University of California - Davis researchers say that most of the healthy children and teenagers in the United States who are taking daily vitamin and mineral supplements probably don't need them; and that the children who do need to take vitamins aren't getting them.
"Many of the children and adolescents who are using daily vitamin supplements do not need to take them, because they are receiving adequate nutrition from the foods they eat," Ulfat Shaikh, the study's lead author, told the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine. "Our study also indicates that children and adolescents who may face the greatest risks of vitamin and mineral deficiency are the least likely to be taking supplements."
To conduct the study, Shaikh and her colleagues analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Children were considered to be vitamin and mineral supplement users if they had taken a supplement within the last month. The researchers also looked at how much exercise they got, the types of foods they ate and whether or not they were covered by health insurance, among other factors.
"We wanted to know more about which children take vitamin and mineral supplements and whether vitamin and mineral supplements may be used by parents to prevent medical problems related to poor diet or lower food security," Shaikh explained.
"As expected, we found that a large number of underweight children had taken a multivitamin in the previous month. But we also found that between 30 and 40 percent of children who regularly eat vegetables and drink milk are taking supplements. Supplements for children and adolescents who are healthy and eat a varied diet are not only medically unnecessary but they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)," Shaikh said.
The study also noted that overdose is more likely in 2- to 4-year-old children who may associate taking vitamins with eating candy. Taken in large quantities, vitamin and mineral supplements can cause adverse effects ranging from vomiting to serious side effects, such as damage to the kidneys.
The study also noted that socio-demographic factors influencing vitamin and mineral supplement use are the same ones that have been shown to interfere with children eating healthy diets, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy body weight. The study proposes that cost may be one reason that children who need vitamins don't get them.
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Source: University of California - Davis - Health System
