Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin, but it functions more like a hormone within the body. During childhood, it is particularly important for normal bone development and calcium absorption, and it also contributes to normal immune function.
Why Do Children Need Vitamin D?
Vitamin D helps the body absorb and use calcium. This makes it important for developing bones and teeth. It also contributes to normal muscle and immune function.
Where Does Vitamin D Come From?
The body can produce vitamin D following appropriate exposure of skin to sunlight. Vitamin D can also be obtained from a relatively small number of foods, including oily fish and egg yolks.
Why Is Vitamin D Important During Growth?
Children are continually building bone. Periods of rapid growth are a useful time to look at whether their overall diet provides the nutritional building blocks needed for development.
Vitamin D works alongside other nutrients rather than in isolation.
What Else Supports Healthy Bones?
Bone health requires more than calcium. Important nutritional components include vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, protein and phosphorus.
What About Vitamin D and Immunity?
Vitamin D contributes to normal immune function. For children who seem to become unwell frequently, we look at overall nutrition rather than relying on one ‘immune nutrient’.
Does Every Child Need the Same Approach?
No. Children differ in diet, lifestyle and individual nutritional needs. The aim is to understand the broader nutritional picture rather than assuming every child needs exactly the same intervention.
Related Reading
- poor growth and appetite
- recurrent infections
- Why Does My Child Keep Getting Sick?
- Growth Spurts and Nutritional Needs: Why Children’s Needs Can Suddenly Change
- Growing Pains in Children: Could Nutrition Be Part of the Picture?
Ready to Better Understand Your Child’s Health?
If these patterns sound familiar, our team can look at your child’s nutrition, digestion, sleep, growth and lifestyle together to understand which factors may be relevant to their individual presentation.
The Children’s Naturopath supports children and families through consultations at our St Kilda clinic in Melbourne and by phone throughout Australia, New Zealand and internationally.
