Ulje jetre bakalara – idealan izvor vitamina D od najranije dobi

Jedan od najjednostavnijih i najboljih načina na koji roditelji mogu ispuniti zdravstvene preporuke o unosu vitamina D jest davanje ulja jetre bakalara dojenčadi i djeci.

Djeca u rastu, posebno ona čija prehrana nije dovoljno raznovrsna, ponekad ne unose dovoljno vitamina A i C. Također, vitamin D teško je osigurati isključivo prehranom. Upravo zato zdravstvene institucije preporučuju da sva djeca u dobi od šest mjeseci do pet godina svakodnevno primaju dodatak prehrani s vitaminima A, C i D.

Nadalje, za dojenčad koja se hrani isključivo majčinim mlijekom, preporučuje se svakodnevna nadopuna vitamina D, čak i u slučaju da majka već uzima dodatak vitamina D. To je stoga što majčino mlijeko ne sadrži dovoljne količine vitamina D.

Međutim, bebe koje dnevno popiju više od pola litre adaptiranog mlijeka ne trebaju dodatke vitamina, budući da adaptirana mlijeka već sadrže potrebnu količinu vitamina D i drugih hranjivih tvari.

Prednosti ulja jetre bakalara u usporedbi s kapima vitamina D

Ulje jetre bakalara ima određenu prednost u odnosu na kapi vitamina D, jer osim vitamina D sadrži i korisnu omega-3 masnu kiselinu DHA, koja između ostaloga doprinosi normalnoj funkciji mozga i vida.

Dodatna je prednost ulja jetre bakalara što ono sadrži i vitamin A, koji osim održavanju normalnog vida pridonosi i zdravlju kože.

Koliko ulja jetre bakalara dati bebi?

U Norveškoj, gdje se proizvodi Möller’s ulje jetre bakalara (koje se daje bebama i djeci već generacijama), liječnici preporučuju roditeljima da svojoj dojenčadi počnu davati pola standardne žličice od 5 ml ulja jetre bakalara dnevno, od navršena četiri tjedna života, te postupno povećavaju do punih 5 ml. Ova količina pokriva dnevnu potrebu za vitaminom D od 10 mikrograma dnevno. Zdravstvene institucije upozoravaju roditelje da za doziranje ne koriste običnu kućnu žličicu, budući da se njihove veličine razlikuju.

Vitamin D posebno je važan za djecu jer su njihove kosti i zubi u intenzivnoj fazi rasta i razvoja. Kosti i zubi izgrađeni su od kalcija, a vitamin D omogućuje tijelu pravilnu apsorpciju kalcija iz hrane i mlijeka. Također, vitamin D doprinosi održavanju normalne funkcije mišića.

Navikavajući dijete od najranije dobi na redovit unos ulja jetre bakalara, stvarate dobru podlogu za dovoljan unos vitamina D i omega-3 masnih kiselina i u kasnijem djetinjstvu te odrasloj dobi.

No, budite oprezni i nemojte svojoj djeci davati previše vitamina. Neki dodaci prehrani dostupni u slobodnoj prodaji sadrže i druge vitamine ili sastojke, stoga pripazite da dijete ne prima dva dodatka koji sadrže iste vitamine istovremeno. Primjerice, nemojte istodobno davati djetetu ulje jetre bakalara i dodatne kapi vitamina D, budući da ulje jetre bakalara već sadrži vitamine A i D. Jedan dodatak prehrani dovoljan je za pokrivanje dnevnih potreba.

Izvor: NHS (Britanska nacionalna zdravstvena služba)

What is good health?

Body changes in later life call for changes in your diet

Do you have a good lifestyle?

Lifestyle simply means the way in which you live. Health and lifestyle go hand in hand. You might feel you have a good lifestyle if you are physically active, eat healthily and generally experience a sense of wellbeing. Conversely, if you want good health you should also have a good lifestyle.

Physical activity is the major contributor to a good lifestyle, but diet, drugs, stress, sleep and social conditions are also play an important role. Being able to use the body properly to avoid injury also affects lifestyle. Physical activity can also prevent depression and help you to recover more quickly from mental illness, both of which obviously affect your lifestyle.

How does the aging process affect your immune system?

Diet can be a difficult topic for many. Perhaps you eat too much or too little or maybe you find it hard to know what foods to combine to have a balanced diet. It’s also important to eat food that contains important vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, omega-3 and antioxidants. On top of all this, you also need to get enough energy, protein and the correct fatty acids. The requirement for these nutrients changes throughout your life. When you are older you also have different requirements than children and younger adults. Women also have different requirements than men. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers also have special requirements.

When you get older, you lose muscle mass and your body requires less energy and therefore less food. You may lead a less active life than you did before, which is why you require less food. However, your need for minerals, vitamins and other nutrients remains the same. Of course, there are plenty of healthy and active older people, but when you reach 70 to 80 years of age, it’s easier to become ill, especially during flu season.

Some steps you can take to improve your lifestyle and health are to:

eat a healthy and varied diet
stay active
watch your weight
avoid too much alcohol and don’t smoke
get enough sleep
think positive
practise good hygiene

What is good quality of life?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines quality of life as a state where the individual can realise their potential, cope with normal stressful situations, work in a rewarding and positive way, and be able to contribute to others and society.

Quality of life is a wide and somewhat diffuse concept that includes joy in, and a desire for, life. These are values that are rather felt than measured, which in turn are based on personal environment and choices. Quality of life doesn’t necessarily depend on being healthy or sick. It’s the moments between worries, sorrows, problems and ailments that matter. For example, if you have a chronic illness, a feeling of mastery can be important when talking about quality of life.

To sum up, quality of life is a combination of health, lifestyle, networks and social support. It’s about experiencing joy, meaning in life, satisfaction, security and a sense of belonging, as well as being able to use your strengths. It’s also about feeling interest in life, coping with everyday situations and a being committed to something or someone. If you have good quality of life, you will be able to cope better with the inevitable stressful situations in life.