With the flu season in full swing we want to keep our family as healthy as possible so we want to give our children a little extra boost to build their immune system up and get extra nutrition in their body especially if they don’t eat as healthy as we would like.

A reader recently asked me advice on children’s vitamins. After I gave her my recommendations I got thinking about how most parents pick vitamins for their children. We head to the grocery store and check out the different kinds. We purchase the one that might be on sale, or with the cute label so the kids will like it or just go with the brand that’s been around forever. Never having it cross our mind that a little chewable tablet might do more harm than good for our child.

We have to remember that not all vitamins are created equal and that most of the vitamins made today are made with not NATURAL ingredients but with Synthetic which would offer you about 50% less value than whole vitamins which are made directly from fruits and vegetable.  Synthetic vitamins have no trace of minerals and therefore cannot be processed in our bodies normally. There are so many popular vitamins out there in stores that are in part or all synthetic allowing for unabsorbable nutrition. 

So what happens when we take a vitamin that is made with synthetic ingredients instead of natural ones? When taking large doses of synthetic vitamins it can become toxic. The synthetic vitamins essentially rob the body of nutrients which causes greater deficiencies in the body. Whole food vitamins do not cause deficiencies but give our bodies the nutrients we need on a daily basis.  

So now what? The most important thing to remember is to READ THE LABEL so you have the full facts on what’s in your food and vitamins. If you see these words…calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide it’s synthetic. Don’t be fooled by a label reading “all natural” you can still be fooled. One easy way to tell is by looking a the RDA. If the potency is higher than anything you would find in nature (example 1000% daily recommended allowance of vitamin c per serving), the products contains synthetically produced ingredients no matter what the label says.  Do your own research, be your own advocate and the advocate of your child so you and they are putting the best possible things into your bodies to keep you healthy.



Safe Vitamin Choices



 


Amazing Grass – offers you and your child many whole food vitamin and supplement choices. We have used their kidz Superfood Chocolate flavor for a few years now and we are huge fans. It’s nutritional powerhouse that combines 31 fruits and vegetables in a chocolate drink powder. One serving gives you the antioxidant equivalent of 3 servings of fruit and vegetables. This would be perfect for a child that isn’t eating enough fruits and veggies.
 
 




 
  Yummi Bears – has 10 types for you to choose from. In the winter you could use the immune booster and fruit and veggie vitamin. If you are worried your child isn't getting enough fiber there is one for that plus others including DHA, Omega 3-6-9 plus many more.




Garden of Life - When it comes to producing high quality superfoods and supplements, Garden of Life is one of the best. Its diverse array of nutritional products is amazing which includes a line of multivitamins called “Living Multi”.

To learn more about picking the right type of WHOLE FOOD vitamins go to…

Natural News

Nature Moms

Organic Consumers