What is a Good Vitamin for My Teenager to Take

Reasons Teenagers Need Vitamins

Teenagers need to take vitamins for many reasons. For starters, teenage bodies need to take sufficient minerals and vitamins to ensure healthy development during their growth spurts. As teens undergo significant physical and biochemical changes in their bodies, the necessity for vitamins greatly increases.

So, What is a Good Vitamin For My Teenager to Take?

Teenagers should take a multivitamin and mineral supplement daily. Vitamins work better when they are all taken together as one, rather than taking a few individual supplements. Almost all teenagers have a very busy lifestyle. Teens who are more active with athletics and working out need vitamins even more than teens who don’t partake in strenuous activities and exercise.

Essential Vitamins for Teens

• B12 and Folic acid are required because of the rapid development of tissue synthesis.
• Zinc, magnesium and calcium are needed for strong bones and to increase bone density.
• Vitamin A, Vitamin C and vitamin E are required to ensure that newly formed cells function in a healthy manner.
• Vitamin D and vitamin B6 are needed in greater amounts during the teenager years for healthy skeletal and tissue growth.
• As the amount of calories increases, the requirement for vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin B3 increases as well.

Teenage Diets

Whether it is because of their busy schedules or a lack of concern for eating the right foods, many teenagers are unable to keep a well balanced diet. For whatever reason, during teenage years inadequate diets are more common than in any other stage of development.

Many teenagers are not getting enough of the essential nutrients their bodies need to stay strong and healthy. Here are some interesting, yet alarming, trends and facts about teenage nutrient intake and overall nutrition:

• During the teenage years, zinc, iron and calcium are frequently at lower levels than their recommended amounts.
• Vitamin C and vitamin A are often low.
• Many teens consume too much refined carbohydrate foods.
• Many teens consume too much high sugar.
• As a general rule, those teens who skip meals tend to eat less food. These teens who skip regular meals also tend to eat fewer healthy snacks, such as fruit. Consequently, they have the most inadequate diets of all. Many teens, especially girls, are not getting enough essential vitamins and nutrients. For an increasing amount of teens, the desire to be thin is greater than the desire to live a healthy life by eating a balanced diet with regular meals.
• Teen phosphorus intake is often too high because of an over-consumption of soft drinks and energy drinks.
  • This often has a negative effect on their calcium levels as well.

Vitamins for Teens

• Boys

Extra vitamin A and zinc are sometimes recommended for male teens. There are many benefits of vitamin A. Vitamin A fights free radicals in the body and also benefits the immune system. Also, vitamin A helps to support clear skin. Often times, the acne boys experience during their teenage years from hormone growth can be successfully counteracted by vitamin A.

• Girls

Teenage girls need lots of calcium, vitamin B6 and iron. Vitamin B6 is involved in certain hormonal processes of the menstrual cycle. Furthermore, rising levels of estrogen also lead to the need to take more vitamin B6. Iron deficiency can occur in teenage girls because they lose iron monthly during menstruation. Calcium ensures strong bones and helps prevent osteoporosis later in life.

Summary

Teens need vitamins just as much as every other age group needs vitamins. In fact, teens actually need vitamins the most because their bodies are undergoing significant changes. Teens, parents, and doctors should all work together to ensure that the teen is taking the appropriate amount of vitamins. Teens should take a multivitamin daily. Now you’ll know how to answer the next time you hear that old question, what is a good vitamin for my teen to take?