The benefits and disadvantages of zinc supplementation for children

The benefits and disadvantages of zinc supplementation for children. Zinc is an important trace element in the body. It is involved in maintaining the integrity of ion channels and biological membranes. Participate in the synthesis and activation of enzymes, promote growth and development, and promote wound healing. The following are the benefits and disadvantages of zinc supplementation for children. The benefits and disadvantages of zinc supplementation for children 1

Zinc plays a regulatory role in the immune function of the human body. Zinc can maintain the normal physiological functions of men and promote the normal development of children. Promote ulcer healing. It is often used for children with anorexia, malnutrition, and slow growth. It can also treat hair loss, rashes, oral ulcers, gastritis, etc. For people who are not zinc deficient, additional supplements may cause excess zinc in the body, leading to metabolic disorders and even damage to the brain.

1. What are the symptoms if a child is zinc deficient?

Generally speaking, the most obvious symptoms of zinc deficiency in children are: sparse and yellow hair, reluctance to eat, and picky eaters and anorexia. In addition to these changes, repeated colds, easy diarrhea, and easy illness are all manifestations of zinc deficiency.

2. So what are the benefits of zinc supplementation?

Studies have shown that zinc supplementation can prevent colds. If cold patients take zinc supplements within 24 hours after they first develop cold symptoms such as runny nose and sore throat, their cold symptoms will be relieved. Most patients will Recovery is possible within a week.

Children who take zinc supplements continuously for more than 5 months rarely catch colds and are less likely to get sick. Supplementing children with sufficient zinc can also promote their growth and development, promote their intellectual development, maintain the body's normal appetite, enhance the body's immunity, and promote the healing of wounds and wounds. However, many parents easily neglect zinc supplementation for their children because they do not understand these conditions. Therefore, giving zinc supplements to children is a long and arduous task for every family.

3. Zinc deficiency among children in my country is serious.

In our country, the proportion of children with zinc deficiency is still very high. According to the "Survey on the Health Status of Children Aged 0-6 Years Old in Ten Cities in my country" released by the Office of the Women and Children's Working Committee of the State Council and the China Children's Center in 2005, our country The proportion of zinc deficient infants and young children is as high as 39%. Therefore, zinc supplementation for children requires sufficient attention from parents.

4. How can we ensure that children are not deficient in zinc and have a strong body?

First, adjust your child’s diet. Zinc mainly exists in seafood, animal offal, lean meat, pork liver, fish, egg yolk, etc. Among them, oysters have the highest zinc content. Therefore, parents can allow their children to eat the above foods appropriately and supplement zinc through dietary supplements.

Secondly, because the content of zinc in other foods is very small. For example, there is almost no zinc in the water, staple foods in children's daily diet, and the eggs that children love to eat. There are not many vegetables and fruits containing zinc, and delicate rice and noodles will also lose more than 80% of zinc. Infants There are few foods that young children can get enough zinc from. Therefore, children can be appropriately supplemented with specialized zinc supplement products such as Yiganxin (licorice zinc granules).

It can not only effectively replenish zinc in children, but also has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, can effectively prevent and treat diarrhea, and has a very significant auxiliary treatment effect on repeated respiratory tract infections. Benefits and Disadvantages of Zinc Supplementation for Children 2

What are the benefits of zinc supplementation for babies?

1. Promote child development: Most of the enzymes required for human growth and development require zinc to participate in their functions. At the same time, zinc can also promote the division and growth of bone cells, making it easier for the body to absorb calcium. quality.

If a child is deficient in zinc, the number of brain cells will be reduced, affecting brain development, thereby affecting intelligence; the child will become short and even suffer from dwarfism.

2. Increase appetite: Zinc deficiency can cause children to have insensitive taste, poor appetite, anorexia, partial eclipse, and pica. In addition, insufficient nutrition can cause children to not grow taller.

3. Accelerate wound and wound healing: Zinc can speed up the healing of skin wounds, and children with zinc deficiency have slow wound healing.

4. Promote vitamin A metabolism and protect eyesight: Zinc can promote the absorption of vitamin A and help vitamin A metabolize. The zinc enzyme content in the eyes is high. After zinc deficiency, the enzyme cannot work normally, and night blindness, optic neuritis, etc. are prone to occur, which seriously affects vision.

5. Enhance immunity: The development of the human immune organ, the thymus, is indispensable for zinc. Zinc deficiency will affect the normal functioning of the immune system.

6. Promote the development of children's reproductive functions: Male testicles store a large amount of zinc, which is involved in the generation, maturation, and capacitation of sperm. Zinc deficiency can affect the development of children's reproductive organs.

What should we pay attention to when giving zinc supplements to children? Although zinc plays a very important role in the human body, if it is supplemented blindly, it will cause harm to the child's body.

For example, excessive zinc supplementation will cause children to develop symptoms such as:

1. Metabolic disorders and damage to brain neurons. Children are prone to headaches, diarrhea, vomiting, convulsions, and memory loss.

2. Inhibit the absorption of other elements: The human body's absorption of iron, calcium, copper, and vitamin C can cause iron deficiency anemia.

3. Inhibit the activity and bactericidal power of human phagocytes, reduce immunity, and increase the possibility of disease.

4. Cause zinc poisoning, leading to fever, kidney failure, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and anemia.

5. Cause growth retardation, joint bleeding, bone decomposition and other diseases.

Therefore, if the child is not determined to be deficient in zinc, there is no need for special supplements, because we can absorb enough zinc from our daily diet and maintain the body normally. operating and developing. Benefits and Disadvantages of Zinc Supplementation for Children 3

What are the benefits of zinc supplementation for children?

1. Promote growth and development

If a child is deficient in zinc for a long time, it will affect the normal growth and development of the child. If the zinc deficiency lasts for a long time, the height of the child will be affected. , in severe cases, it may even cause children to suffer from dwarfism, so children must supplement zinc in time after zinc deficiency.

2. Increase appetite

If a child is deficient in zinc for a long time, the sensitivity of the sense of taste will decrease, causing the child to not like to eat or have anorexia, which will affect the child's health over time. Being affected, severe cases may even lead to the occurrence of pica, where the person loves to eat nails or hair.

3. Improve immunity

If children are deficient in zinc for a long time, their immunity will gradually decline, making children easily infected by germs. For example, children who are deficient in zinc during the change of seasons will Respiratory tract infections are prone to occur. Timely zinc supplementation to children can enhance the immune function of cells in children's bodies, thereby improving children's immunity.

4. Make wounds heal faster

Timely supplementation of zinc is also very helpful in the treatment of skin diseases. The human body requires the participation of many enzymes in the metabolic process, and zinc can activate factors containing enzymes, prompting children's epidermal cells to divide and grow faster, making wounds heal faster.

5. Helps in vision development

Timely supplementation of zinc is also of great help to the development of children's vision. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for eye development, and zinc can increase the body's absorption rate of vitamin A.

6. Promote the improvement of intelligence

Zinc plays a vital role in the development of the brain's nervous system. If children are deficient in zinc for a long time, the brain development of children will be affected, sometimes even Brain retardation and inability to concentrate may occur, and in severe cases, cerebral palsy may occur. Appropriate zinc supplementation can promote the improvement of intelligence and improve children's attention and reaction ability.

Warm reminder

Although zinc supplementation has a great impact on children, zinc supplementation cannot be blind. Before zinc supplementation, a comprehensive trace element measurement must be done first. If you are really deficient in zinc, you can supplement it. In addition, dietary therapy is the most effective supplementary method, so children should be helped to develop the habit of not being partial or picky about food. In addition, breastfed babies do not need additional trace element supplements.