The young age of children is synonymous with a lot of metabolic activity that needs to be fuelled with the right nutrition for them. All of these come together in ensuring the rapid and appropriate development of the body as well as various internal organs and functions needed for leading a good life. Vitamin A is one of those elements that many parents take good care of and ensure their child has the necessary amounts of it. But is there something as too much vitamin A? Let’s find out.
The benefits of vitamin A are tremendous since it affects a lot of areas of the child’s development. Vitamin A acts by:
The recommended dietary allowance of vitamin A for a child varies for each one. However, there are certain optimum levels that are decided for children based on their age.
When it comes to vitamins, Vitamin A is one of those that can be easily found in a variety of foods since most of them are rich in it. These are:
Generally, a well-balanced diet should provide your kid with the necessary proportion of vitamin A that is essential for his development. In some cases, supplements could also be opted for to support the levels of vitamin A.
Just because a particular vitamin is healthy, does not mean you can have endless amounts of it without harm. Most of the vitamin A that is consumed from food sources is rarely toxic since the body ends up storing the excessive vitamin. However, this exact function can be dangerous if vitamin A proportions enter an unsafe region, resulting in:
Although the optimum levels for each kid as per his age have been mentioned above, there is a threshold above which vitamin A can be harmful to a child.
In kids less than 3 years old, this should not cross 600 mcg. For children that are between 4 years old to 8 years old, the safety threshold for them is around 900 mcg. Giving any kind of vitamin A supplement that pushes the levels beyond the safety limit can be quite harmful.
Although in today’s age, the deficiency of vitamin A is a rarity, but there are cases when such scenarios have been observed, especially in the absence of the right diet.
Vitamin A for toddlers, infants, and children of all ages brings tons of benefits but only when consumed in the amounts as deemed optimum and safe for each kid. Development and healthy growth are key for all children and ensuring that, too, doesn’t go overboard are where parents need to be extra careful.
Also Read: Vitamin C for Kids
This post was last modified on August 21, 2018 7:09 pm
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