JawaPos.com – Parents are now starting to educate pre-school and elementary school age children to start fasting during Ramadan. In order to be stronger and less susceptible to infection during fasting, it is important for children to consume vitamin C intake.
This is because children are 2-3 times more likely to have coughs and colds than adults. Especially when the pandemic is still not over, children are not only faced with the threat of exposure to Covid-19, but also have to be able to move around in an increasingly challenging environment. In addition to consuming a balanced diet, it is also important for children to consume vitamin C during Ramadan.
“The impact of the pandemic requires us to be able to adapt to rapid changes, including for children. These conditions make the environment for children more challenging, especially for children who are learning to fast in Ramadan,” said PT Bayer Indonesia President Director Kinshuk Kunwar, at a virtual Redoxon Kids press conference, Monday (4/4).
Pediatrician, dr. Kanya Ayu Paramastri, Sp.A emphasized that challenges to children’s immune systems can be experienced while fasting during Ramadan. This is because the consumption of children’s nutritional intake is sometimes not enough while activities are almost the same as normal days.
“Without balanced nutritional intake that contains sufficient micronutrients, the immune system can be affected so that children are at risk of breaking their fast, and can even fall ill,” said dr. Kanya Ayu.
So in order to anticipate disturbances in adequate intake during fasting, in addition to protein, complex carbohydrates and fruit, children also need additional supplementation. One of them is especially vitamin C as an essential micronutrient for children.
“From a safety perspective, vitamin C is easily soluble in water and is not stored by the body. This means, if the consumption exceeds the body’s needs, vitamin C will be excreted through urine,” said dr. Riana
What are the benefits of vitamin C?
Vitamin C is one of the essential micronutrients that affect children’s immunity. Its function is to support the immune system by increasing the activity of white blood cell function and antibody production.
Lack of vitamin C causes children to be more susceptible to infections, one of which is cough and cold, inhibition of collagen formation which causes growth disorders, slow wound healing, and causes symptoms of scurvy (feeling tired and weak all the time, loss of appetite, irritability and irritability). -irritable). Vitamin C is also one of the main antioxidants that can prevent and repair DNA damage.
The immune system plays an important role in brain development and brain function in children. Lack of nutrients, one of which is essential micronutrients such as vitamin C, can lead to consequences in the form of susceptibility to infection, and even reduce Intelligence Quotients or IQ in later life.
“Remember, the body is not able to produce vitamin C but obtains it through intake from outside. Therefore, in addition to consuming nutritious food, adequate vitamin C in children needs to be supported by appropriate supplementation,” concluded the Medical Lead of Bayer Consumer Health, dr. Riana Nirmala Wijaya.
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Editor : Bintang Pradewo
Reporter: Marieska Harya Virdhani
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