Girls need certain nutrients during puberty to ensure optimal growth. Feeding her a well-balanced diet, focusing on low-fat dairy, lean meat, vegetables, fresh fruits and whole-grain foods, gives her all of the essential vitamins she needs. Talk with your health care provider if you think your teenager needs to take a vitamin supplement and avoid giving her excessive doses.
Folic Acid
Folic acid is one of several water-soluble B vitamins that work to pull energy from the foods you eat. Specifically, folic acid helps metabolize protein into amino acids, which are shorter, more functional protein strands. Amino acids play a role in an array of biochemical reactions, including building and maintaining DNA and RNA, the genetic material within each cell. Folic acid is essential for the female population since it helps to protect against neural tube defects. These defects occur during the 21st and 27th days of pregnancy, often before a woman is aware of a pregnancy, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Neural tube defects impact the normal development of the central nervous system and can be fatal. If your teenage girl is sexually active, make sure she gets the recommended dose of daily folic acid to prevent neural tube defects in case of pregnancy. She needs 300 micrograms between ages 9 and 13 and 400 micrograms at age 14 and older.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is another important water-soluble vitamin your daughter needs during puberty. Since she is still growing, vitamin C is essential for building collagen, which is a structural component of expanding connective tissues, skin and veins. Vitamin C also helps her immune system by fighting off foreign bacteria and getting rid of highly reactive free radicals. These compounds are damaging to healthy cells and increase her risk of chronic diseases. She needs 45 milligrams of vitamin C between ages 9 and 13 and 65 milligrams between ages 14 and 18, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Because the body doesn't store water-soluble vitamins, she needs to get adequate amounts in her diet each day.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential during periods of growth, such as puberty. Your daughter needs vitamin D to help absorb calcium into bones and teeth, helping them grow normally and stay strong. Vitamin D is also important for overall cell growth and regulating the immune system. She gets some vitamin D in her system through exposure to sunlight, but wearing sunscreen, long-sleeve shirts or having limited sun exposure minimizes her body's ability to make vitamin D. Support her growing skeleton by making sure she gets the recommended 600 international units, or 15 micrograms, of daily vitamin D. However, fat-soluble vitamins have a greater risk of causing problems at high doses since the body stores them for later use. Avoid exceeding the recommended dosage so she doesn't have adverse effects.
Vitamin A
Your growing girl also needs plenty of vitamin A, another type of fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin A includes a series of compounds that work together for normal reproduction, bone growth, cell division and overall eye health. To support all of these functions during puberty, she needs 600 micrograms, or 2,000 international units, between ages 9 and 13, which increases to 700 micrograms, or 2,310 international units, at age 14 and through adulthood, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.
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