Most parents don't know how vital vitamin B12 is for the development of their child. And because of this, they never pay special attention to including vitamin B12 to their kids' daily routine, putting them at a risk of B12 deficiency. Are you one of those parents? Well, if you are, don’t worry for we have got you covered. This blog talks about the important functions vitamin B12 helps perform and how you can ensure an adequate quantity of this vitamin for your child.
What is Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B 12, aka methylcobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin that performs numerous functions in our body. For instance, it helps make genetic material in your body and also keeps the nerve cells healthy. However, as it's water-soluble in nature, one needs to consume it from external sources to meet the body's needs.
Why is Vitamin B12 Important for Your Kid?
Vitamin B12 is necessary for your kid for the following reasons:
Role in RBC Formation
Vitamin B12 regulates numerous reactions in your kid's body. It helps with the formation of healthy red blood cells (RBCs) and regulates their function. This is the reason kids who're deficient in B12 are at risk of blood complications such as megaloblastic anemia. A study reported that an infant suffering from megaloblastic anemia had extremely low levels of vitamin B12.
Vital for Nervous System and Cognition
Vitamin B12 plays an important role in your child's nervous system. It helps with brain development and ensures efficient transmission of messages by forming the sheaths around neurons. Also, adequate vitamin B12 can help improve your kid's concentration along with their overall mental ability. Sadly, lack of this vitamin can lead to the reverse.
For instance, according to research, lack of vitamin B12 in pregnant women is associated with impaired cognition among infants. Another study states that deficiency of cobalamin and folate is known to have a negative impact on brain development among kids and also leads to depression in adulthood.
Important for Bone Health
B12 also has a role in ensuring good bone health among infants. However, its deficiency can lead to fragile bones with low bone mineral density. And this leads to a condition known as osteoporosis.
Now that you know how important B12 is for kids, let's understand how you can include it in your child's routine.
How to Include Vitamin B12 in Your Kid's Diet?
A general answer to this would be feeding your kid food items rich in vitamin B12. But there's a catch here.
Fortified breakfast cereals, bread, and eggs are the vegan sources of B12. But unfortunately, the amount of B12 in these foods is pretty low, which might not be enough to meet your kid's daily needs. So, this leaves you with non veg sources that are rich in B12 such as: liver, beef, sardines, clams, etc.
However, not everyone is a non-vegetarian, right? So, how will the vegan kids deal with this? Well, this is when natural vitamin B12 supplements come into the picture. Keeping vegans and non-vegans in mind, Wellbeing Nutrition has crafted two B12 supplements, especially for kids. Let’s learn more about them below.
Marvel Natural B12 + D3: Iron Man Edition
Crafted by Wellbeing Nutrition, Marvel Natural B12 + D3 is an amazing supplement meant for young boys and girls featuring Iron man. It comes with B12, D3, K2, and folate, the combination of which can offer the below benefits:
- Prevention of B12 Deficiency
- Better Bone Strength
- Improved Heart Health
- Enhanced Cognition
This supplement is natural and easy to consume. All you need to do is place an oral strip on your kid's tongue and watch it dissolve within seconds. And you're done. Yes, it's that easy.
Disney Frozen Natural B12 + D3: Frozen Edition
Disney Frozen Natural B12 + D3 is designed for your kids who love the movie and its characters. Similar to the above supplement, Disney Frozen Natural B12 + D3 comes with vitamin D3, K2, B12, and folate and offers the same benefits for kids.
Are These Supplements Safe for Your Child?
The supplements have been crafted while keeping your kids' health in mind. You won't find any sugary or gummy coating that might stick to your kid's tooth leading to cavities. Also, these supplements have been clinically tested and carry no allergens.
All in all, these supplements from Wellbeing Nutrition are safe for consumption for your kids. However, they're recommended for kids who're over 6 years of age. So keep this in mind before administering these vitamin B12 supplements to your kid.
Wrapping Up
Your kid's nutrition is and will always be your priority. So, make sure that you offer them all the nutrients they require.
While you can manage the need for Vitamin B12 with the help of Marvel Natural B12 + D3 and Disney Frozen Natural B12 + D3, you can check out the entire Marvel and Frozen Melts range to meet the need of the other nutrients that your kid might be lacking in.
References
Lykstad J, Sharma S. Biochemistry, Water Soluble Vitamins. [Updated 2021 Mar 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538510/
Vitamin B12 - Fact Sheet for Consumers: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/
Rodrigues, V., Dias, A., Brito, M. J., Galvão, I., & Ferreira, G. C. (2011). Severe megaloblastic anaemia in an infant. BMJ case reports, 2011, bcr0220113835. https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr.02.2011.3835
Venkatramanan, S., Armata, I. E., Strupp, B. J., & Finkelstein, J. L. (2016). Vitamin B-12 and Cognition in Children. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 7(5), 879–888. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.115.012021
van den Hooven, E. H., Heppe, D. H., Kiefte-de Jong, J. C., Medina-Gomez, C., Moll, H. A., Hofman, A., Jaddoe, V. W., Rivadeneira, F., & Franco, O. H. (2015). Infant dietary patterns and bone mass in childhood: the Generation R Study. Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA, 26(5), 1595–1604. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-015-3033-1
Obeid, R., Heil, S. G., Verhoeven, M., van den Heuvel, E., de Groot, L., & Eussen, S. (2019). Vitamin B12 Intake From Animal Foods, Biomarkers, and Health Aspects. Frontiers in nutrition, 6, 93. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2019.00093
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