Vitamins for Kids
Many believe that all of the needed nutrients can be gotten from food. However, when we are talking about children I would like you to consider the following statistics.
💥1 in 3 kids eat fast food or junk food every day
💥Only 13% of parents make sure their kids eat fruits and veggies every day
💥A study of 5th graders concluded that those who ate junk food had lower test scores years later
💥50% of school lunches are poor quality
💥Kids today are eating 50 lbs. more sugar every year than they should
💥1 in every 3 kids are overweight or obese
💥70% of kids do not get enough vitamin D
💥60% of kids do not get enough vitamin K or vitamin E
💥25% of kids do not get enough vitamin A
💥40% of kids (and adults) have a gene defect that keeps them from being able to absorb folic acid
💥1 in 3 babies today are born with a c-section and they don’t get the beneficial good bacteria they need for gut health
💥A study in 2010 showed that 74 million children received antibiotics (which kill good gut bacteria)
💥Poor gut health in kids could affect their weight, their behavior, and their immune systems
💥Typical gummy vitamins contain 1.25 teaspoons of sugar per serving (that adds up to 4.5 lbs. of extra sugar yearly)
This is why a good, high-quality children’s vitamin is a must to help our children be as healthy as they can be.
There are a few things to consider when deciding on a children’s chewable vitamin. Many of these are the same for adult vitamins but when we see the fun looking bottle of Flintstone’s chewable vitamins we imagine that the manufacturer has our children’s best interest at heart. This is simply not the case. We need to be informed and choose wisely for the sake of our children.
Click here to read my post about adult vitamins. Those issues all need to be taken into consideration when looking at vitamins for kids.
Following are a few things to think about.
Vitamins for Kids
Are the vitamins bioavailable and made with whole foods. Many vitamins are filled with the synthetic version of the vitamins. The body is not able to fully utilize the synthetic version. A whole foods based vitamin is important for bioavailability.
Is it clean? Many vitamins for kids are filled with added sugars, artificial colors, and fillers. Sugar has quite a few ill side effects and many vitamins for kids exceed the recommended daily amount of sugar. Artificial food colorings have been linked to ADHD and poor behavior in children. We want the vitamin for kids to give them what they need not add problems.
Be cautious of gummy vitamins for kids. They are filled with artificial colors and sugars. They also tend to contain a lot less nutrients than chewable tablets.
Vitamins for Kids
Based on the statistics above it is clear that vitamins for kids are a must. The busy American lifestyle lends itself to a need for supplementation, especially in growing children. They are developing based on the nutrition they are getting. Supplementation is one way to give them a little boost toward better lifelong health.
To learn about the vitamins for kids I give to my own children Click Here.
