California, February 3: According to researchers many healthy U.S. children and teenagers may be popping vitamins and mineral supplements they do not need.

Most experts are of the opinion that if a person consumes a nutritious diet, vitamin and mineral supplements, are not necessary. Children who really need them are those with mal nutrition, less physical activity, and from low-income households. Unfortunately they may not be getting the dosage of vitamins and minerals they require.

Dr. Ulfat Shaikh, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California Davis School of Medicine and pediatrician at UC Davis Children's Hospital, author of the study said, "We were curious about why certain parents may choose to use over-the-counter multivitamin supplements for children, and some might not. We hypothesized that supplements might be used to reduce adverse effects if parents thought their child wasn't eating right or were wondering where their next meal was coming from."

Shaikh and her colleagues analyzed data from 10,828 children between 2 and 17 years old who took part in the 1999 to 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Children who had taken a supplement a month earlier were considered to be vitamin and mineral supplement users. The researchers also looked at factors like physical activity, the types of foods they ate, and if they were covered by health insurance.

Dr Shaikh said the prime focus of the study was that "We wanted to know more about which children take vitamin and mineral supplements and whether vitamin and mineral supplements may be used by parents to prevent medical problems related to poor diet or lower food security.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend supplemental vitamins for most children over the age of one. The need for supplements is for children with chronic diseases, eating disorders and other health related problems. Supplement overdose can lead to vomiting, kidney or liver damage among small children.

According to Dr Shaikh the results did not hold any surprises. "As expected, we found that a large number of underweight children had taken a multivitamin in the previous month. But we also found that between 30 and 40 percent of children who regularly eat vegetables and drink milk are taking supplements. Supplements for children and adolescents who are healthy and eat a varied diet are not only medically unnecessary but they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)."

The study high lighted that cost was a major factor why children in need of vitamins are deprived of them. In households below the poverty level, only 22 percent of children used vitamins. In the not so poor bracket, the number rose to 43 percent. 38 percent of the children used vitamins in households not enrolled in the federal Food Stamp Program whereas in households using food stamps, vitamin use was around 18 percent. Usage of vitamins in households with lack of proper food was only 15 percent which jumped to 36 percent in homes of the affluent.

Kris Rudolph, a pediatric dietitian at Cincinnati Children's Hospital said that "The problem is people who can afford vitamin supplements can also afford a lot of different varieties of food -- not that I think people on limited budgets can't afford to eat healthy. But . . . you definitely need to sit down and think about it, and you have to have somebody who's helpful."