Food supplements for children: useful or useless?
Many manufacturers have long since recognized the youngest as a target group for vitamins, minerals and plant extracts. "Around 14 to 19 percent of children and young people between the ages of 12 and 17 regularly take dietary supplements," says nutritionist Anke Weißenborn from the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). "That is a significant proportion." For younger children up to the age of six, the figure is still under ten percent.
"Children's nutritional supplements are heavily advertised on social media and by influencers, often with statements that are not even permitted," says Angela Clausen from the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Advice Center. "The advertising often suggests that children absolutely need extra vitamins when they face new challenges, for example when they start school," says the expert.
Vitamin supplements for children make sense?
Higher-earning parents in particular rely on these often quite expensive products, according to the motto: "You can make everything even better". The children's vitamin bears from the "Bears with benefits" brand, for example, cost 166 euros per kilo. The founders Marlena Hien and Laurence Saunier explain this by saying that they use natural food coloring made from sweet potatoes, carrots or blueberries instead of "cheap and dangerous" nanoparticles and fillers and do not use release agents, fillers or allergens.
But how useful are vitamin supplements for children anyway? The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment takes a critical view of the products: "We have not found any additional benefit for children or adults," says Weißenborn, a researcher in the Nutritional Risks, Allergies and Novel Foods Division at the BfR. "If we get enough from our diet, there is no point in taking additional vitamins and minerals," says the expert.
Healthy nutrition in everyday life
Children in Germany are generally supplied with sufficient nutrients through their normal diet. Only in a few cases, such as vitamin D and iodine, the reference value recommended by the German Nutrition Society is not reached by everyone. "But that doesn't mean that these children are automatically deficient," says Weißenborn. And doctors recommend vitamin D supplements for infants anyway.
"In certain cases, dietary supplements can be useful, for example in children with metabolic diseases," says Berthold Koletzko, a pediatrician and expert in metabolism and nutrition at the Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital at the University of Munich. There are also certain phases of growth in which there may be gaps in the supply of nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids and iron. Ideally, however, these can be compensated for by a freshly prepared, balanced diet.
Caution: overdosing
"However, this does not always reflect the reality of life for many families," says Koletzko. Everyday life is often hectic and a healthy diet is not always guaranteed," says the pediatrician. Nevertheless, he advises against simply buying vitamin supplements. "You should always ask pediatricians for advice first," says Koletzko.
Anke Weißenborn also recommends having a diagnosis carried out by a doctor and seeing whether additional intake of vitamins and minerals is actually advisable. She warns that vitamin supplements can also be harmful to health in the long term: "Anything in excess of the normal physiological requirement can be a strain on the body."
Vitamin D is a prominent example of this. "For years, people have been saying that we have an inadequate supply and should take it additionally to strengthen our immune system." There are now known cases of parents giving their children much higher doses than recommended. "This has sometimes led to severe kidney dysfunction," says Weißenborn.
Overdoses can also quickly occur with other preparations, especially if they resemble sweets. "These are not harmless colorful pills and gummy bears, but contain substances that can cause damage to health," says the expert.
Unclear effects and interactions
Another problem from her point of view: "Increasingly, manufacturers are adding plant extracts, fatty acids or other substances that have a physiological effect to the preparations. Hardly anyone is able to keep track of the effects and interactions that these substances may trigger in the body."
It is virtually impossible for parents to assess which dosage is the right one, says Angela Clausen. "The percentages on the packaging, for example, only apply to adults," says the expert. A study of 33 products for children this year showed that in 13 cases even the maximum quantity recommendations for adults were reached or exceeded.
There are no Europe-wide maximum levels for the addition of micronutrients or other substances to food supplements. "That's a big problem," says Clausen. Theoretically, any manufacturer can put as much or as little as they want in their products - provided the product is safe.
The BfR has developed suggested maximum levels for the use of such micronutrients in food supplements, but only for people aged 15 and over. "We have not proposed maximum levels for children, partly because this would have created an additional product category," explains Anke Weißenborn. However, this has nevertheless become established. The BfR has bundled information about micronutrients on "mikroco-wissen.de". According to Weißenborn, the platform will be expanded to include information relating specifically to children.
"It is always possible and much more sensible to take in nutrients via normal foods rather than in isolated form via a pill," she says. Normal foods also contain other important substances such as fiber. "A vitamin pill cannot replace an apple or a balanced diet."
"Children who eat a healthy and balanced diet don't need supplements - we fully agree with that," say Marlena Hien and Laurence Saunier. But: "As mothers of four children, we know that this doesn't always correspond to reality and that many children tend to have a very one-sided diet."
From Angela Clausen's point of view, the supplements give a false impression: "If I have problems with school, for example, all I have to do is swallow a pill or eat a vitamin bear and then everything will be fine again," says the consumer advocate. "What's really good for children is a varied diet, outdoor exercise, enough sleep and time with their parents."
Vitamin supplements for children, such as those from the "Bears with benefits" brand, are often marketed as necessary for children facing new challenges, but the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has not found any additional benefit for children in taking these supplements if they are getting enough nutrients from their diet.
Regarding the use of vitamin supplements in children, Berthold Koletzko, a pediatrician and expert in metabolism and nutrition, recommends consulting a doctor before starting any supplement regimen, as excessive intake of vitamins and minerals can be harmful to health in the long term.
Source: www.dpa.com
