by 
I thought long and hard about what my next article should be about.
I was just daydreaming one day and I remembered when I was a young child my mom making my sister, brother, and I take One-A-Day vitamins for kids. When wasn’t One- A-Day brand it was Chocks. There were not any other vitamins I recall at that time. Flintstones and Gummy Bears weren’t around yet. We called everything vitamins back then. There was no fruit and vegetable or superfood supplements in those days or at least not using that name. At that time mothers were just trying to make sure their children got all the vitamins and minerals they might be missing in their regular food diet. In todays world their is a vast array of supplements but I think today I will focus on the Natural Food Supplements for Children.
Do Todays Kids Need A Food Supplement?
The answer from many medical experts is probably not. However their are always exceptions. When your child does not receive a balanced meal on a regular basis. A good balanced diet includes the following
- protein from meat, poultry, and fish
- whole grains such as brown rice and wheat
- calcium from dairy product like milk, yogurt, and cheese
- fruit and vegetables (any and all)
When Would a Child Require Taking Supplements?
There are times when one or more dietary supplements would be a good idea for your child. They are as follow:
- when they don’t eat a regular balance diet (as described above)
- when they eat a lot of junk food and soda with can rob some nutrients from the body
- they are finicky eaters and don’t eat enough of the food groups
- if they have allergies which keep them from eating what their body needs
- if they are anemic and require higher doses of iron or such that they can get enough from normal meals
These are a few reasons your child may need one or more supplements but their are other less common reasons.
Is a Natural Supplement Better Than Synthetic Vitamins for Children
First of all I will explain the difference between natural supplements and vitamins. Natural supplements are made from a natural food source. The food can be dehydrated then ground up for a mix you can drink place into a gel cap or compressed info a tablet. There are some more sophisticated methods but the results are generally the same. However, not all supplements are vitamins.
Vitamins are nutrients that can’t be produced by our bodies The body require the food we eat to get them. Therefor most vitamins we take are synthetically produced but some are natural. Many vitamins target a specific need but most people take a multi-vitamin with the object of making sure they get everything they need.
I researched this topic for many hours to try to get the right answer. I found many pros and cons for each. What I found is their are good reasons and bad for each. Some types of vitamins and minerals work better if they are natural whereas some are more effective if they are synthetic.
Vitamin “C” is considered to be one of the mold common and needed for everyone. It is found in most citric fruits such as oranges and lemons but also in molds chilies. It is also considered by some to be equally acceptable to consume naturally of synthetically.
Vitamin B3 (niacin) is believed t be better off taken synthetically because the way it converts and leaves through the skin
Vitamin E which is good for maintaining the skin works more than twice as well taken naturally vs synthetically
Are Vitamins Safe for my Child?
Today most vitamins are produced synthetically. The most common used is a multi-vitamin which has many brands that have been around for at least as long as I have. Since being used for so many years their is a lot of history to show that for at lease these brands and the ingredients in them are safe for most children. However, they may not be needed in the first place. As mentioned earlier my mother insisted on her children taking vitamins. In the case of my brother he became anemic and later the doctor found he was iron deficient. Therefore, the vitamin did not solve his problem. It requires an iron supplement specifically for his condition. As have mentioned in many of my other articles, always consult a Doctor before taking any vitamin or food supplement. He or she may ask some additional questions during the exam and the both of you decide to review the child further. This could include a simple blood exam to determine several important reading of their chemical make up.
Conclusion
I have reviewed many opinions on the safe use of natural supplements for children and have come to the conclusion that I think they are not needed for most kids. However today many children are not physically active and do not eat the proper diet to get the vitamins and nutrients they need to be healthy. There are also many junk foods available that they end up eating which take away from the good food they do eat. Today both parents work and are too tired to make a good healthy meal all the time so they just grab something quick and easy which my not be nutritious. Therefore, I think, with your doctor or nutritionist approval the best thing for your child would be a well-established brand with a good reputation. It could be a natural supplement or a synthetic vitamin as long as the dosage is controlled the same as you would control any drug.
