> **Healthylife** — Healthylife Pharmacy | Your online health destination > [Products](https://www.healthylife.com.au/browse) · [Health Hub](https://www.healthylife.com.au/learn) > > --- # Are Children Eating Enough Minerals? Healthylife Pharmacy25 July 2018·4 min read Spread the word [](https://x.com/share?url=https://www.healthylife.com.au/learn/are-children-eating-enough-minerals "x sharing")[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.healthylife.com.au/learn/are-children-eating-enough-minerals "facebook sharing")[]( "email sharing") [Add us as a preferred source](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=Healthylife.com.au) ### Jump to Most children should be able to get all the vitamins and minerals they need by eating a healthy, balanced diet suitable for their age and activity level. But despite parents’ best efforts, findings from Australian health surveys show that many children do not meet the estimated average requirement for some important minerals, especially calcium and magnesium. ## What are minerals? Minerals are chemical elements that are required by the body in small amounts for a wide variety of functions. Most of the minerals in our diets come directly from plants or indirectly from animal sources. ## Mineral intake among Australian children ## Calcium Young children require less calcium than adolescents, and generally consume more milk. As a result, most children aged 2-3 years meet their calcium requirements. In contrast, most Australian adolescents do not consume enough calcium. At age 14-16, it appears that 82–89% of girls and 44% of boys do not meet their dietary requirements for calcium, and by age 18, intake decreases even further. ### Why do we need calcium? About 99% of the calcium in the body is found in bones and teeth, and as such, calcium plays a role in the development and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. Evidence suggests that peak bone mass is reached at the end of adolescence, between the ages 18-20, with the most critical periods for bone mass growth reported to be between 13 and 14 years of age. Deficiency of calcium is associated with osteoporosis, a condition characterised by weakened bones that are more likely to break. Maintaining and reaching the highest possible peak bone mass during adolescence may possibly be the main preventive factor against occurrence of osteoporosis later in life. ### Calcium food sources Good sources of calcium include milk, cheese and yoghurt. Non-dairy foods that are good sources of calcium include canned sardines and salmon with bones, tofu, soybeans, spinach, kale, broccoli, silverbeet, and bok choy, sesame seeds, and products fortified with calcium such as breakfast cereals, and soy and rice beverages. ## Magnesium As with calcium, young children aged 2-8 years appear to meet their magnesium requirements, but the 14-16 years adolescent age group does not consume enough magnesium, with 56% of girls and 34% of boys not meeting the dietary requirements and reducing their magnesium intake as they become older. ### Why do we need magnesium? Magnesium is an important mineral as it regulates more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including muscle and nerve function, normal heartbeat rhythm blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. It is also involved in the production of energy and maintaining strong bones (50% to 60% of magnesium in an adult body is in bones). Magnesium deficiency is associated with increased risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and diabetes. ### Magnesium food so​urces Good sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables such as spinach, as well as pumpkin, whole grains (oats, brown rice, quinoa, and buckwheat), nuts, especially brazil nuts, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, peanuts, and hazelnuts, fish, including halibut, mackerel and tuna, and beans, such as white beans, black beans, navy beans, Lima beans, and soybeans. ## Iron Between the ages 2-14 years, only a small proportion of children have inadequate iron intake. However, from around age 14 iron deficiency is common among girls, with 40% of 14-18 year old females not meeting the requirements. In general, teenage females have higher requirements for iron due to menstrual blood loss. ### Why do we need iron? Iron is needed to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. It also plays an important role in fighting infections, brain development and growth. ### Iron food sources Good sources of iron include lean meats, chicken and fish, eggs, beans, leafy green vegetables (e.g. spinach, parsley, broccoli), and fortified whole grains. The iron in meat, chicken and fish is better absorbed. However, the absorption of iron found in plant foods is increased greatly when a food containing vitamin C is eaten at the same meal. ## Iodine  When iodine status was measured in 2003 and 2004 among Australian school children aged 8–10 years, mild iodine deficiencies were noted. Since then, in order to address mild iodine deficiency, Australia and New Zealand introduced in 2009 mandatory replacement of non-iodised salt with iodised salt for making all breads except organic bread and bread mixes for making bread at home. Iodised salt is basically table salt with added iodine in the form of potassium iodide. Australian manufacturers also have the option of using iodised salt in other foods but it must be listed in the ingredient list of food labels. Later data suggests that only 0.4% of males and 2% of females aged 2-18 years have inadequate intake. ### Why do we need iodine? Iodine is key component of thyroid hormones. Although needed only in very small amounts, a deficiency can lead to serious health problems. Severe iodine deficiency results in impaired production of thyroid hormones. ### Iodine food sources Good sources of iodine include dairy products such as cheese, cows milk, yoghurt, frozen yoghurt, and ice cream, as well as eggs, iodised table salt, saltwater fish and shellfish, seaweed (including kelp, dulse, nori), and soymilk, and soy sauce. ## Sodium In contrast to most other minerals, sodium is consumed by excess by most Australians, from all ages and gender groups, and particularly amongst children aged 2-8 years with nearly 100% of males and 95% of females exceeding the upper limit for sodium intake. Most of the sodium in the diet comes from salt, which is added to many processed foods to enhance flavour and to act as a preservative. Many people also add salt to their foods either while cooking or at the table. Excessive sodium consumption is linked to high blood pressure and dehydration. ## How can I be sure my child gets enough minerals? Make sure you child enjoys a wide variety of nutritious foods from these five food groups every day, as specified by the Australian National Health and Medical research Council (NHMRC): - Plenty of vegetables of different types and colours, and legumes/beans - Fruit - Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties, such as breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, couscous, oats, quinoa and barley - Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans - Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or their alternatives, mostly reduced fat (reduced fat milks are not suitable for children under the age of 2 years) Also: - Drink plenty of water - Limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and alcohol #### References 1. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016, Australian Health Survey: Usual Nutrient Intakes, 2011-12. Available at: [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.008~2011-12~Main%20Features~Preface~1](http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.008~2011-12~Main%20Features~Preface~1) 2. Australian Government Department of health. 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey - Main Findings. Available at: [http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/phd-nutrition-childrens-survey](http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/phd-nutrition-childrens-survey)   3. Mu Li, et al., 2006. Australian National Iodine Nutrition Study 2006. Are Australian children iodine deficient? Results of the Australian National Iodine Nutrition Study The Medical Journal of Australia Medical Journal of Australia, 184(4), pp.25–729. Available at: [https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2006/184/4/are-australian-children-iodine-deficient-results-australian-national-iodine](https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2006/184/4/are-australian-children-iodine-deficient-results-australian-national-iodine) 4. NHMRC, Healthy eating for children poster. Available at: [https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au](https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au) 5. Parker, C.E. et al., 2012. Changes in dairy food and nutrient intakes in Australian adolescents. Nutrients, 4(12), pp.1794–811. Available at: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23363991](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23363991) Spread the word [](https://x.com/share?url=https://www.healthylife.com.au/learn/are-children-eating-enough-minerals "x sharing")[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.healthylife.com.au/learn/are-children-eating-enough-minerals "facebook sharing")[]( "email sharing") This article is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. 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