Supplemental
I think we’ve established that I have picky-eaters. So I’ve often questioned the value of a vitamin supplement for my boys. In fact, it’s a question I’ve asked many times over the last few years and the general consensus has been they’re not necessary. A few times I convinced myself to give them a try anyway. Usually when we were going through a winter of consecutive illnesses. But I always ended up throwing away a mostly full bottle becuase I read something about the dangers of supplements or I read the ingredients and realized I was supplementing their sugar intake more than their vitamin intake.
So I was surprised when our pediatrician brought up a vitamin D supplement at our last check-up. He said that they’ve realized most kids are vitamin D deficient according to the new standards, especially those who don’t drink a lot of milk. And by a lot, he meant A LOT!!! My kids don’t drink a lot of milk for several reasons, but that’s another post. We talked it over and decided I should start giving both boys a vitamin D supplement. While we were on the topic I figured why not revisit some of the other supplements I had asked about in the past. So we talked about probiotics and a multi-vitamin for awhile including where to buy them, overdose concerns, etc. I also discussed the supplement dilemma with Dr. Jana and for once I found our pediatrician and chiropractor to be pretty much in agreement. So here’s where we ended up. (Note…this is based on specific discussions of our personal diets and needs. I’m definitely not suggesting this is right for anyone else. We all have a unique set of health conditions and needs so discuss yours with your doctors before making any decisions.)
Vitamin D – yes, we use Carlson Baby Ddrops (400 IU) from Whole Foods. Each of the boys gets one drop a day. It’s summer and they’re in the sun a lot so I think this is plenty combined with their diets. Good sources of Vitamin D include: the sun, fatty fishes and fish oils and fortified foods like cereals, cheeses and milk.
Probiotics - yes, we use Culturelle (refrigerated version) from Whole Food. I like the capsules because they’re easy to break open and put in their morning drinks. The probiotics are important because like many kids, our boys have been on a number of antibiotics, especially our youngest. He had a sinus infection this winter that lasted 3 months and included 30 days of antibiotics. So the probiotics help to replenish the good bacteria in their little stomachs, regulate their digestion, and it’s also good for their eczema.
Multi-vitamin – the pediatrician was in the middle on the this one. He said if the boys eat a pretty good variety of fruits and vegetables then they probably don’t need it, but if it makes me feel better it won’t hurt. Dr. Jana felt that a multi-vitamin would be a good addition to their diets because we just can’t get all the vitamins and minerals we need from our food today because of they way we grow it, transport it and how we eat. I’m still undecided on the multi-vitamin, but after talking with friends about it today I’m leaning towards giving it a try. If I do, I will go with something from Whole Foods. No Flintstones vitamins. Nothing packed with sugar.
Omega 3 supplement – I decided not to give the boys this supplement because they really like eggs. They eat them for breakfast several times a week. They also eat cauliflower, flax seed (I put it in their fruit smoothies) and winter squash…all good sources of Omega 3. For us, this one just isn’t necessary. Plus, I read that our bodies absorb omega 3 much better from food than from supplements.
I also take a few supplements recommended by Dr. Jana after reviewing my blood work and my symptoms this past winter. Mine come from Nature’s Sunshine. I take the probiotics and the Super Supplemental, which includes Vitamin D. I was severely Vitamin D deficient so this one is important for me.
I know everyone has an opinion on supplements. Those who use them swear by them and those who don’t usually have a pretty strong reason why. Where do you stand on supplements? Do you take them? Do you give them to your kids?
I haven’t got any bebes, but I love me my multi-vitamin. Sometimes I get into food ruts, and then I KNOW I’m missing something vital but usually if I’m in a food rut it’s because I’m too busy to sit down and look at my diet to figure out what it is. Plus, while I’m not actively trying to have kids, I’m fertile, and if we got knocked up we’d keep it. Any fertile, sexually active woman should be taking folic acid just in case.
Husbands and I take a lot of supplements. For me it’s a load of fish oil, plus calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, a multi-vitamin, grape seed and cranberry, and I might be forgetting something.
The boys take nothing at this point. They both drink gallons of milk a week, so I’m not at all worried about their vitamin D.
Vitamin D is huge at our house. I don’t give the girls flu shots, for many reasons, and during the winter I up their dose of Vitamin D to 4,000 iu’s. Right now they take 2000 iu’s daily. I swear it keeps them from getting sick. I’ve done this for 2 winters now and they don’t get sick. They are in school, church twice a week and the gym daycare so they are definitely around germs. I use Carlson brand from the Vitamin Shoppe and it comes in a 2000 iu tiny capsule. The girls suck them right down. I also use Natures Way probiotic daily. It’s powder form and I put 1 tbsp. in their milk. They also take Juice Plus as their daily vitamin and they love it. Then at the end of all that they take fish oil too. For my 2 year old that has allergies I found Aloe Vera juice and I pour some of that in their sippy cups and it has helped their skin tremendously. Hope that helps.
Good thoughts Raych. That’s an important point for all the ladies. My multi-vitamin has folic acid in it too even though I’m not planning on having any more kids. I love the two I have, but if I have 3 boys I’ll need something a lot stronger than a multi-vitamin to keep up!!!