Choosing the Right Children’s Multivitamin for Kids in Sports

Children who are extremely active or participate in competitive sports have unique dietary needs and often require a children’s multivitamin to obtain the amount of nutrients necessary to support their rapid growth.

With average amounts of activity, most children can get sufficient vitamins and minerals through the foods that they eat. However, young athletes who are often exercising multiple hours each day can quickly suffer from nutritional deficiencies which can affect their performance and their growth. This is when a children’s multivitamin can be a beneficial dietary supplement.

A typical balanced diet for a healthy, active child includes:
• Milk and dairy products such as cheese and yogurt (ideally low-fat products for kids over the age of 3).
• Fresh fruits and vegetables (with a focus on leafy, green vegetables)
• Protein such as chicken, fish, meat, and eggs
• Whole grains including brown rice, quinoa, and oats

When Is a Children’s Multivitamin Needed?
Kids who participate in demanding sports such as gymnastics, football, track & field, soccer, and tennis typically practice long hours and burn a tremendous amount of calories. With these extra demands placed on their bodies, they need more vitamins and minerals. A children’s natural multivitamin with a balanced formula can be a good way to ensure that their nutritional needs are being met.

The most beneficial supplements will include:
Vitamin A – to support normal growth and development, tissue and bone repair.
Vitamin B – to support energy production, as well as healthy circulatory and nervous system function.
Vitamin C – to promote healthy muscle development and proper immune response.
Vitamin D – to promote bone and tooth formation and to help the absorption of calcium.
Iron – to build muscle and produce healthy red blood cells.

Yes, all of these nutrients can be found in healthy foods. But, with the extra amount of calories being used during physical activity, deficiencies can occur in active children. A multivitamin can help bridge that nutritional gap.

The best children’s multivitamins for kids and teens are sugar-free, with no artificial flavor or colors. You may also want to choose one that is gluten-free, vegetarian, and hypo-allergenic depending on your child’s specific health needs.

With the addition of the right multivitamin, you can be assured that your active child is receiving the right amount of vitamins and minerals they need during this important time in their life.

The Best Kids Natural Vitamins for Your Adolescent

According to a USA Today study, less than a third of U.S. teens take vitamins. Yet, they are among the most likely to have unhealthy diets. Like with younger children, adolescents and older teens are still growing and need the right nutrients for good health and development. For many, a kids natural vitamin formula is a good way to bridge the nutritional gap.

Too often, adolescents skip breakfast and choose less than ideal snack foods when they’re outside of the home. This is often compounded by them rebelling against food choices that parents are encouraging them to eat. Others are experimenting with restricted food choices or dieting which can also lead to nutritional deficiencies. All of these factors can lead to significant nutritional deficiencies.

A kids natural multivitamin that can help an adolescent achieve the recommended daily allowance for vitamins and minerals is an easy and effective way to ensure that nutritional requirements are being met.

Vitamin A, Bs, C, and D are all critical for growth, as well as iron and other minerals.  These are typically found in kids natural multivitamin formulas, as well as those for adults. However, adult formulas can often provide too high of a percentage of each nutrient. Thus, they should be avoided unless specifically recommended by a physician.

Many teens, especially those who are active in sports, try sports supplements with the hope that it will increase muscle mass and improve athletic performance. However, these supplements can be risky for those under the age of 18 for a variety of reasons. Certain nutrients in sports nutritional formulas have been shown to cause kidney, liver, and heart damage. As well, some include stimulants which can be addicting or hormone-boosting ingredients which can cause a variety of dangerous side effects including testicular cancer, infertility, and an increased risk of heart disease.

Safety is essential when it comes to teens and adolescents taking nutritional supplements. The best are those kids natural vitamin formulas that offer the right amount of vitamins and minerals to make up for what isn’t being consumed in the diet.

Vitamin D Found in Infant Multivitamins Can Lower Diabetes Risk

Combined data from five studies looked for differences between kids who acquired type 1 diabetes and kids who didn’t. The data suggested that infants who received vitamin D supplements cut their risk of type 1 diabetes by 29%. With this new information, many pediatricians and other child health experts are encouraging parents to consider giving their infant vitamin D drops.

It is currently not completely understood how vitamin D helps reduce the risk of type 1 diabetes. However, some experts believe that insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas are sensitive to vitamin D. This essential vitamin is produced by the body in response to sunlight on the skin. Researchers have long noted that infants in cold weather climates had higher rates of childhood diabetes than those in sunny locales – giving further proof that there is a connection between vitamin D and type 1 diabetes.

Pediatricians are currently recommending infant vitamin D3 liquid drops for infants and vitamin D supplements for children to prevent rickets. The recommended amount is 200 IU of vitamin D per day throughout childhood and adolescence.

Other Benefits of Supplemental Infant Vitamin D Drops
Along with potentially reducing the risk of type 1 diabetes, vitamin D also helps to support optimal growth and long-term health, as well as boost the immune system. Vitamin D3’s benefits are now thought to far exceed supporting bone health.

When choosing an infant vitamin D supplement, you will want it to contain certain key features. These include:
• A palatable flavor
• 200 IU of vitamin D
• The bioavailable form of vitamin D (D3, cholecalciferol)
• A base of complementary nutrients to maximize absorption and utilization
• A gluten-free, 100% natural formula

With more evidence being published about the benefits of vitamin D for infants, children, and adolescents, pediatricians will undoubtedly encouraging all parents to provide this essential vitamin to their children.

Choosing the Right Children’s Multi Vitamin Supplement to Treat Failure to Thrive

A child that stops growing or loses weight can be a cause for alarm. Medically called “failure to thrive,” this condition is most often caused by low caloric intake. Children’s multi vitamin supplement formulas along with diet modification are typically prescribed to treat children diagnosed with failure to thrive.

Most commonly found in infants and toddlers, failure to thrive can cause a variety of health problems including poor brain growth and mental development.  A vitamin supplement for kids can help a child with this condition and are commonly prescribed by pediatricians and dieticians.

For infants, increasing the concentration of infant formula is often recommended to provide more calories. For older children, pediatric, milk-based or juice-based supplements are typically prescribed along with high calorie foods such as meat, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, and bananas. Some dietary experts suggest adding butter or cheese to vegetables and pasta to increase the calorie content of meals.

Because vitamin and mineral deficiencies go hand-in-hand with low caloric intake, a children’s multi vitamin supplement in the form of drops or gummies (for older children) is almost always recommended in cases of failure to thrive.

The highest quality supplements provide a full range of vitamins and minerals in amounts that meet daily requirements. As well, they include enzymes and bioflavonoids to provide optimal absorption and activity. Of course, taste is important, too as children with failure to thrive typically have to rely on supplemental nutrition for an extended period of time.  The top children’s multi vitamin supplement brands are sugar-free and contain only natural flavoring.

If your child is facing the challenges of failure to thrive, it’s important to work closely with your pediatrician and develop a plan for increasing caloric intake and ensuring that nutritional requirements are being met. With the right blend of food and supplements, this condition can be tackled head on and overcome.