PEDIATRIC HEALTH

Micronutrient Deficiency

Iron deficiency, immunity, and healthy development

The Story

For me, a healthy diet and an optimal supply of micronutrients are enormously important if you wish to stay healthy. For this reason, for two and a half years now I have had my blood tested on a regular basis, so that I can quickly make up any potential deficits with supplements containing micro- nutrients. In order to ensure that my 9-year-old daughter is also adequately supplied with all the essential vitamins and minerals, I also had a blood analysis done for her. Although she eats a very balanced diet and always seems fit and well-balanced to me, she turned out to have a surprisingly low level of vitamin D and and Omega-3 fatty acids, and her iron levels were rock bottom.

by Prof. Dr med. János Winkler

The Medical Assessment

The Journey

Her low levels, despite her healthy diet, were not just surprising but genuinely shocking. Due to her severe iron deficit, we decided that our daughter should have an iron infusion, in order to balance out her levels as quickly as possible. We opted initially for Marines Omega-3 liquid in order to combat the low levels of Omega-3 fatty acids. Directly following the blood analysis, we both started taking vitamin D drops, and my daughter started on daily Junior Multi Bo® 13, in order to ensure that she was optimally supplied with all the major vitamins.

The Success

I was always firmly convinced that a healthy diet was sufficient to supply the body with all the vital micronutrients – even when it came to my child. However, my daughter’s blood analysis clearly demonstrated that a regular check of the micronutrient supply in children not only makes sense, but is also important. Just a short time after the iron infusion, she was packed with energy, and the improved provision of Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D showed a positive difference, not only in her but also in me. In a subsequent blood analysis three months later, we could see this improvement in black and white – our levels were excellent and the previous deficiency had been completely balanced out.

Despite the best efforts of the mother, this child wasn’t optimally nourished. Since children always have a higher requirement for essential substances, a nutrient deficit can easily occur. Particularly in the case of children, optimal micronutrient levels, determined by a blood test, are the key to their physical and mental flourishing. For example, the so-called ADHD diagnosis is often simply a magnesium and iron deficiency. Magnesium is not known as the “salt of inner peace” for nothing. A vitamin D deficiency in children and adolescents is more the rule than the exception. The same is true for iron and protein. The result? Children are lacking in energy, susceptible to infections, and often have problems with concentration and tiredness. The tricky thing is that 80% of them demonstrate a micronutrient deficiency. However, these deficits can often remain under the radar for months if not years. Hence my advice: “If you want to know, you must measure – blood, urine, saliva and stool!”