What is it?
Vitamin A is a busy vitamin – it helps your childs immune system to work effectively, it promotes good vision in dark or dim light, supports bone growth and it keeps their skin healthy!
There are two sources of vitamin A – some plants and food from animals.
Vitamin A which comes from plants is known as provitamin A carotenoids and good sources of this include:
- Leafy green vegetables (such as spinach, kale, turnip greens, and romaine lettuce)
- Broccoli
- Dark orange fruits and vegetables (such as apricots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, papaya, mango, and cantaloupe)
- Carrots – I want to give them their own line because it turns out there was actually truth to the story my mother told me about carrots helping you to see in the dark!
- Red bell pepper
Vitamin A which comes from food from animals is known as retinol. Good sources include:
- Liver
- Cod liver oil
- Butter
- Egg yolk
- Milk and yoghurt
So how much should our children be taking?
- Children from 0-12 months should be getting 350μg/day.
- Children from 1-6 years should be getting 400μg/day.
- Children from 7-10 years should be getting 500μg/day.
To find out what levels are in each of the most popular children’s multivitamins have a read of my full guide by clicking here!
I hope you found this information helpful and as always don’t hesitate to contact me on the WonderBaba Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/wonderbabacare) with any questions or for one to one advice for your little one! You can also consult with me in person at Milltown totalhealth Pharmacy in Dublin 6 or over the phone on 012600262.
References:
https://www.fsai.ie/assets/0/86/204/fb3f2891-2896-4bf9-903f-938f3c2ad01f.pdf
