The teenage years are a time of tremendous mental and physical changes. Virtually each and every person 13-19 years of age undergoes a very individual metamorphosis from childhood to adulthood; with this upheaval often comes swinging hormones, depression, anxiety, weight problems, and confusion. Consequently, to counteract these potentially dramatic conditions, many teens are turning to nutritional supplements and vitamins to stay healthy.



However, there are some parents who are worried about the effectiveness of nutritional supplements on teenagers. Here, we'll look at ways that teens can safely take advantage of vitamins and nutritional supplements without causing any harmful side effects.

Teens Should Work with Parents

Moms and dads should absolutely be a part of the decision to put a teenager on nutritional supplements and vitamins. Even if the young person just wants to beef up his or her daily regimen of vitamins E and C, parents should always be a part of the process. That way, everyone knows what the teen is taking.

Teens Should Talk with Their Physicians

If your son or daughter is into sports and has a desire to try creatine or another muscle-building nutritional supplement, it's important to encourage him or her to talk with a physician or naturopath. Often, kids just hear about nutritional supplements from their friends, but they don't really understand how or why they work. By getting some basic education, teens can make informed decisions. (For example, creatine has been known to help gain weight, which can be good for a skinny boy but devastating to an already-overweight girl.)

Teens Need to Be Concerned with Interactions

You may not know that your teen is on birth control, but if she is, she needs to be concerned with how her daily medication could interact or interfere with nutritional supplements and vitamins. The same goes for the teenager who is on diet pills or takes prescription migraine medications.

Whether you are certain your son or daughter is taking medications or not, you should urge him or her to investigate possible complications. After all, who wants to have something terrible happen? Truthfully, it's often merely a matter of absorption (for instance, birth control pills can leech some nutrients from vitamins or make absorbing nutritional supplements difficult), but sometimes more serious concerns can develop from nutritional supplement and herb interactions.

Teens Should be Well-Informed

Just because a teen is still a child doesn't mean that he or she shouldn't understand what a nutritional supplement is going to do to the body. Make sure your kid knows how practical it is to investigate any nutritional supplements and vitamins before committing to purchasing them. You will not only be proud that he or she took the time to do so, you'll also be relieved knowing that your son or daughter isn't simply making a ?fly by night? health choice.

No, you cannot hold your child's hand throughout the years. But if you give him or her the tools to make good decisions throughout life, he or she will likely live an existence more in tune with nature.