Kolkata: Give kids nutrient-rich food, don’t rely on supplements, say experts

KOLKATA: Paediatricians have urged parents to give kids wholesome meals with fruits, vegetables and staples instead of health supplements to allay concerns about height and growth deficiency. Doctors argued that supplements can, at best, have no impact on a child’s development, or, at worst, have an adverse effect.
Speaking at a symposium organised by UNICEF and Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) along with NGO Udbhaas Namritam, child specialist Piyush Gupta said caregivers needed to focus on nutrient-rich food instead of packaged powders advertised as miracle products.
Gupta, president of IAP, argued that consumption of health drinks and vitamin supplements do little to enhance children’s cognitive and physical growth, and could potentially have harmful effects on their development.
“While food supplement manufacturers make emotional appeals to parents, who end up focusing on these products rather than nutrition-dense food, there is little awareness about how amino acids in these supplements create imbalances in the child’s development and can have an adverse effect on organs. Some studies even link supplements with tumour growth. Similarly, although Vitamin A has widely been regarded as a staple supplement in early childhood that was believed to reduce child mortality, it is now been shown to cause acute respiratory infections,” said Gupta.
Paediatrician Susmita Saha said, “In the last two years, I have studied childhood obesity and can conclude that these health supplement beverages, with their high sugar and carbohydrate content, aid in children’s unhealthy weight gain and promote hyperactivity and low attention span.”
During the first wave of Covid, there was a common perception that Vitamin C supplements should be consumed to boost immunity. Now, there is more awareness about how they do little to boost immunity. Doctors said instead of relying on food supplements, the priority should be on the right kind of food rich in nutrients.
New 2022 regulations by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India will make it mandatory for supplement manufacturers to introduce a pack label that states the dosage, an advisory, a warning to keep the product out of the reach of children, and a label saying “not for medical use”.