Are kids supplements okay?
October 23, 2012
THE Complementary Healthcare
Council of Australia has defended
vitamin supplementation in
children, saying it can be helpful for
parents to ensure their children are
getting the adequate amounts of
vitamins and minerals.
The comments come on the back
of rising debates around the
supplementation of vitamins in
children’s diets, with the CHC
saying it strongly supports vitamin
supplementation in addition to, not
a substitute for, a balanced diet.
“Contrary to some reporting in
the media, consumers do
understand what they are taking
and are making informed
purchasing decisions when it comes
to dietary supplements,” the CHC
said in a statement.
“Getting a healthy diet filled with
all the essential vitamins and
minerals is at the cornerstone of
good health, however, in reality no
one eats perfectly all the time,”
said Executive Director of the CHC,
Dr Wendy Morrow.
“Nutritional supplements act to
fill in the gaps in a diet that is
lacking in sufficient vitamins and
minerals, as is often the case with
fussy eaters and those with food
sensitivities,” she added.
To support its position, the CHC
cited the 2007 Australian National
Children’s Nutrition and Physical
Activity Survey which found that
that while younger children aged 2-
3 generally eat the recommended
serves of fruit, their intake declines
as they get older, with just 1-2% of
older children reaching the
recommended target of three
pieces of fruit per day.
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