Teen nutrition and supplements.

 

Teen years come with a tremendous amount of changes. This is the time when they grow emotionally, functionally, and intellectually, developing a sense of independence, identity, and self-esteem. Hormones are creating physiological changes. School is causing a lot of pressure to succeed academically, socially and perhaps athletically. Social media together with peer pressure are very intense at this age.

As parents, we have to help them through a lot of aspects. Good nutrition is one of them. If they are getting the best nutrition we can possibly give them, they will be able to better deal with the stresses that face them. Since teenagers are starting to care a lot about their looks, it gives parents a window of opportunity to influence good nutrition. Lean body, clear skin and shiny hair can only be accomplished by good diet and exercise.

The older our kids get, the harder is to monitor what they eat. They spend less time at home. Given a choice, they will go out and eat anything that is sweet or fried. We have to do a good job catching up on nutrition when they do eat at home, breakfast or dinner.

Eating a balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, meat along with healthy fats like olive oil, nuts and avocados is an important part of good health for teenagers. But also supplementing is a good idea at this demanding age.

Leafy fresh green vegetables should be but are not a big part of teenage diet. That’s why teens are usually low in vitamin Bs, A, C, and vitamin K as well as essential fatty acids.

B vitamins

  • Main sources:
    • broccoli, spinach, romaine, collard greens, kale, and dandelions
    • avocado (also great source of beneficial oils and essential fatty acids)
  • Mood, mental processes, endocrine hormones, disease prevention, healthy metabolism
  • May prevent Bell’s palsy in teens

Vitamin A

  • Antioxidant (protects body from the toxic effects of free radicals, chemicals that can damage tissue and cells (heat damaged oils/fried food, pollutants, heavy metals etc)
  • Boosts immune system, builds resistance to infections, keeps tissue in good health
  • Together with vitamin B2 help keep mucous membranes in the gastrointestinal tract healthy
  • Together with vitamin C is essential co-factor vitamin in the metabolism of EFAs
  • Essenital in bone health (see below and for main sources)

Vitamin C

  • Antioxidant (protects body from the toxic effects of free radicals, chemicals that can damage tissue and cells (heat damaged oils/fried food, pollutants, heavy metals etc)
  • Activates growth and repair in tissues, boosts immune system, promotes healing, synthesis of collagen for healthy skin and mucus membranes
  • Together with vitamin A is essential co-factor vitamin in the metabolism of EFAs
  • Vitamins C and vitamin E together support each other’s antioxidant function
  • Increases iron absorption: so it is a good idea to serve vitamin C-rich fruit and vegetables with eggs, meat etc (iron rich food)
  • Main sources:
    • All fruit and vegetables, especially strawberries, blackberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers , apples, mangoes, cherries, potatoes, cabbage, kale, spinach, broccoli, avocados, bananas, black currants, parsley, rose hips

Vitamin K

  • Necessary for strong bones and healthy hearth; teens low in vitamin K were found to cause heart problems in adolescents
  • It is fat-soluble, so it is more absorbable when consumed with healthy fats (avocado, olive oil)
  • Main sources:
    • leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts)
    • pine nuts, grapes, edamame, okra, chlorophyll, alfalfa, blacktrap molasses

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

Teen boys – increased need for zinc

Girls

– raised levels of estrogen changes how they handle vitamin B and magnesium, that is why they need more of both

– iron deficiency common in teenage girls; if iron taken as supplement only chelated with vitamin C for absorption

Strong Bones

Time to develop strong bones is puberty till early thirties. Exercise and diet are the two factors for building dense bones.

Exercise – puts pressure on bones, especially the legs and spine stimulate the formation of new bone tissue (weight-bearing, walking, running, tennis)

Calcium is a major bone mineral. But in order to build healthy bones calcium needs the right amounts of several co-factor nutrients such as protein, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, copper, silica, vitamins A and D.

Calcium co-factor nutrients:

Magnesium

  • major mineral that is essential for the release and activity of parathyroid hormone (PTH)
  • PTH, among other things, controls level of calcium in a teenager’s blood by activating vitamin D
  • Sources of magnesium
    • Green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach and kale)
    • Fruit (figs, avocado, banana and raspberries, dried fruit)
    • Nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, cashews)
    • Legumes (black beans, chickpeas and kidney beans)
    • Vegetables (peas, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, green beans, artichokes, asparagus, brussels sprouts)
    • Seafood (salmon, mackerel, tuna)
    • Whole grains (brown rice and oats)
    • Raw cacao
    • Chlorella, seaweeds

Vitamin D                  

  • Only when activated (by work of magnesium and PTH), it increases the rate at which calcium is absorbed
  • is produced by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight which is the best source
  • Main sources:
    • cod liver oil
    • salmon, sardines, egg yolk, beef liver, mushrooms
    • supplement: Vitamin D with K

Phosphorus

  • Essential for laying bone down
  • Usually our diets are low in magnesium and high in phosphorus
  • Main sources:
    • Sunflower seeds, meat, almonds, brown rice, beans, potatoes, broccoli, eggs
  • Obtaining too much of the mineral from foods highs in phosphorus alone isn’t likely; however, eating processed food and drinking sodas (worst thing for teens’ bones !), can easy lead to too much phosphorus in the body
  • Phosphoric acid is a top source of hidden phosphorus. It is used in a lot of packaged food (as a preservative), it is used to make all soft drinks bubbly
  • Overload can impair body’s utilization of vital nutrients like iron, magnesium and zinc

Vitamin A

  • Required to enable calcitriol to do its work in the intestinal tract
  • Main sources:
    • Most bio available sources: cod liver oil, eggs and liver from pasture raised animals (More on bio availability here)
    • Deep green, red , orange, yellow vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, spinach, red peppers
    • Red, orange, yellow fruit such as watermelon, cantaloupe, mango, apples, apricots, prunes, pumpkin
  • Vitamin A together with C are essential co-factor vitamins in the metabolism of EFAs

EFAs

  • Required to enable calcitriol to do its work in the intestinal tract
  • Main sources:
    • Flaxseed oil, cod liver oil
    • Fish and other sea food (especially cold water fatty fish: salmon, mackerel, sardine, and herring)
    • Nuts and seeds (walnut, chia seed, flaxseed)

Copper and manganese

  • Trace minerals, together with magnesium help move calcium from the blood into the bones
  • Main sources:
    • Dark leafy vegetables: spinach, kale, collard greens, alfalfa; avocados, radish, beets
    • Fruit: grapefruit, apricots, blueberries, bananas, pineapple, apples, peaches
    • Nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, pumpkins, brazil nuts, sesame seeds)
    • Cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, halibut), seaweed
    • Brown rice, oatmeal, blackstrap molasses

Silica

  • Increases the rate of bone mineralization
  • strengthens the connective tissue matrix by cross-linking collagen strands; thus, helping us to maintain strong and flexible bones
  • Main sources:
    • Mostly found in water
    • Horsetail tea
    • Alfalfa, kelp, dark green leafy vegetables
    • Fruit: apples, grapes, berries
    • Nuts and seeds (sunflower seeds)
    • Cucumbers, dandelion, figs

Sources:

    1. “Superimmunity for Kids” by Leo Galland, MD. with Dian Dincin Buchman, Ph.D.