Should children who are lazy to eat should supplement with zinc?

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Zinc is an important trace element or cofactor for about 70 active enzyme systems in the body. This element has an energetic role in many bodily functions, especially the ability to perceive taste. Therefore, children who are lazy to eat should supplement with zinc is the concern of many parents. In particular, children with zinc deficiency anorexia is a cause to think about and overcome.

1. What is zinc and its role in health?

Zinc is an essential trace element that plays a role in growth, tissue repair and wound healing, carbohydrate tolerance, testicular hormone synthesis, and immune response.
Because zinc intake is closely related to protein intake; As a result, zinc deficiency is an important component of nutrition-related morbidity worldwide.
Symptoms of severe zinc deficiency include impaired growth, primary hypogonadism, skin disease, impaired taste and smell, impaired immunity and resistance to infections.
Therefore, zinc supplementation in populations at risk of zinc deficiency appears to have a beneficial effect on the incidence and outcome of serious childhood infectious diseases. Thus, the anorexic child, supplementing with zinc according to the appropriate indications is one of the effective remedies.

2. What are the benefits of zinc for children?

Zinc is an essential mineral and one of the most important nutrients for a rapidly growing body. Zinc is needed for the healthy growth and development of children to build new tissues and also has the following roles for zinc:
Supports the maintenance of healthy immune function in children and can reduce the frequency of mild upper respiratory tract infections. When zinc intake is insufficient, it can lead to poor immune function and increased susceptibility to disease. Promotes collagen formation to aid in bone building and maintenance of bone strength, and supports the growth of cartilage for healthy joints. It is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins and is therefore important to get the most out of the food a child eats. Necessary for wound healing; Therefore, zinc is especially valuable for children because they are susceptible to minor scratches. Helps maintain healthy cravings. When zinc is deficient over a period of time, the condition can lead to a decreased appetite, which is not ideal for children who are growing rapidly and are often picky eaters. Participates in the process of building the structure of proteins and cell membranes, maintaining good physical health. Offers antioxidant properties and may help reduce the damaging effects of free radicals in the body.

3. Should children who are lazy to eat should supplement with zinc?

A child's appetite is an important issue related to a child's health and is a major concern of most parents. There are a number of factors that can influence a child's appetite, for example, emotional swings, exhaustion, mood swings and activity levels. A child's growth rate begins to decline around the age of two, which explains the relative decline in appetite at this age.
Besides, every child develops at a different rate and this pattern will influence their eating behaviour. Appetite changes from day to day and from meal to meal. If a child's development is normal, there is no reason for parents to worry. Changes in appetite are usually infrequent and would be of no consequence to a healthy child.
Recent studies show that zinc deficiency is associated with reduced growth, increased colds and infections, impaired memory, learning disabilities, and poor attention. At the same time, zinc deficiency is a major problem and cause of anorexia and malnutrition in children, especially in developing countries, and is concentrated in the group of children under 5 years of age. Therefore, zinc supplementation through a menu fortified with nutrients or synthetic foods is part of a strategy to prevent malnutrition and anorexia in school-age children with zinc deficiency.

4. Needs and necessary sources of zinc for children

According to the institutes of nutrition and medicine, children aged one to three years should get 3 mg of zinc per day, children aged four to eight years should get 4mg per day, and children aged nine to 13 should take 6mg per day. This can be achieved entirely through a healthy diet or zinc supplements.
Foods of animal origin always contain more zinc than foods of plant origin. Of these, oysters contain more zinc than any other food; however, some children may have difficulty tolerating the taste of foods containing oysters so parents can also choose from the following other kid-friendly zinc rich foods:
Beef Pork Lentils, Peas Chicken Breast Cashews Green Beans Cheese Oats Almonds like almonds, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds Crab and lobster

In some cases, despite parents' best efforts, a child still may not be getting the required amount of zinc from his or her diet due to picky eating habits, anorexia or other factors . To supplement children's diets and ensure they have the amount of zinc their bodies are developing at each stage, a variety of specialized children's multivitamins with zinc may be considered as an option. to replace.
There are many products for babies with anorexia supplement zinc and also have other elements such as Lysine, ginger extract, B vitamins and beta glucan. This will help perfect the taste buds, improve the zinc deficiency anorexia; indirectly support children's healthy growth and development, immune function, metabolism, bone health and minor wound healing. Thus, when supplemented with zinc, the child's ability to absorb nutrients improves, enhances physical development and at the same time helps children have the best start in life.
In summary, zinc deficiency can have long-term consequences including impaired brain development, short stature, osteoporosis, and delayed puberty. The most important of which is that zinc deficiency has been linked to other consequences such as loss of appetite and decreased perception of taste. Therefore, children who are lazy to eat should take zinc supplements as an early intervention, not only to improve taste but also to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal and acute respiratory infections in children. Children develop better.
In addition to zinc, parents also need to supplement their children with other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, B vitamins,... errands.
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