“Scott’s Emulsion! I like it! It helps me to grow! Hmm… I like it!” We all have some sort of jingle that stays with us. And then one day, you wonder;
“Why does it help me to grow?”
Sr Rinie, one of the expert Sister’s and Midwives at Mopani Pharmacy, explains what vitamins and minerals are needed, for young boys and girls to grow healthy and strong;
Since we are on lockdown, and school is closed, we thought; let’s give the teachers a break and help out with a lesson!
Do you know your ABC’s? Hands, elbows, knees and toes?
Luckily there are not vitamins for all the letters of the alphabet, but there are quite a few. For every body part, there would be a few vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy and help them grow.
Eye see you growing
Vitamins A and E are great, to help the eyes develop and keep them healthy. So, eat those carrots – you’ve never seen a bunny wearing glasses, have you?
Did you know?
The average person who has normal sight, can differentiate between about 10 million colours!
Skin of growing boys and girls
A growing child’s skin can be super soft and elastic. They heal quicker than adults from scratches and scrapes. That is because their cells regenerate faster than those who are fully grown. As they are growing taller each day, their skin needs to stretch and compensate to cover a larger body every day. At some point, puberty will set in and they may develop some acne (pimples). To compensate for all the nutrition needs of the skin, a variety of vitamins and minerals will make all the difference.
Vitamins A, B Complex, C and E are great. They aid in taking toxins out of the skin, reducing inflammation and building collagen for elasticity.
Vitamin K will help your blood to clot, so you will stop bleeding after you have scraped your knee.
Zinc and iodine are helpful in wound healing and forming new tissues.
Did you know?
Your skin is your largest organ.
Bones and teeth
You can only grow taller, if your arms, legs and spine are growing, right? For those to grow, you will need calcium, vitamin D. Our bones are made of calcium, and vitamin D helps our bodies to absorb vitamin D.
Your teeth are made of calcium too, and need it to stay healthy and strong.
Did you know?
Your teeth are bones, the only bones in your body that you don’t need an x-ray to see!
Our blood
Our bodies need to make new, fresh blood all the time. In order to do this, we need to drink lots of water, as more than 70% of our blood is water. Vitamins B6, B12, folate and iron are all needed to help our bodies make new blood.
Have you noticed that blood smells like a rusty piece of metal sometimes? That is because we have iron in our blood!
Did you know?
When you are all grown up, the length of all your veins stretched into one long line would be more that 160 000 kilometres long! That is 4 times around the world!
Our tummies
None of these many nutrients will mean much if we can’t absorb them correctly. When we eat, our bodies need to break down food into microscopic particles and absorb what is needed, and eliminate waste. Yes, we have iron in our blood, but it’s not like a piece of iron the size of a nail is just floating around in our veins. It’s tiny, tiny little bits, scattered all around, as small as little cells. Our food is like that too. You see a leaf of spinach, but there are all sorts of nutrients in there, even if you can’t see them. For our tummies to be able to get all the right nutrients from our food, we need to have a healthy digestive tract.
Vitamin B complex, iodine and fibre will help our bodies to break down our food and get energy from it.
Did you know?
Your digestive tract – from your throat to the end – will be more or less 9 metres long by the time you have reached adulthood. That is about 5 doorways stacked on top of each other!
Our brains
For the optimal brain health, we need enough water, omega 3 and vitamins B6 and B12. Our brains are the most important part. They regulate everything. They tell us to breathe, for our hearts to beat, and our bodies to release growth hormones.
Did you know
Our brains work like a muscle with neurons firing in it, like electricity. When awake, a human brain has the capacity to generate 23 watts of power!
In cartoons, a person thinking is often portrayed with a light bulb above their head – this is why!
Now what?
We know, veggies are not all tasty, but you really do need them. You need to be eating a variety of food, to make sure you are getting enough of everything. Fruits, veggies, diary, meats, whole grains, nuts, seeds and plant proteins are all packed with nutrients.
Perhaps you and your parent/guardian can make a chart with foods that contain certain nutrients, and include them in your dishes when you help with cooking dinner?
Additionally, you could add some multivitamins to your diet. Ask our knowledgeable staff at Mopani Pharmacy to help you choose the correct one for your age and lifestyle.
Did you know?
You don’t have to leave the house – ask mom to assist you with our online shop!
Read more: Intestinal worms – more common than you think
We can deliver your supplements and other Mopani online shopping, nationwide! Contact us for info: mopani.co.za | crossing@mopani.co.za | Tel: 013 755 5500 | WhatsApp: 066-192-1703
