Being tall isn’t just about the physicalities – sure it’s nice to see your child at par or taller than their peers, but did you know that your child’s height could say alot about his or her growth, cognitive development and immune function?

 

Genetic factors such as parental height plays a big role in determining a child’s height, but environmental factors, such as nutrition, especially in early childhood, can also affect bone growth. In fact, during the first 5 years of our child’s life, the gene factor only contributes up to 20% of a child’s growth, whereas nutrition plays up to 80%¹!

 

But what is Arginine, and what is Vitamin K₂? How can these nutrients help kids to grow taller? Let’s break it down for you.

 

WHAT IS ARGININE?

Arginine is an important functional amino acid that plays a critical role in human health and development, including immune regulation, protein synthesis and intestinal health^2,3. It also promotes the multiplication of cells at the growth plate in the bones, helping them grow longer in the process.

 

Arginine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid, because it’s typically needed for children’s growth, but is nonessential for healthy adults. Our body can also make arginine in addition to getting it from food sources. However, during times of stress and rapid growth we can become deficient in arginine if the body’s production doesn’t meet its requirements.

 

SOURCE OF ARGININE

Dietary sources of arginine come from both plant and animal sources, such as lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, turkey, chicken, meat, seafood, eggs and dairy products⁴.

 

Is your child eating enough food with Arginine?

• Lentils
• Chickpeas
• Soybeans
• Turkey
• Chicken
• Meat
• Seafood
• Eggs

WHAT IS VITAMIN K₂?

Vitamin K refers to a family of fat-soluble vitamins that the body needs to produce a protein called prothrombin, which promotes blood clotting and healthy bones.

 

One of its most important functions is to regulate calcium deposition. An increased intake of vitamin K₂ could be a means of lowering calcium-associated health risks⁵.

 

SOURCE of VITAMIN K₂

Vitamin K₂ is mainly found in animal and fermented products such as cultured cheese, yogurt, and other animal products altered by bacterial fermentation – all of which are probably not your everyday kind of food especially when it comes to kids.

 

 

MONITOR YOUR CHILD’S GROWTH

As parents, it’s important that we keep track of our children’s growth. We are the key players in our children’s health, so it’s important that we be aware and involved in our children’s growth and development.

 

Maybe you’ve done this every time you bring your child to the clinic or see a doctor, but now that we’re in a stay-at-home period, measuring your child’s growth can be as easy as measuring their height against a wall with a growth chart or with new innovative tools such as smartphone applications or AR filters.

 

USE THE PEDIASURE GROWTHCAM

The PediaSure GrowthCam enables you to measure your child’s height in the comfort of your own home. With the PediaSure GrowthCam, you can track your child’s growth pattern and feel more confident about what you observe. 

 

It’s easy! All you need to have is your smartphone and a piece of A4 paper, then follow the instructions below:

1. Scan the QR code to activate the AR filter or click here.
2. Place the A4 paper on the floor.
3. Select the gender and age of your child and click confirm.
4. Match and tap the A4 paper from the screen to the floor.
5. Swipe the ruler to the scale of your child’s height and tap confirm to see results!

 

Arginine, Vitamin K₂, protein and calcium are just some of the key nutrients in supporting catch-up growth and overall physical development for children. So if your child is not getting enough of these nutrients or if you’re unsure about it, remember to regularly measure your child’s height so you’ll be able to identify the signs of abnormal growth and get your child examined by a paediatrician in time.

 

For more information on Arginine, Vitamin K₂ and other essential nutrition for growth, please visit https://pediasure.com.my/.

 

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Reference:
1. Jelenkovic, A. et al. Genetic and environmental influences on height from infancy to early adulthood: An individual-based pooled analysis of 45 twin cohorts. Sci. Rep. 6, 28496; doi: 10.1038/srep28496 (2016).
2. Wu G, Bazer FW, Davis TA, et al. Arginine metabolism and nutrition in growth, health and disease. Amino acids. May 2009;37(1):153-168.
3. Reeds PJ. Dispensable and indispensable amino acids for humans. The Journal of nutrition. Jul 2000;130(7):1835S-1840S.
4. Dan Brennan, MD.Top Foods High in Arginine
5. Katarzyna Maresz, PhD. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2015 Feb; 14(1): 34–39.

MAL.2021.15202.PDS