Can Natural Children’s Vitamins Improve Symptoms of ADD?

If you have a child or children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you have probably read considerable information on strategies for minimizing disruptive symptoms. Much of the latest data related to ADD and ADHD has to do with incorporating natural children’s vitamins into their diet.

Why are vitamins so important in the treatment of ADD and ADHD? There is still much information to be discovered. However, what has been proven is that many symptoms of ADD/ADHD overlap those of vitamin deficiency. For example, serotonin levels are typically low in children who suffer from ADD/ADHD. And, magnesium, vitamin b6, and zinc are all essential for the body to produce serotonin. Thus, adding natural children’s multi vitamins that contain these essential vitamins and minerals can often be beneficial.

Unfortunately, many healthcare providers first prescribe powerful prescription medications before improving nutrition with natural children’s vitamins.  These drugs can have substantial side effects and can impair health. By starting with vitamins, symptoms often go away.

The reality is that there are a variety of factors that can cause the hyperactivity symptoms that often lead to a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD. Undetected issues such as learning disabilities, food and environmental allergies, gastrointestinal problems, yeast overgrowth, heavy metal toxicity, poor diet, emotional distress, and nutritional imbalances can all look like ADD or ADHD.

One of the easiest ways to try and improve symptoms is to give your child a balanced diet and natural children’s vitamins.  Often, simply removing commercially processed foods that are high in sugars, additives, and preservatives can help. Removing caffeine and foods high in salicylates such as apples, berries, almonds, oranges, and tomatoes can also spawn improvements in behavior. Adding well formulated natural children’s multi vitamins can also provide assurance that your child is getting ample nutrition.

What to Look for in Natural Children’s Vitamins
Beneficial nutrients to look for in natural children’s vitamins include vitamin B-complex, folic acid, essential fatty acids, omega 3 oils, and digestive enzymes. It’s also important to choose a formula that is hypo-allergenic, sugar free and without artificial colors such as Animal Parade Gold which is a best-selling multi-vitamin and mineral formula sweetened with xylitol.

What Are the Best Vitamins for Kids with ADHD?

One of the most talked about childhood conditions is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This makes sense since the number of children being diagnosed with the condition is growing rapidly. In fact, nearly one in five high school age boys in the United States and over ten percent of all school age children have received a diagnosis of ADHD, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While there are a variety of prescription medications to treat the condition, many parents are choosing to try more natural treatment options such as incorporating vitamins for kids into their diet.

There is growing evidence that vitamins for kids can reduce symptoms of ADHD. The following are some of the primary nutrients that have been studied by researchers and have shown promise in helping children battling symptoms of this challenging condition.

Zinc
This important mineral has a calming effect on the body, and it helps support a healthy immune system. Holistic doctors who evaluate children for ADHD often look at kids’ nailbeds to determine if they are deficient in zinc. Many picky eaters are deficient, and this is why it’s a good idea to supplement with one of the best vitamins for kids.

Magnesium
This is another important mineral which has the ability to relax nerves and relieve tension. A deficiency in magnesium can cause depression and headaches which are both common in children with ADHD. Most formulas of vitamins for kids supply the daily requirement for magnesium.

B6
The B vitamins are vital for brain health. Interestingly, many children diagnosed with ADHD are deficient in these essential nutrients.

B12
B12 is a vitamin that has been shown to increase the ability to concentrate and focus. Many parents who give their children with ADHD B12 vitamins for kids find that it helps with speech and mood/behavior. This is because the vitamin helps to regulate brain neurotransmitters. B6 and B12 are both found in multi-vitamin formulas for kids.

Probiotics
Some health experts suggest that ADHD is partially caused by a yeast overgrowth in the body. Thus, probiotics can be used to fight off yeast. At the very least, probiotics are helpful for intestinal and dental health. Some multi-vitamin formulas such as Animal Parade Gold Multi Children’s Chewable from Nature’s Plus includes probiotics which makes giving probiotics to a child convenient and easy.

Can Children’s Multi Vitamins Improve Your Child’s School Success?

Your child’s brain grows at a rapid rate throughout their school years. The biochemical process of learning requires balanced nutrition, as well as plenty of sleep, exercise, and hydration. It can be challenging to give many children enough nutrition to adequately feed their brains – especially those who are fussy eaters, very active, or have certain medical conditions. To compensate for a lack of sufficient nutrition in their diet, children’s multi vitamins may be an option to ensure a child is obtaining the nutrients they need to excel in school.

Not sure what is required in your child’s each and every day to facilitate proper brain development? The following offers some guidelines.

Good Fats
Fat was once considered a bad part of the diet. However, much more is known about the benefits of certain types of fat. Considering that the brain consists of 60% fat, it’s easy to understand why it is so necessary for healthy brain development in children. The best fats are omega-3 oils that can be found in fish, nuts, seeds, and dark leafy greens. B-vitamins that can be found in children’s multi vitamins are also necessary for processing healthy fat so that it benefits the brain.

Protein
Protein helps to create the amino acids that are used to build neurons and receptors in our brains. Protein can be found in nuts, lean meat, and low-fat dairy products.

Carbohydrates
Surprisingly, sugar is a main fuel source for the brain. But, before you reach to give your child that cookie or candy bar, it’s better to offer him or her foods that contain complex carbohydrates such as whole grains. These foods contain energy and fiber and slow the rate of absorption of sugar, as well as B-vitamins and vitamin E – whether they are consumed in food or obtained from natural children’s vitamins.

Micronutrients
There are many micronutrients that are only needed in small amounts that are necessary for brain development and health. These include B-vitamins, zinc, calcium, phytonutrients, and other vitamins and minerals that can be found in quality children’s multi vitamins.

If you want to incorporate natural children’s vitamins into your son or daughters diet, it’s important to choose a supplement formula that contains all of the essential vitamins and minerals. Animal Parade Gold from Nature’s Plus is a good option because of its award-winning taste, sugar-free formula, and complete formula of the nutrients needed to support healthy brain development.

Tips for Getting Your Child to Take Children’s Multi Vitamins

The following tips are to help parents and other caregivers administer children’s multi vitamins.

Small children cannot be expected to swallow tablets or pieces of tablets. Chewable children’s multi vitamins are a safer and easier option than adult capsules or tablets.

Offering vitamins for children before a meal is one of the easiest ways to get them to start a regular habit of taking vitamins.

If your child doesn’t like the taste of a vitamin, you can provide a “chaser” of a piece of fruit, a teaspoon-full of honey, or a small glass of a sweet, non-acidic juice.

Taking vitamins is a learned behavior just like walking. Be consistent to form a routine. The earlier you start to build the routine, the better.

Liquid vitamins for children are a good choice for infants and babies. However, they do not keep as long as other forms of vitamin supplements. It’s important to follow the storing instructions on the label. Most recommend storing liquid vitamins in a cool, dark place. This isn’t the refrigerator, though because of the high humidity. Thus, a dark closet or cabinet is a better choice, out of the sun, out of a car, and definitely out of the reach of children.

Carefully read the labels of any children’s multi vitamins that you’re considering for your child. You will want balanced formula that is preferably sweetened with a natural sweetener like xylitol. As well, you will want one that doesn’t have artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.

Some children simply do not like to take vitamins regardless of the taste. Most vitamins for children can be added to applesauce or other pureed foods.

If it’s necessary for your child to take vitamins during the school day, almost all schools will require a letter from their pediatrician giving them permission to take supplements at school.

Do your best to make the process of taking vitamins a fun time for children. It shouldn’t be a battle. There are many adults who cannot swallow tablets, and often these individuals were forced to take pills before they wanted to when they were children. Do your best to be patient and consistent when it comes to administering children’s multi vitamins.