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Supplements are just that, a supplement to one's diet and wellness routine. Adults and children alike should aim to meet their daily nutritional needs from food before relying on supplements. However, supplements can help fill nutritional gaps, provide added support during times of illness or stress, and support unique dietary or health needs.
While meeting nutritional needs through food first is ideal, there are times when children especially benefit from supplementation. Children who are picky eaters, have dietary aversions, fall short of consuming their daily value of vitamins and minerals through foods, or have health conditions or food allergies are at risk for not meeting their recommended daily intake of essential nutrients. A children's multivitamin can help ensure they’re getting enough of a variety of vitamins and minerals for optimal growth and development.
The most common nutritional deficiencies seen in children are iron and vitamin D deficiencies.1
Food sources of iron include beans, beef, pork, poultry, seafood, peas, dried fruits, dark leafy green vegetables, and iron-fortified cereals and bread. For children low in iron, add the following foods to your meals and snacks:
Consuming vitamin C-rich foods at the same time as iron-rich foods can help improve iron absorption. Vitamin C-rich foods include citrus fruits, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and kiwi. Foods rich in calcium, like milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, can interfere with iron absorption. So, for children with low iron levels, it’s important to be mindful of the total daily intake of dairy-based foods.
Your child’s pediatrician may recommend a child’s iron supplement when iron levels are below optimal and diet alone hasn’t improved them. Because iron poisoning is a leading cause of death among young children, always consult a healthcare provider for a proper assessment, blood work, and supplementation dosage guidance before giving your child iron supplements to ensure their safety.2
Consuming an optimal amount of vitamin D through diet alone is difficult, as many foods are low in or void of vitamin D.
Foods containing vitamin D include:
You may support optimal vitamin D levels by spending five to 30 minutes a day in the sun without sunscreen. A vitamin D supplement may also be necessary for those experiencing low vitamin D levels, those living in climates with minimal sunshine, and during the winter and spring months.
In addition to vitamin D and iron, common nutrient deficiencies in children may include vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and fiber.
The recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals for children are as follows:3
Micronutrient | Age 4–8 | Age 9–13 | |
Biotin | 12 mcg | 20 mcg | |
Folate | 200 mcg | 300 mcg | |
Niacin | 8 mg | 12 mg | |
Pantothenic Acid | 3 mg | 4 mg | |
Riboflavin | 600 mcg | 900 mcg | |
Thiamin | 600 mcg | 900 mcg | |
Vitamin A | 1333 IU | 2000 IU | |
Vitamin B6 | 600 mcg | 1 mg | |
Vitamin B12 | 1.2 mcg | 1.8 mcg | |
Vitamin C | 25 mg | 45 mg | |
Vitamin D | 600 IU | 600 IU | |
Vitamin E | 10.5 IU | 16.5 IU | |
Vitamin K | 55 mcg | 60 mcg | |
Calcium | 1000 mg | 1300 mg | |
Copper | 440 mcg | 700 mcg | |
Iron | 10 mg | 8 mg | |
Magnesium | 130 mg | 240 mg | |
Zinc | 5 mg | 8 mg | |
Choline | 250 mg | 375 mg |
In addition to a multivitamin, a probiotic supplement can support optimal gut health. Probiotics are the “friendly” bacteria that support a healthy gut microbiome, the community of bacteria living within the gut. The body needs more beneficial bacteria than harmful bacteria to stay healthy. An overgrowth of bad bacteria is known as gut dysbiosis and can lead to symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, and stomach cramps.
Foods naturally rich in probiotics include fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, yogurt, and sourdough bread. A probiotic supplement can offer consistent probiotic support. Because there are a variety of different probiotic strains, probiotic supplements can also provide individualized and targeted probiotic support.
During cold and flu season, children may benefit from supplements that provide additional immune system support, including vitamin C, zinc, and elderberry. Elderberry has anti-inflammatory properties and may help support immune system function.
Since not all supplements are created equal, learning what to look for when shopping for supplements is important. Seek supplements from reputable brands that use quality ingredients, are third-party tested, and offer transparent lab reports.
Buying from a reputable brand is essential when choosing the best vitamins for your child. Use a resource like ConsumerLab.com, which provides independent test results and information to consumers and health professionals to ensure the quality of supplements.
Third-party testing is a quality control process that helps ensure the claims on a label are accurate. From the manufacturing process to product safety and supplement claims, third-party testing helps provide unbiased, accurate test results to give consumers and health professionals peace of mind.
While companies can claim to be third-party tested, openly sharing test and lab results with consumers provides an additional layer of confidence. Whether companies post lab testing on their website or provide test results upon request, transparency in supplements is key for ensuring the safety of products given to children.
While testing and product health claims are essential, reading the ingredients list is also important before giving any supplement to your child. For children, it’s best to avoid supplements containing artificial coloring, artificial sweeteners, or ingredients like high fructose corn syrup.
Avoid supplements containing artificial dyes like Red 40, Red 3, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6. Studies have associated with poorer gastrointestinal health and behavior issues in children.
Avoid supplements with artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin, as well as other calorie-free sugar substitutes. Artificial sweeteners may negatively impact gastrointestinal health, leading to digestive problems like bloating, abdominal discomfort, irregular bowel movements, and gut microbial imbalance.
Titanium dioxide is an ingredient commonly used in supplements to make capsules appear whiter. However, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has labeled it unsafe by due to concerns regarding its genotoxicity, the ability of a chemical to damage or change genetic cells.
Artificial flavoring is an umbrella term for many artificial chemicals that companies are not obligated to disclose. When possible, aim to avoid supplements with artificial flavoring.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends avoiding all added sugar for children under two years old. For children over the age of two, the AAP recommends less than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day. Therefore, be mindful of vitamins, minerals, or other supplements for children high in added sugars.
Sugar can appear on ingredient lists with over 61 different names, including dextrose, fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose, beet sugar, brown sugar, cane juice crystals, cane sugar, castor sugar, coconut sugar, confectioner's sugar, corn syrup solids, crystalline fructose, date sugar, barley malt, rice syrup, agave nectar, and maltodextrin… to name a few!
Follow these tips to ensure supplement safety around children:
Children who consume a varied, wholesome, whole-food diet are likely to meet their recommended daily intake of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. However, children’s supplements can provide parents and caregivers with peace of mind knowing any nutritional gaps are filled—especially for children who have dietary aversions or allergies, or whose diets lack diversity because they tend to eat the same familiar meals over and over again.
While vitamin D and iron are the most common nutritional deficiencies for children, calcium, zinc, potassium, magnesium, and fiber are additional nutrients children may lack. At a minimum, a quality multivitamin and probiotic are great supplement staples for children needing extra nutrition support.
References:
By Megan Roosevelt, RDN