What vitamins should your child be taking?

The first thing to consider when determining what vitamins you or your child should be taking is, what vitamins should EVERYONE be taking. America has started to use supplements as a "natural" reliever of various symptoms. Unfortunately, that has taken away from what supplementation is really all about. If you think about what each of us needs in our diet, it is virtually identical for all of us. (Yes, there are a few people with extenuating circumstances, but overall, we almost all need the same things).

So, what should each child be taking? On a standard American diet, each child should be taking Vitamin D as well as a good probiotic and fish oil (Omega-3). Most children should also be on a good multivitamin. Now, what's a good multi?

NOT FLINTSTONE VITAMINS!!!

Unfortunately, these taste great and kids eat them, so its easier (and cheaper) for parents to feed these to their kids. However, if you look at the ingredients, there are multiple ingredients that you do not want in your child's body. Some of these include Aspartame (linked to Alzheimers and multiple sclerosis), Red/Blue/Yellow dyes (linked to hyperactivity), and various other chemicals.

There are some great multivitamins or whole food supplements, which are even better than multivitamins, available today. JuicePlus is a great whole food supplement that comes in gummy form. I've tried these and they taste like fruit snacks--something most children would eat as a snack. Innate Choice supplements are also a great option. If you are struggling on where to find these products, or what other products are out there, please let me know and I will help you find a good option for your children.

A probiotic is also essential to children, simply because most children have been on antibiotics. Antibiotics not only kill the "bad bacteria" in the body, but they also kill the "good bacteria" which aid in digestion. Many children have digestive issues and a probiotic should help regulate their bodies. Probiotics also help your body inrease its immunity, so if you are tired of sick children, a probiotic may be a great addition to their daily nutrition.

Omega-3's not only aid in cardiovascular health, but they are essential to proper functioning of the nervous system. Omega-3's are to the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and the nerves that communicate with every cell in the body) as protein is to muscle and calcium is to bone. Many times I hear that people won't take Omega-3's anymore because they burp up fish oil after taking it. A few ways to combat this is to take a good omega-3 (not a grocery store brand, but a quality supplement such as Innate Choice, Anabolic Laboratories or Physiologics), freeze the capsules or take them just before eating a meal. The food then will help eliminate the taste of fish oil. 

Lastly, Vitamin D is a necessary component to everyone's diet. Vitamin D is essential to activate the immune system that normally comes from sunlight. This is one reason why people are much sicker during the winter months. When we go inside, we don't get the vitamin D necessary to keep our immune system healthy. So, no sunlight means supplementation is necessary.

Please contact me if you have any additional questions on choosing a healthy supplement for you or your family. Here's to Healthier Kid and Healthier Lives!