There’s a lot we attribute to “that age”. The tiredness, the irritability, the difficulty concentrating. The days when your once-chatty child retreats to their room or just doesn’t seem quite themselves. And sometimes, hormones really are part of the story. The tween and teenage years can bring significant hormonal, emotional and social change.

Yet, there’s another change happening at the same time that we don’t talk about nearly as much. Their nutritional needs are changing too and if they go unaddressed, they can have a major impact on mood.

Growing up changes what the body needs

The nutritional transition of adolescence doesn’t suddenly begin at 13. The tween years can bring rapid growth and the beginning of puberty, with changes continuing throughout adolescence. Bodies are growing. Muscle and bone mass are developing. Blood volume increases as children grow and the brain continues to develop. For some girls, menstruation enters the picture during the tween years too.

All of this requires additional nourishment. That doesn’t mean every growing child needs a supplement. It means the nutrients required to support growth and development deserve attention alongside the hormonal changes we tend to focus on. Two of those nutrients are iron and zinc.

Why iron matters during the tween and teen years

Iron is essential for making haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen around the body. This is one reason why iron plays an enormous part in energy and sports performance and recovery. It also plays important roles in growth, cognitive development, attention, concentration, behaviour and neurotransmitter production, including dopamine, serotonin and GABA. During periods of rapid growth, the body’s demand for iron increases. Once puberty begins, iron needs rise further to support expanding blood volume, muscle development and overall growth.

In boys, iron is also important for supporting normal pubertal development, and inadequate iron status has been associated with delayed or disrupted puberty. In girls, once menstruation begins, regular blood loss adds another consideration, regardless of whether that happens at 9, 11, 13 or 15.

Dietary recommendations reflect these changing needs. Children aged 9–13 need 8 mg of iron per day (more for girls once menstruation begins). From 14–18, the recommended daily intake increases to 11 mg for boys and 15 mg for girls (which in itself may not be sufficient should a girl’s menstruation be particularly heavy). When iron stores become low, the signs aren’t always dramatic. Fatigue, impaired concentration, changes in learning and memory and behavioural changes can all occur with iron deficiency. In other words, some of the things we might dismiss as “just that age” can also be signs worth paying attention to and investigating.

That doesn’t mean a tired, distracted or irritable tween or teenager is always iron deficient, however it’s extremely common and too often missed and therefore not addressed. Iron hugely deserves a place in this conversation.

And then there’s zinc

Zinc tends to get even less attention, but it’s another important nutrient during these years. It’s involved in normal growth and development, immune function, DNA and protein synthesis and an endless array of processes throughout the body, including reproductive development. Zinc also plays a vital role in the endocrine processes involved in puberty, including the production and function of sex hormones.

As puberty begins and growth accelerates, the body’s demand for zinc increases to support this period of rapid physical and sexual development. In fact, zinc requirements are particularly high around the pubertal growth spurt, and inadequate zinc status has been associated with delayed growth and sexual maturation. That makes zinc especially relevant during the tween and teenage years, when the very hormones we often associate with “teenage behaviour” are changing alongside significant growth and development.

Dietary recommendations set the daily intake at 6 mg for girls and boys aged 9–13. From 14–18, this increases to 13 mg for boys and 7 mg for girls. Zinc deficiency can have wide-ranging effects. It’s a major contributor to picky eating in children of all ages and Australian paediatric guidance includes depressed mood, apathy and emotional disturbances as signs of deficiency in older children. Does that mean low zinc is the reason your tween or teenager is moody? These days, it’s regularly a contributor as sadly, zinc is found in so few foods. However, mood is complex. Sleep, stress, hormones, relationships, self-perception, what’s happening at school, at home and online, as well as nutrition (and many other factors) can influence how a young person feels and behaves. Simply allow this to be a gentle reminder that what’s happening during these years isn’t purely hormonal.

Sometimes the challenge is simply getting enough in

Maybe they’ve always been a picky eater – something that both low zinc and iron play a role in. Or maybe they’ve reached an age where they start to have more say over what, when and sometimes whether they eat at all. Breakfast might get skipped (ideally not so they are fueled to learn at school!), lunchboxes come home untouched, sports get more demanding and food preferences change. Some young people choose to reduce or remove animal products, while busy school and social lives can make convenience eating increasingly appealing. None of these things automatically lead to a nutrient deficiency. As established, needs for both zinc and iron increase significantly through adolescence, which means even more needs to be consumed at a time when the nutritional picture is often changing.

The best food sources of iron include red meat, mussels and organ meats and eggs. Lesser amounts of iron are found in some plant foods, including seaweed, legumes, seeds, and leafy greens – though the non-haem iron in plant foods is not readily absorbed and is best paired with vitamin C-containing foods to foster absorption.

Food sources of zinc include seafood (particularly oysters), red meat, eggs and in smaller amounts in seeds.

During periods of rapid growth, or when intake is limited or requirements are higher, supplementation of iron and/or zinc can help bridge the gap. This is where food-sourced supplements can be particularly valuable, providing nutrients in forms that work with the body, rather than simply delivering the biggest possible dose.

When is nutritional status worth investigating?

Rather than trying to diagnose a nutrient deficiency from behaviour, it’s worthwhile looking at the bigger picture. Has their energy changed noticeably? Are they persistently tired? Are they pale in the face? Do they have dark circles under their eyes? Are they struggling to concentrate in a way they weren’t before? Have their eating habits changed? Are they training heavily? Have they started menstruating and, if so, are their periods particularly heavy? And perhaps most importantly, does something seem different enough to warrant investigating? Keep in mind though that some children become iron and/or zinc deficient at very young ages so observing what’s changed may not always elicit information if they’ve always been this way. A blood test is the only way to *truly* know.

A symptom doesn’t tell you its cause. If you’re concerned about your child’s energy, concentration, mood or general wellbeing, speak with a healthcare professional. They can make an assessment and/or request blood tests to determine whether a deficiency may be part – or all – of the picture. Because the transition from childhood through adolescence isn’t just hormonal. Their bodies are doing an extraordinary amount of growing and changing behind the scenes. Making sure they have the nourishment to support it deserves to be part of the conversation too.

Onblends.com