Vitamin Rules of Thumb
Real Labels Carefully ~ Choose a complete multivitamin especially formulated for children that con- tains 100 percent of the dietary reference intake (DRI) of folic acid and D, E, C and B vitamins. Also con- sider a separate supplement that provides essential minerals, such as magnesium, selenium and calcium, which are too bulky to fi t into a multivitamin capsule.
Go Natural ~ Avoid artifi cial fl avors, preservatives and colors, especially dyes red 40 and yellow 6, which Lieberman reports have been linked to cancer in animal studies.
Lock up Vitamins ~ Pick a vitamin sweetened with honey, fruit juice concentrate or molasses, rather than high-fructose corn syrup. Then, keep them out of reach so that kids can’t eat more than the recommended daily dosage.
PROBIOTICS Adults aren’t the only ones who need healthy gut fl ora—supplying children’s digestive system with probiotics (good bacteria) may boost their immunity by maintaining a healthy balance within the gastrointestinal tract, says Tara Skye Goldin, a naturopathic doctor in Boul- der, Colorado.
In a 2005 study, people who took daily probiotics supplements for at least three months experienced shorter and less severe colds. Chewable probiotics are now made specifi cally for kids. Aim for 5 to 10 billion live microorganisms daily, or serve Lactobacillus acidophi- lus-rich yogurt.
VITAMIN A
Although vitamin A aids immunity and healthy vision, taking too much can be toxic to the liver and can leave bones prone to fracture, advises Gol- din. A safer option is beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body, is water soluble and can be ex- creted, unlike fat-soluble, preformed
vitamin A (palmitate or retinol palmi- tate). Pick a kids’ multi with vitamin A obtained solely through 2,100 IU beta-carotene.
VITAMIN C During cold and fl u season, increase children’s daily vitamin C intake to at least 1 gram, counsels Lieberman. Or add a gentle blend of herbs, such as echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) and astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus), an Asian root commonly used as a tonic in traditional Chinese medicine.
VITAMIN D Growing bones need vitamin D, which is found in fortifi ed milk and can be gained through sun exposure—part of why outdoor playtime is important. For families who live in a cloudy climate, the American Academy of Pediatrics rec- ommends that kids take a daily supple- ment of 800-1,000 IU of vitamin D.
Carlotta Mast is editor of the Nutrition Business Journal.
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