Supplements for Kids?
02/04/08 20:12
Supplements for kids? Health supplements are a multibillion dollar market and therefore it is no wonder that it is now reaching out to younger and younger consumers. I was wandering the isles of my local super fabulous grocery store when I was struck by the amount of shelf space dedicated toward health supplements for children. When did this happen? Are we really teaching our kids to assume that health comes in the form of space food? Do we need all of these supplements?
I grabbed a bottle of organic supplement powder and was struck by the cost- 42.99 for approximately 60 servings. The label recommended 2-3 servings per day but there was no comment about what age to start using it. It seemed confusing- do you give the same amount to a toddler as to a teen? I don’t know.
The nutritional analysis was also confusing. The label says it is chock full of fruits and vegetables but one serving is actually a little bit of powder. It turns out that the nutritional analysis of the vitamin content is in percent based on a 2000 cal per day diet. How many kindergardners each 2000 calorie per day. Therefore a calculator is required to figure out what the mg contents exactly are.
Here is what I found- using vitamin C as an example (RDA for an adult is 60 mg/day, adult upper limit being1800 mg/day). The label says it contains 15% of RDA (for an adult) which is approximately 9 mg per serving (1/8 of an orange slice). Kids between the age of 3-8 need a minimum of 25 mg per day while 9-13 year olds need a minimum closer to 45 mg per day. So 3 servings per day would be right for a 3-8 year old but not right for a 13 year old.
More importantly, if we get into the habit of assuming that vitamins and minerals must be obtained through supplements we fails to teach the all important skill of food literacy and healthy eating. Also, it is quite possible that the benefits of vitamins and minerals are better seen when provided by whole foods themselves rather that supplements. It is likely that vitamins and minerals from food are metabolized better (more bioavailable) that the straight up vitamin in a powder.
Since we are not sailors stranded without limes we can easily get enough Vitamin C thorough fresh fruits and vegetables. In fact fresh fruits and vegetables can give you plenty of other vitamins, fiber and minerals as well. Here is the Vitamin C content in a few common fruits:
1 medium sized orange is 70 mg of Vitamin C.
½ cup raw strawberries is 49 mg of Vitamin C
¼ of a canteloupe is 47 mg
1 kiwi is 70 mg
So save your money and buy fresh fruit and vegetables.
I grabbed a bottle of organic supplement powder and was struck by the cost- 42.99 for approximately 60 servings. The label recommended 2-3 servings per day but there was no comment about what age to start using it. It seemed confusing- do you give the same amount to a toddler as to a teen? I don’t know.
The nutritional analysis was also confusing. The label says it is chock full of fruits and vegetables but one serving is actually a little bit of powder. It turns out that the nutritional analysis of the vitamin content is in percent based on a 2000 cal per day diet. How many kindergardners each 2000 calorie per day. Therefore a calculator is required to figure out what the mg contents exactly are.
Here is what I found- using vitamin C as an example (RDA for an adult is 60 mg/day, adult upper limit being1800 mg/day). The label says it contains 15% of RDA (for an adult) which is approximately 9 mg per serving (1/8 of an orange slice). Kids between the age of 3-8 need a minimum of 25 mg per day while 9-13 year olds need a minimum closer to 45 mg per day. So 3 servings per day would be right for a 3-8 year old but not right for a 13 year old.
More importantly, if we get into the habit of assuming that vitamins and minerals must be obtained through supplements we fails to teach the all important skill of food literacy and healthy eating. Also, it is quite possible that the benefits of vitamins and minerals are better seen when provided by whole foods themselves rather that supplements. It is likely that vitamins and minerals from food are metabolized better (more bioavailable) that the straight up vitamin in a powder.
Since we are not sailors stranded without limes we can easily get enough Vitamin C thorough fresh fruits and vegetables. In fact fresh fruits and vegetables can give you plenty of other vitamins, fiber and minerals as well. Here is the Vitamin C content in a few common fruits:
1 medium sized orange is 70 mg of Vitamin C.
½ cup raw strawberries is 49 mg of Vitamin C
¼ of a canteloupe is 47 mg
1 kiwi is 70 mg
So save your money and buy fresh fruit and vegetables.
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