Dr. Truong Hong Son, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine, said that Vietnam ranks 4th in Southeast Asia with an average height of 168.1 cm for men and 156.2 cm for women.
Thus, in the past 10 years, the average height of men has increased by 3.7cm and women has increased by 2.6cm, a clear improvement compared to the previous decade. Compared to Southeast Asian countries, the height of Vietnamese people is behind Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
Ten years ago, Vietnamese people were at the bottom in the region, just slightly above Indonesian and Philippine people.
According to the average height statistics table of countries around the world based on research by NCD Risk Factor Collaboratation, the height of Vietnamese people is 153rd out of 201 countries/ territories worldwide.
According to Dr. Truong Hong Son, the result of height acceleration is an early, long-term and sustainable intervention process. Therefore, parents need to pay attention to nutrition and vitamin supplements to help children grow well.
In addition to sunbathing properly, it is necessary to supplement vitamin D from daily nutrition and supplements. Vitamin D helps absorb calcium effectively, a deficiency of this substance will lead to rickets in children.
In addition to vitamin D, vitamin K2 is also very important in bone development and regulating calcium metabolism in the body. The combination of vitamins K2 and D3 can help absorb calcium into bones, helping to increase bone density, reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures, and reduce calcium deposition in blood vessels and soft tissues, to improve height growth in children.
Nutritionists also warn against arbitrarily supplementing functional foods for children without guidance from a health professional. Abusing additional products of unknown origin and uncontrolled content can cause more harm than benefit.
Therefore, the fundamental solution is still to maintain a balanced diet with diverse, nutrient-rich foods. Children need to eat all food groups, prioritize milk, eggs, fish, green vegetables, fresh fruits and naturally fermented traditional dishes such as yogurt, natto, natural sources of vitamin D and K2. At the same time, it is necessary to encourage children to exercise daily and ensure quality sleep, especially during puberty.
Dr. Son recommends including vitamin K2, especially when combined with vitamin D3, in community nutrition programs and child health care policies. This is to help improve bone density, optimize height development and prevent bone coronation during growth.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Ninh - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine - emphasized: Vitamines D3 and K2 are two important micronutrients for the development of height and immunity in children. However, the difference in efficiency between products does not only come from ingredients but also from raw material quality, production technology and stability.
Experts from the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine recommend that the effectiveness of K2+D3 supplementation is not only in the formula, but also depends on serious investment in quality from root to top - from research, production, to clinical application and instructions for proper use for each group of subjects.
The Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine (VIAM) in collaboration with An Minh Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company has just successfully organized a seminar on Vitamins K2 and D3. This is a seminar to update medical advances in the production and use of vitamins K2 and D3 - especially key standards to ensure the effectiveness, safety and quality of micro-nutrient supplements for children.
