It’s back-to-school season, which can mean adding tissues, sore throat lozenges, cold medicine, and orange juice to your shopping list. The Centers for Disease Control reports that nearly 6% of kids between the ages of 5 and 17 experience chronic absenteeism from school because of poor health. Children who miss a lot of school have a harder time making friends and keeping up academically.
Your children may not be missing enough school to affect their academic or social growth, but staying healthy is still important. Parents can take many positive steps to boost their child’s immune system and improve their ability to avoid every cold, flu, and infection that sneaks into the classroom.
Start With a Healthy Diet
A colorful diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables can provide children with most of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients they need for a strong immune system. Five combined servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended. As a visual aid, consider that green and other colorful food items should take up about half a child’s plate at every meal.
Eliminating processed foods from the diet can also help. Prepared foods, snacks, and treats add too much sugar, salt, and saturated animal fats to your child’s diet. Get in the habit of reading labels for a better understanding of what your kids are consuming every day by eating processed foods.
Perhaps the most important ingredient to throw out of your pantry, though, is guilt over not preparing 100% homemade meals and snacks every day. Few parents today have the time to cook every morsel from scratch.
Instead, concentrate on simply serving whole foods, such as fruit instead of processed fruit chews or carrot sticks instead of potato chips. Eating a more balanced diet with limited processed foods and a substantial amount of fresh fruits and vegetables will go a long way to improving your child’s immune health.
Recommended Supplements to Help Kids Build a Strong Immune System
If you’re having a difficult time imagining your little one consuming five servings of green beans and broccoli spears on a daily basis, you’re not alone. Fortunately, supplements can help health-conscious parents provide their children with the nutrients picky eaters may not get from their diet alone.
Vitamin C
Current studies show that vitamin C isn’t quite the cold-busting miracle it was once thought to be, but it is still essential for maintaining your immune system. Vitamin C supplements may shorten the duration of a cold and minimize the symptoms.
There are many options for kid-friendly C supplements. Choose one that contains the right amount for a child, as too much can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Many vitamin C supplements exceed the recommended daily dose of 25 mg to 75 mg for school-age children.
Vitamin D
For most of the year, kids get all the vitamin D they need by being outside in the sunshine. When cooler temperatures and homework force kids to be inside more, they may not get the sun exposure needed to produce vitamin D naturally. Vitamin D is a key nutrient in building a healthy immune system. However, parents should speak with a pediatrician before giving children vitamin D supplements. It is necessary to check the existing level of vitamin D to calculate the correct dose of a supplement.
What About Zinc Supplements?
Zinc is one of the most important minerals for building a healthy immune system. Over 100 chemical reactions in the body rely on the presence of zinc. This mineral can be found in protein-based foods like meat, beans, and nuts, but those are foods children frequently don’t eat enough of.
As a trace mineral, it takes very little zinc to support good immune function. That’s where using supplements can get tricky. There are approximately 4 grams of zinc in a 3-ounce serving of beef, and the recommended daily intake of zinc is 8 mg for children between 9 and 13.
Take a close look at your child’s diet before supplementing with zinc. Excessive amounts cause nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, headache, and diarrhea.
The Importance of Stress Management
Adults sometimes forget that children experience stress. Even the excitement of starting a new school year can cause stress. Occasional feelings of stress and anxiety are normal for everyone, but if your child seems to be more anxious than other kids or is struggling with chronic stress, reducing stress levels can have a notable positive impact on their immune system.
Teaching your child coping skills like deep breathing or how to take an “alone break” when they feel overwhelmed can be helpful. Addressing stress as a family is also highly effective. Taking walks, bike rides, or playing at the park together is a good way to model stress management.
Remind kids that they still have control even when they feel stressed out. Parents can support anxious kids by recognizing that “acting out” is sometimes a child’s only way to relieve stress. Teach them how to handle stress in productive ways, and their behavior — as well as their immune health — may improve.
Healthier Kids Mean Healthier Families All Year Round
Strengthening your child’s immune system could help reduce the frequency and severity of illness this school year. Healthier kids also mean other family members will be exposed to fewer contagions.
To give your child’s immunity system a strong foundation, strive to provide them with a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Proper nutrition will also help your child feel better overall and perform better in school. Supplements like vitamin C, D, and zinc can also be beneficial, but make sure you’re using the correct dosage for your child’s needs.
If you’re concerned about your child’s immune system, turn to the skilled pediatricians at Newport Children’s Medical Group in California. We can offer comprehensive solutions, nutritional guidance, and treatments to support your child’s health all year long. Book an appointment with one of our friendly pediatric specialists today to keep your family healthy during the school year and beyond!