Children suffer because their parents abuse supplements.

My friend told me that every month, in addition to the tuition for her daughter who is in 5th grade, her family also spends about 2 million VND on functional foods and supplements for her child.

After breakfast, my child drinks calcium, at noon he drinks nutritional milk and before going to bed at night, he takes height-boosting pills. Sometimes I give him deer antlers, ginseng...

According to her, her child is in the pre-puberty stage, parents must take advantage of the "golden time" for their child to reach maximum height. She did not take her child to the doctor but only listened to colleagues and friends tell her about good medicine so she bought it for her child to use. However, her child's height is still slightly below the age level, her weight is already overweight and there are signs of obesity.

The situation of arbitrarily giving children supplements and functional foods without consulting a doctor is quite common.

Nowadays, with the economy being well off, most families care about their children with the hope that they will develop comprehensively both physically and mentally. They spend millions of dong each month, or even more, to supplement their children's nutrition. Since then, the market for functional foods and supplements has become bustling and is like a "matrix" that makes consumers "dizzy". Most of them are spread by word of mouth and bought for personal use.

Recently, a young child in Hanoi was hospitalized in a state of crying, vomiting, frequent urination, and signs of severe dehydration due to vitamin D poisoning. The cause was that the child's family arbitrarily supplemented vitamin D without reading the instructions carefully and even gave him adult vitamin D.

The consequences of abusing supplements and functional foods are very serious, they can cause poisoning, even death when abused. My friend has a daughter, when she was little she was a picky eater, underweight. She did whatever people told her to do, buying all kinds of nutritious foods for her child. Now, when she is an adult, her body is a bit chubby, losing weight is very difficult.

Not everyone needs to use supplements, vitamins and functional foods. Recommendations from the industry have shown that only patients who need to recover their health, pregnant women, women after giving birth, people who work at high intensity, and those who are overworked need to supplement nutrients. Before using, you need to be examined and consulted by a doctor. In particular, you must use the correct time, dosage and age. You should not buy products that are widely available online and have not been evaluated and licensed by the authorities.

Supplements and functional foods are like a "double-edged sword" that will be good for those in need and counterproductive if abused.

To protect the health of children in particular and each person in general, the most important thing is to eat enough nutrients. You should choose clean, fresh foods with clear origins. Meals need to balance nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, starch, fiber, protein, fruits, etc. Children need to exercise, play sports, sunbathe, etc. regularly.

If you give your child supplements or functional foods, or nutritional supplements, it is essential to consult a doctor or nutritionist. You must strictly follow the instructions, and should not use them out of habit or preference... to help your child develop comprehensively in terms of physical, mental and spiritual health.