Healthy Supplements For Children

Are you having trouble getting your children to eat their fruits and vegetables? Are they eating fast food more often than you would like? Are you unsure whose meal they actually eat at school every day? Is fish on their “Do Not Touch” list? Have they had a series of antibiotics in the last 6 months? If you answered yes to even one of these questions, then your children are at risk of nutritional deficiency and you should think about a quality vitamin and mineral supplement. I’m going to give you some guidance around the kind of supplements you should ponder for your children daily.

We know our children need fruits and vegetables daily but sometimes getting them to eat sufficient amounts of the colorful stuff is difficult. Their agendas are hectic and we rush them from event to event. Adequate levels of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are hard to consistently provide. In addition, every mom and dad is aware that lunchtime is basically an opportunity for kids to conduct a “swap meet” as children exchange and trade their meals. A quality multi-vitamin and multi-mineral a day can guarantee that no matter whose food they consume, they still get a daily dose of quality nutrition. In addition, many vitamins come with concentrates of a many of fruits and vegetables. If not, then you can now purchase supplements that are concentrates of whole fruits and vegetables separately. While devoid of the benefits of fiber, you are still enhancing your child’s health with the bioflavonoids and phyto-nutrients so vital to their health.

Kids are funny about fish or food that smells different. In addition, many families simply don’t serve fish as a meal on a consistent basis. We know that 2 or more servings a week of cold-water, fatty fish is extreemly important for the developing brain to develop adequatly. However, friendly fats found in nuts, flaxseed and even avocados can be beneficial as well. To insure your child gets adequate amounts of good fats for maximal brain development, you can supplement with either fish oil as capsules or chewy supplements. Another easy alte
ative is to add flaxseed oil or ground flaxseed to a hearty breakfast of cereal. It has a nutty flavor that is easily masked in the cereal. Another way to insure a healthy dose of omega 3 fatty acids each day is to put a teaspoon in a fruit smoothie. These make fast,quick, healthy and tasty breakfasts for kids on the go.

Antibiotics are everywhere in our surroundings. Our milk, our meats and even our water supply carry traces of antibiotics. Of course, many children of school age come in contact with communicable diseases and receive antibiotics for strep throat and ear infections, coughs and sinus disorders. These powerful antibiotics eventually kill not only the harmful bacteria but also the helpful bacteria that normally reside in their intestinal tract. Without these healthy bacteria, your child has difficulty susatining colon health and even utilizing some nutrients, such as vitami
B, in their diet.

Fortunately, you can restore the healthy bacteria in your child’s GI tract with the addition of healthy bacteria in a supplement called probiotics. These healthy bacteria are also located in the milk cultures used to make yogurt. The bacteria are not harmful and add to a healthy digestive system.

Multi-vitamins and minerals, fruit and vegetable concentrates, flaxseed oil or fish oil and healthy probiotics are all supplements appropriate for most children. While a healthy diet is something we all attempt to attain, you can buy some “insurance” with a smart supplement regime for your loved ones.