Are Supplements Suitable for Children?

Raising healthy and happy children requires balance, and it can be difficult to maintain a balanced diet with picky eaters or allergies and intolerances. In order to be sure your children are getting the necessary vitamins and nutrients that they need; a supplement can be added to their daily diet. Using a daily multivitamin or specific supplements to target what is missing from their diet, can help to boost energy, improve focus, and support memory.

When to Consider Supplements

Childhood is full of adventures and discovery, and it can be difficult to ensure that a balanced diet with all the needed vitamins and nutrients is maintained.  Children are sure to have favorite foods and things they will not eat, which complicates making meals that everyone will eat yet are still balanced and nutritious.

If your child is skipping some of their vegetables or is eating less than the required amounts of certain vitamins, this can be corrected by adding a daily vitamin to their routine. Young children specifically are recommended to have a vitamin D supplement every day in locations that do not get a lot of sun. This can help to ensure they are healthy, and their body and mind are developing as they should.

Some signs to watch for are difficulty sleeping, being moody or unhappy, and changes in appetite. If they become ill easily or are catching more colds, suffering from increased seasonal allergies, or you notice a difficulty in focusing. Each of these can be a sign that there are nutrients that are missing, and supplements are a fast and simple way to correct that deficiency.

Doctors often require blood work and check for key vitamin levels when they are looking for a diagnosis of illness or disease. When this bloodwork is completed, it will show any that are below the needed levels and adding these back in can address several symptoms. In some cases, a supplement or a daily vitamin may be prescribed to return the levels within the body to the required range. Some nutrients are also key to the proper absorption of medications, so they can be used to support the functioning of needed medications while improving the functioning of the body.

Benefits of Supplements for Kids

Adding the correct supplements to your child’s daily intake can reduce illness such as cold and flu, promote healthy bone growth, support memory and learning new skills, as well as helping with moods and healthy sleep cycles. Vitamins D and C are key to a healthy immune system and can boost mood while supporting sleep and digestion. They are also necessary for the growth of healthy teeth, along with calcium and some other key nutrients.

When made for kids, they include the needed daily intake and are built for easy absorption into their body. They come in delivery methods that are easy and flavored so they will take them. Choose the ones that are most important, that are not found within the regular daily diet in amounts that are suitable, or that are difficult to access. A multivitamin is a good place to start and can be built upon for any additional needs.

Introducing these choices and habits early can help to set up children for a healthy lifestyle going forward and teach them to care for their health throughout their life. The things that are a focus when they are young and growing will remain a focus, and self care and health care are key things to teach them. Learning about nutrition, balance in diet and exercise, and taking the time to ensure that your body is getting all of the things that it needs for peak performance, are all necessary parts of learning to care for yourself.

Easy Vitamins and Supplements for Kids

Vitamins for children need to be in a form that they will reliably take and that is stress free for the whole family. Using gummies is one way to ensure that they will want to take them, and that they can safely chew their vitamin without concern. Fully Nutrition offers a sugar free gummy vitamin and supplements that are easy for children to take and are safe for them.

Selecting vitamins for children means looking for those with healthy ingredients, that avoid any allergens, and use ingredients that are safe. Naturally sourced ingredients can offer a sense of comfort and safety. Look for those that have ingredients that you are familiar with, and that contain the correct daily needs for the age and weight of the child.

Other Things To Consider

While supplements are safe for most people, there are always other factors to consider. If prescription medication is being taken, it is important to have any vitamins or supplements checked by the pharmacist or prescribing doctor to ensure no interactions are present. If there are other supplements that are prescribed it is unnecessary to add more, but ensure that they are combined with those vitamins that help the body to absorb them as well. Vitamin D is key to helping the body absorb many different nutrients, and assists in processing them as well. 

When more than the required daily dose is taken it is generally not harmful. The body will use what it needs and dispose of the remainder. However, it is possible to have side effects from beginning to add vitamins into the body. Upset stomach is the most common response, and this may occur until the body has become accustomed to the added nutrients, similar to the changes and effects of altering the daily diet.

Supplements are both safe and healthy for children and adults alike. The benefits to the immune system, growing bodies, and developing brain are worth the investment, and can help to set up children to take care of their health even as adults. Regular daily vitamins can help to process prescribed medications, reduce allergy symptoms and flares, and even support a healthy sleep cycle.