | supports the health of mucous membranes, helps strengthen the immune system | broccoli, carrots, liver, eggs, milk | susceptibility to infectious diseases, decreased night vision, flaky skin |
| Group B (B1, B2, B6, B3, B5, B7) | play a vital role in the body’s production of energy, help maintain a smooth emotional background, and regulate the functioning of the nervous system | brewer's and bread yeast, cereals, nuts, liver, meat | decreased appetite, chronic fatigue, cardiac dysfunction, irritability |
| C (ascorbic acid) | Boosts immunity, helps release energy from fats | citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, most berries, fruits | bleeding gums, decreased immunity |
| Zinc | has a positive effect on the body’s defenses, participates in carbohydrate metabolism | beef, crab, oysters, whole grains | decreased concentration, excess weight gain |
| Prebiotic (oligofructose) | promotes the growth of healthy microflora in the intestines, normalizes the functioning of the immune system and digestive tract | only drugs | digestive disorders - diarrhea, constipation, bloating |
| Magnesium | helps produce energy from glucose, reduces sugar levels | whole grains, nuts, legumes | disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, the occurrence of insulin resistance syndrome |
What vitamins for children should be taken for appetite?
If your child has no appetite, you need to first find out if he is getting enough of the necessary vitamins and minerals? After all, a young growing body needs them first of all! To replenish their reserves in the body, you need to include vitamins for your child’s appetite in the diet and adjust the composition of dishes.
Table of essential vitamins needed for the growth and development of a child’s body
| Vitamin or mineral | Effect on the body | Symptoms indicating its deficiency |
| A | Responsible for supporting the body’s defenses and for healthy vision and skin | There is pain, decreased visual acuity, dry flaky skin |
| B: B1-B7 | Responsible for the functioning of the nervous system, emotional stability and energy | Lack of appetite, increased irritability and drowsiness |
| C | Immunity, removal of fats from the body | A decrease in the body's defenses, the occurrence of mouth ulcers, bleeding gums |
| Prebiotics: inulin and olgifructose | Normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, immune system, restore intestinal microflora | Gastrointestinal tract disorders |
| Zinc | Promotes carbohydrate metabolism and improves immune system function | Due to insufficient carbohydrate metabolism, excess weight may accumulate, concentration may decrease, and pain may occur. |
| Magnesium | Responsible for blood sugar levels, participates in the process of releasing energy from glucose | Impaired insulin resistance, disruptions in carbohydrate metabolism |
Children's vitamins for appetite prescribed by a doctor can be of great benefit to the child's body. But if they are taken incorrectly, serious problems can arise, so it is imperative to follow the recommended dosage.
Features of taking vitamins that increase appetite
Despite the undoubted benefits that the body needs from the organic compounds it needs, uncontrolled use of vitamins by a child to improve appetite can lead to negative consequences. The most common reasons for this are:
- non-compliance with the instructions for the selected drug;
- exceeding recommended doses;
- taking a drug whose components are antagonists.
You can often come across the opinion that there are never too many vitamins that increase appetite, and the body absorbs only the amount it needs. This is true for a number of components, but most often an overdose, especially long-term, can lead to trouble:
Vitamin A
The use of increased doses provokes a yellow-orange coloration of the skin, which easily disappears after adequate therapy. In addition, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and dizziness may occur. Maximum effectiveness with vitamins C and E.
B vitamins
An overdose can be dangerous, causing an allergic reaction, a sharp drop in blood pressure, impaired consciousness, muscle weakness and other symptoms. They are best absorbed in combination and promote calcium absorption.
Vitamin C
Exceeding recommended doses provokes diarrhea, bloating, and nausea. Interacts well with vitamins A and E.
Zinc
Taking too much zinc at one time causes nausea, vomiting, and chronic overdose leads to decreased immune defenses. Perfectly absorbed together with magnesium.
Magnesium
Abuse of magnesium leads to the development of toxic reactions of varying severity: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, decreased blood pressure, cardiac and respiratory disorders. Positively interacts with zinc.
Orthorexia
The desire to eat right can gradually develop into an obsession, which provokes the occurrence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Those who suffer from orthorexia may avoid eating meat or dairy products for a long period. This kind of diet soon leads to a lack of minerals and nutrients in the body. This threatens the emergence of serious diseases, because the child’s body is still developing. The musculoskeletal system, nervous and cardiovascular systems are affected, and hormonal imbalances are observed.
If a child or his parents are obsessed with healthy eating, it is necessary to select a menu with the participation of a gastroenterologist. This will help you find the optimal balance of nutrients in your daily intake for the full formation of all organs and systems.
Vitamins "Pikovit" for a healthy appetite
Most parents are well aware that for normal growth and development the child’s body needs adequate nutrition, which is why a child’s refusal to eat is alarming. Doctors recommend taking children's vitamins for appetite in cases where reluctance to eat is caused by a lack of nutrients in the diet, as well as in cases of significantly reduced body weight, high emotional stress, and for the prevention of asthenic syndrome.
Vitamin and mineral complexes "Pikovit" contain components that help cope with the problem of refusal to eat, as well as prevent the occurrence of such a symptom.
Any complex of the Pikovit brand contains vitamins to improve appetite in children of the appropriate age, which allows them to be widely used as a source of useful components.
Decreased appetite and its possible causes
Loss of appetite is considered a condition in a child when he is not hungry and does not want to eat, despite the fact that he has not eaten for a long time. If the baby refused breakfast, did not have a snack of cookies, yogurt or anything else, and at lunch he refused to eat, or only ate a couple of spoons, then this is a serious decrease in appetite. In this case, it is worth finding the reason for this behavior.
Refusal to eat can be caused by:
- teething;
- taking vitamins or medications;
- heatwave;
- onset of the disease.
In addition to these obvious reasons, there may be others. For example, atypical situations, depression or stress can trigger a decrease in appetite. Analyze the situation. Maybe the baby went to a new kindergarten, you changed your place of residence and he misses his friends from the yard, his grandmother was always nearby, and now she has left. Even minor changes in a child's life can cause stress.
If you recently had a cold and your baby was prescribed medication, then there is nothing surprising in the loss of appetite. It’s just that the body has thrown all its strength into fighting the disease and time must pass until everything returns to normal. In this case, you shouldn’t even think about how to increase the appetite of a 4-year-old child.
It is also worth paying attention to what your child snacks between meals. If these are rolls, cookies or sweet carbonated drinks, then it is not at all surprising that after this he refuses to eat soup or porridge. In this case, he is simply not hungry. It will be enough to exclude flour and sweets as snacks. You can replace this with an apple or pear. And the situation will probably change very quickly and your appetite will return.
There is also a direct connection between appetite and physical activity. If a child sits near the TV all day or plays computer games on a tablet, then he has nowhere to spend his energy. Accordingly, there is no desire to eat, because replenishment of energy is not required. Walk your child outside more, let him run with a ball and ride on a swing. And when lunch time comes, he himself will ask you for food.
Food for appetite
If a baby has a poor appetite, but doctors unanimously declare that his health is fine and his tests are normal, then most likely this is just a feature of the body. In this case, it is worth following the diet, feeding at the same time, and also eliminating snacks.
It is also recommended to give foods that increase appetite in children shortly before meals. It could be something salty or pickled: cabbage, cucumber or tomato. It is also believed that a small amount of sour juice, a handful of raspberries or a slice of orange before eating increases appetite.
It is also good to give children tea made from fennel seeds. It is given to infants to improve digestion, and for older babies it helps improve appetite. It is easy to prepare: 1 teaspoon of seeds is brewed in a glass of boiling water and infused for 2 hours in a warm place. Take the prepared infusion 1-2 tablespoons before meals.
Improving appetite with medications
It happens that it is not possible to increase a child’s appetite using folk remedies. If the correct diet, lack of snacks and sweets also do not give a positive result, then it makes sense to turn to traditional medicine.
But in no case should you choose medications on your own; for this you need to consult a pediatrician. He will be able to realistically assess the need to such an extent and prescribe medications that increase appetite in children. These can be drugs such as Glycine, Lysine or Creon (enzymes) or vitamins A, C, B12. Typically, tablets that increase appetite in children have a pleasant taste and bright color. The kids take them with pleasure.
Daily rituals
To get your child interested in food, it is important not to force him to eat and under no circumstances punish him for refusing lunch. Try to create some interesting daily rituals. For example, you can set the table together using beautiful dishes, napkins, and unusual cutlery.
Mom can also put food on the plate in the form of a funny face or an animal known to the child. If your child has favorite dishes or products, then it makes sense to cook from them most often. Then it will definitely be eaten.
If you don’t understand how to increase your child’s appetite, reviews on the Internet on forums of mothers who also have small children can help. Surely people there share different tips, and some of them will definitely be useful to you.
What vitamins to give
Often the cause of poor appetite is a deficiency of vitamins and minerals. The situation is aggravated by the fact that even fewer nutrients enter the body. In such cases, the easiest way out is children's vitamins to increase appetite.
Vitamin preparations promote the absorption of other useful substances, activate energy production and normalize the functioning of internal organs.
The most important vitamins for restoring normal appetite:
- Vitamin A. Necessary for strengthening the immune system. Deficiency is manifested by deterioration of vision, changes in the condition of the mucous membranes and skin.
- Vitamin B. All b vitamins are involved in metabolism, and the vitamin is also responsible for immunity.
- Vitamin C is needed for the formation of bone tissue, the strength of gums and teeth. Ascorbic acid improves digestion and strengthens the immune system.
In addition, appetite is stimulated by:
- L-carnitine is a beneficial substance similar to B vitamins. Levocarnitine is involved in energy metabolism.
- Zinc. Without this element, carbohydrate metabolism and reliable immunity are impossible.
- Magnesium is needed to absorb glucose and maintain its level in the blood.
- Iron is an essential participant in the process of hematopoiesis.
- Oligofructose is a prebiotic that normalizes intestinal microflora and digestion.
Pharmacy vitamins can be taken separately, but it is better to choose a complex with a calculated dosage of elements. The system starts the process of restoring appetite.
Excess of some vitamins can cause negative reactions from stomach upset and dizziness to vomiting and allergies.
