If you want your child to "jump" in size, spring nutrition is especially important

Spring is the season of recovery, and it is also the "golden period" for children and adolescents to grow tall. Throughout the year, children grow the fastest in the spring, and the height growth value at this stage can reach about twice that of the fall. So, in this "golden period", what kind of foods can help children and adolescents grow taller?

Consume high-quality protein

Protein intake levels are closely related to height growth in children and adolescents, and insufficient intake may lead to skeletal retardation or low bone mass.

Children and adolescents should give priority to fish and shrimp, poultry, eggs, lean meat, milk and dairy products, as well as soybean products such as tofu and tofu skin.

It should be noted that although the protein in animal foods is of good quality and high utilization, the fat content is also high, and excessive intake can easily lead to overweight and obesity. However, the protein utilization rate in vegetables and grains is low. Therefore, when choosing foods, it is necessary to be as diverse as possible and match with each other to improve the complementary effect of proteins.

Eat plenty of calcium-rich foods

The main sources of calcium in our daily diet are milk and dairy products, soy products, dark vegetables and other foods. Among them, milk and dairy products are very rich in calcium, containing about 110 mg of calcium per 100 ml of milk, and it is easy to be absorbed and utilized by the human body.

Children and adolescents should be food-based calcium supplements, with milk and dairy products preferred, drinking more than 300 ml of milk, yogurt or eating 30 grams of cheese every day, and eating more soybean products such as tofu and tofu skin.

A few common myths about calcium supplementation:

1. Vegetable calcium supplementation is not the first choice

Although some seasonal vegetables in spring such as spring bamboo shoots, shepherd's cabbage, and spinach also contain more calcium, their absorption and utilization rate are low, and they also contain more oxalic acid, phytic acid, dietary fiber and other substances, which may combine with calcium in the body to form calcium salts, hindering the absorption of calcium, and are not recommended as the preferred food for calcium supplementation.

2. Bone broth does not supplement calcium

The calcium in bones is in the form of phosphate and is not soluble in water, so drinking more bone broth not only cannot replenish calcium, but also causes obesity, dyslipidemia and other diseases due to the intake of a large amount of fat.

3. More calcium supplementation is not better

The recommended daily intake of calcium for children and adolescents is 800~1000 mg, and it is not recommended to exceed 2000 mg per day.

Vitamin D supplementation in moderation

Vitamin D is very beneficial for height growth in children and adolescents.

Only about 10% of vitamin D in the human body is obtained from food, and the other 90% is automatically synthesized by the skin after being exposed to ultraviolet light. However, children and adolescents who do not spend enough time outdoors and in areas with less UV exposure still need vitamin D supplementation through food.

Dietary vitamin D mainly comes from foods such as deep-sea fish, liver, egg yolk, etc., but the amount is very limited. Therefore, in addition to eating more of these foods, children and adolescents can also take vitamin D supplements such as fish oil, with a recommended daily intake of 10 micrograms (400IU), no more than 45 micrograms (1800IU) per day for children aged 7~8 years, and no more than 50 micrograms (2000IU) for children aged 9~17 years old.

Although vitamin D has many benefits, it should not be excessive. Taking a large amount of vitamin D supplements in a short period of time or taking too much of it daily may cause vitamin D toxicity, with symptoms such as abnormal thirst, nausea, anorexia, and in severe cases, hypercalcemia.

Source: Healthy Beijing