Drinking a lot of milk tea and forgetting to rehydrate increases the burden on the kidneys.

Eating a lot of fast food, soft drinks, and milk tea in the diet is one of the reasons why teenagers and adolescents lack micronutrients and vitamins, with a very common symptom being cramps.

Dr. Tran Chau Quyen (Nutrition Institute) said that through nutritional consultations, doctors received a number of complaints from parents about their children's condition during puberty, often having cramps, despite eating well.

Doctor Quyen shared that puberty is the stage when the body "grows rapidly", especially the bones and muscles. Children can grow 8-10 cm taller each year, causing the muscle and bone systems to work harder than usual. Height and muscle mass develop rapidly, causing the muscle system to work continuously to catch up with the bones, easily leading to stiffness and contraction (cramps).

Limit fast food and sweet drinks; increase green vegetables, whole grains, and fruits to supplement micronutrients and vitamins.

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"Suboptimal eating habits due to fast food, soft drinks, and milk tea making up a large portion of children's diets cause them to lack micronutrients and vitamins needed for muscle stability. Therefore, families need to pay attention to help children develop good nutritional habits," Dr. Quyen noted.

Or children exercise a lot, often sweat when playing sports but do not rehydrate in time, causing the body to become dehydrated and prone to cramps.

A common cause of muscle cramps in children is stress and academic pressure. Stress activates stress hormones, which keep muscle fibers in a state of "tense tension", making them susceptible to contraction with even the slightest change.

According to nutritionists, when important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium or sodium are not enough, the contraction and relaxation of muscles are interrupted. This imbalance makes the muscles prone to abnormal contractions. To ensure adequate supply of micronutrients and vitamins, adolescents need to drink enough water, especially when exercising or in hot weather; eat lots of vegetables, fruits, milk and foods rich in minerals; limit soft drinks, milk tea, fast food.

"Sunbathing for 10-15 minutes a day is a good, inexpensive solution, and is readily available in Vietnam's climate conditions, to increase vitamin D absorption, an important micronutrient for children's development," Dr. Quyen shared.

Supplementing micronutrients from food

During puberty, children have high calcium needs. Calcium is found in milk and dairy products, small fish eaten with bones, tofu or dark green vegetables.

Magnesium helps relax muscle fibers and balances calcium during contraction and relaxation. Many teenagers have irregular diets, low in vegetables and whole grains, so they are prone to magnesium deficiency. Foods rich in magnesium include nuts, beans, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, and bananas.

Potassium aids in neuromuscular transmission. Potassium is lost through excessive sweating during exercise or by eating less fruits and vegetables. Bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oranges, and avocados are good natural sources of potassium for children.

Sodium plays a role in creating and transmitting electrical impulses, allowing nerve signals to reach the correct muscle fibers. During puberty, eating too much fast food and processed foods containing a lot of salt leads to water retention, increasing the burden on the kidneys; at the same time, children drink less water, indirectly increasing the risk of cramps due to electrolyte imbalance. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the diet to ensure enough sodium in case of excessive sweating, but avoid excess salt due to salty foods.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/uong-nhieu-tra-sua-quen-bu-nuoc-tang-ganh-nang-than-185251130165901031.htm