Do Children Need Vitamin Supplements? Myths, Truths and Other Info You Need to Know
Share
If a child eats a balanced diet full of whole foods, it is less likely that they will need supplements. But there are certain circumstances where it is beneficial to supplement a child's diet with safe, effective, high-quality vitamins and minerals.
Does your child get the right food and at regular times? Or get sick easily? Or have mood swings? These are just a few indicators that supplements can be useful for your child. The fact is that we all process food in different ways and we all have genetic predispositions that affect our metabolism of certain vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Even if your child eats the healthiest diet, the body may not physically process these foods with the greatest efficiency, which can also affect nutritional status. Even the way your child was born (caesarean section or vaginal delivery) can affect his or her gut bacteria, which we now know plays an important role in our overall health. Since we are all so unique and there are an incredible number of environmental factors that contribute to health and nutritional status, it is unreasonable to say that children do not need nutritional supplements.
Does your child need to take nutritional supplements?
Ask yourself:
- Is your child picky about what he/she eats?
- Does your child have chronic or recurring health problems?
- Is your child prone to getting sick?
- Does your child eat highly processed foods and/or fast food?
- Does your child have a restricted diet (e.g. vegan or vegetarian)?
- Does your child have a condition that can affect nutritional status, increase the need for nutrients or affect digestion? (e.g. cancer, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease or previous operations in the digestive tract).
- Does your child spend a lot of time indoors?
These are all potential cases where a child could benefit from supplements. If your child falls into one of these categories, or if you are wondering whether or not you should give your child nutritional supplements, take a moment and talk to someone close to you with the right skills who can guide you to get started!
Myth: Food supplements are dangerous for children.
Truth: Dietary supplements made especially for children are generally safe to take as long as dosage instructions are followed. There are also certain nutrients that should be taken with extra caution.
Although vitamins are generally necessary for health, there are some that can become toxic when taken in high concentrations. These tend to be the fat-soluble vitamins - vitamins A, D, E and K - which the body stores in fat tissue instead of eliminating them via the urine. Since the body retains these nutrients for a longer period of time, health problems can arise if they are taken in too high doses. The easiest way to avoid this, as with all nutritional supplements, is to follow the manufacturer's dosage instructions. In this way, you can ensure that your child does not exceed the guidelines for the daily dose. In addition to this, you should always make sure to store dietary supplements out of the reach of small hands. This applies particularly to vitamins in brightly colored or gummy styles that can easily be mistaken for sweets.
Myth: Children have different nutritional needs than adults.
Truth: Children have the same nutritional needs, but in different amounts.
We often forget that children are small people with the same nutritional needs as adults. When it comes to picky eaters, it is usually much easier to give in to their wishes than to constantly argue about what to eat for dinner. But in any case, it is extremely important to understand that children have the same nutritional needs as adults, just in different amounts. So for children who do not have much variety in their diet, who are perhaps more active than average, or who simply do not like nutritious food, it is our job as parents to ensure that their needs are met. And are there any better (and easier) ways to do this than through supplements?
Best vitamins for children
If you want to make sure that your child gets exactly what he needs, there are certain vitamins that are particularly good for children. Here are some of the best vitamins for children's health:
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a very important nutrient for both adults and children. It plays many roles throughout the body, such as helping with collagen formation, transmission of nerve signals, supporting healthy bones and teeth, and to top it off, it also supports immunity. These are all crucial factors for general well-being, especially for growing children, so having vitamin C on hand is a definite yes! Read about Aarja Health vitamin C for children here...
Vitamin D3
When you think of calcium, you should also think of vitamin D3, also known as the sunshine vitamin! Since our bodies are dependent on UV rays to produce vitamin D3, supplementation is particularly important for children (and adults) living in northern countries. Due to the large amount of time spent outside in the sun and indoors, it can cause vitamin D3 deficiency. Vitamin D3 has many important functions throughout the body, including immunity and brain health, while also helping the body absorb calcium. Read about Aarja Health vitamin D for children here...
Iron
Iron is well known for supporting physical growth, red blood cell production, neurological development and muscle development. So as you can see, iron is absolutely crucial for growing children! Deficiency is also quite common, and is responsible for approximately half of the childhood cases of anemia.
Omega 3 dyes
Fish is usually not a child's first choice of meal, but the omega-3 substances that fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel provide are important for healthy brain development. The fatty acid called DHA is particularly useful for mood, attention, learning and impulse control in children. There are studies that show a benefit for omega-3 intake and asthma too. For new mothers and babies, an adequate intake of omega-3 can also help to reduce the occurrence of food sensitivities that lead to allergies.
Probiotics
For children with stomach problems, anxiety tendencies or problems with immunity, probiotics are a good alternative! With the many health-supporting functions of our gut bacteria, it can be extremely beneficial to replenish our system with healthy bacteria to maintain balance. This applies especially to children who often receive antibiotics. Since the antibiotic medication wipes our systems clean and leaves little, it is considered best practice to give the gut a small boost after illness.
Calcium
You've probably heard it a million times - we need calcium for strong bones and teeth. What many people don't know is that calcium has many other important functions throughout the body too, including regulation of muscle and heart function, transmission of nerve signals and so much more! Since our bones are constantly in a process where they break down and build up again, calcium is a nutrient that is important to take in throughout life!
Children's vitamins from Aarja Health
We currently have two incredibly good children's vitamins available - vitamin C with blueberries and vitamin D3 with blueberries. Both of these tasty chewable tablets contain no unnecessary additives, sugar or food colouring. With the good taste of natural, Nordic blueberries, your children will love the taste, and you can be safe in the knowledge that they are taking pure products with unbeatable quality standards.
Regardless of the season, both vitamin C and vitamin D3 with blueberries support several aspects of children's health, including immunity, brain and neurological health, strong teeth and so much more!
How to choose the best vitamins for children
Choosing the right vitamin for your child can be a stressful process. How do you know that the product is safe or of good quality? How do you know which companies you can trust? Or which vitamins should you choose? We want to make sure that your children only get the best, so we wanted to help make your decision a little easier. When it comes to choosing the best dietary supplements (for children and adults), here are some things to look at:
Safety and quality.
All companies that are proud of their safety, cleanliness and quality standards usually share this with their customers. It is important to do a little research on the brands you choose and ask yourself - is this company open about its production processes? Do they promote the safety and quality of their products? Are they open about their facility standards?
Trusted brands.
Since there are so many different companies that provide dietary supplements, one of the best ways to narrow down your decision is to look at the company's reputation. There are often online reviews that provide feedback and experiences shared by customers. A quick search of the company's name online also gives you a good idea of whether or not there is reason to trust the brand. If your search returns little or no information, it's a pretty big red flag. If, on the other hand, there is a lot of information, pages in social media, reviews, etc., it is a good indication that at least your product comes from a legitimate company.
Dosage.
If you want to be sure that your child gets safe but sufficient amounts of a nutrient, the best way to do it is by only supplementing with nutrients that are specifically dosed for children. There are millions of adult products on the market, but giving a child an adult vitamin supplement can lead to toxicity. So instead choose products that are made for children and always double-check the label to ensure the correct dosage. The vast majority of dietary supplements also state the appropriate age and relative dosage for the product.
Ingredients.
Ingredients are important, especially in the supplement world. You don't want to take a dietary supplement that has a negative effect on the body! The key here is to always check the ingredients on the label. Is there a long list of ingredients? Is there a bunch of extra elements added with little or no nutritional value? Are the nutrients themselves in the most bioavailable form? All these are things to consider when choosing the best vitamins for you and your family!
Here at Aarja Health, we only manufacture dietary supplements that we would take ourselves and feel comfortable giving to our families. After all, that's why we started from the beginning! We had difficulty finding safe, effective and reliable products, so we decided to make our own. Since we own our manufacturing facility, we can be absolutely sure that each product is manufactured with the efficiency and outstanding quality that we are happy to maintain. So if you're looking for a reputable brand, congratulations, you've already found it! To learn more about our quality standards, we are happy to share with you information about our factory.
PS! Remember that a well-balanced diet is the best way to ensure that all nutritional needs are met, and supplements are an excellent complement to provide the basic elements that support health and well-being.