Minerals are inorganic solid natural substances with a defined chemical composition that are stable at room temperatures and ordered atomic arrangement. They are useful to the health, development and growth of children, therefore one ought to be cautious on the correct quantity being administered as they can too be harmful. The essay will therefore discuss the merits and drawbacks of minerals best for children growth, their composition, quantity and those harmful to their health.
Brain development require essential minerals like iodine for intelligence quotient development and school performance, zinc to support concentration, reasoning and cognition ability and magnesium for proper nerves function. Children age groups dictate the amount of mineral quantity that they require for their growth, therefore children between 2-12 years should be given mineral water that contain between 25.4mg/L of magnesium and iodine to 5mg/L of zinc (Hansen, 1961).
Children under the age of five are normally not capable to clearly express any difficulty or pain that they might be undergoing and it might be attributed by lack of some minerals in the body. Muscles and the nervous system should properly work by providing them with essential mineral water containing iron and potassium to facilitate efficient transportation of oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body and water levels between the cells and body fluids right, moreover calcium is an important macro mineral for the development of the bones; it helps in building strong bones as the young ones grow and development of healthy strong teeth (Petraccia & Grassi, 2006).
Mineral levels varies among different water sources and since consumption of much minerals is also dangerous to the children growth. Hansen (1961) suggests that drinking water that contains between 288mg/L of calcium, 85mg/L of magnesium, 150mg/L of sodium and 17mg/L of potassium is the best mineral composition for drinking water as it provides almost three quarter of the daily value minerals for a child development.
In conclusion therefore, for a child to grow healthy and have all his or her body organs develop properly, the minimum required threshold of such minerals must be provided. Proper diet is hence essential as too much provision of one mineral to another might be harmful to there development.
Reference.
Hansen, B. (1961). Body water compartments in children: Changes during growth and related changes in body composition. Pediatrics, 1961(28), 169-181. Retrieved Sep 25, 2013 from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/28/2/169.full.pdf
Petraccia, L., & Grassi, M. (2006). Water, mineral waters and health: Clinical Nutrition. London: Sweet & Maxwell Publisher. Print
