Is your child malnourished?

1. Mood changes

A large amount of research data shows that when people are in a bad mood, especially when abnormal changes occur, they should suspect that certain nutrients are lacking in the body.

Depression, slow reaction, and numb expression indicate a lack of protein and iron in the body. You should eat more high-protein and high-iron foods such as seafood, meat, dairy products, livestock and poultry blood, and egg yolks.

Worry, panic, insomnia and forgetfulness indicate a deficiency of B vitamins in the body. At this time, it is helpful to supplement with foods rich in B vitamins such as beans, animal liver, walnut kernels, etc.

Stubbornness, willfulness and timidity are mostly caused by insufficient intake of vitamins A, B, C and calcium, so foods such as animal liver, fish, shrimp, milk, fruits and vegetables should be supplemented.

2. Abnormal behavior

Being unsociable, withdrawn, and clumsy are mostly the result of a lack of vitamin C in the body. The best treatment is to add foods rich in this vitamin, such as tomatoes, oranges, apples, cabbage, and lettuce, to the diet. The secret is that the methyl salicylate and vitamin C contained in these foods can enhance the information transmission function of the nerves, thereby alleviating or eliminating the above symptoms.

The behavior is not commensurate with the age and is childish and ridiculous compared to children of the same age, indicating insufficient amino acid intake. It is imperative to increase the intake of high-protein foods such as lean meat, beans, milk, eggs, etc.

Grinding of teeth at night, twitching of hands and feet, and easy awakening are often signs of calcium deficiency. Green vegetables, dairy products, fish floss, dried shrimps and other foods should be added in time.

Eating paper scraps, coal slag, and dirt is called "pica", which is often related to the lack of mineral elements such as iron, zinc, and manganese in the body. Kelp, fungus, mushrooms, etc. contain more zinc, and poultry and oysters and other seafood have high zinc and manganese content, which should be the most ideal food for such children.

3. Facial "worm spots"

Facial "worm spots" refer to one or several hypopigmented, round or oval patches on the child's face, which are initially light red and then turn pale white, with clear edges, covered with a small amount of fine scales, and have a mild itchy feeling. In addition to the face, they can also be seen on the upper arms, neck or shoulders. People believe that this spot is a sign that there are roundworms in the child's stomach, so it is called "worm spots". But this is not the case. This change characterized by superficial, dry, scaly, and light-colored spots is actually a skin disease called simple pityriasis, which is caused by vitamin deficiency and is also an early sign of malnutrition. So when your child has "worm spots", never give him or her anthelmintics based on this alone. The right thing to do is to adjust the diet, increase the variety of food, supplement vitamins, and take vitamin tablets under the guidance of a doctor when necessary.