Every few years, it seems like there’s a new health craze. It might be for adults or children. If it’s a child nutritional fad, it might be good for your kids, or it may not be.
You’ve probably seen lots of gummy vitamins and nutritional supplements at the store lately. Most grocery and drug stores carry them, and while some are adult-themed, many are for kids.
If you have a picky child, and you worry they’re not getting the nutrition they need each day, you might consider going the gummy vitamin route. But is this the best thing to do? Let’s examine this phenomenon and determine whether you should get in on the trend.
What Vitamins Can You Give Your Kid in Gummy Form?
The first thing about gummy vitamins that you should know is that it’s not like you’re just picking between two or three different ones. This is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and you can probably find dozens of options either online or in brick-and-mortar locations.
If you want elderberry for kids, you can get that in gummy form. Elderberry is great for immune support, and it has lots of antioxidants.
If you want a gummy that’s more Vitamin C or zinc-focused, you can get those as well. You can also get ones that feature melatonin if your kid has a hard time getting to sleep. You can get multivitamins in gummy form, and some feature favorite characters, like Trolls, the Flintstones, and others.
What to Avoid
When you’re looking at the gummies-for-kids options, one thing you should watch out for is too much sugar. You want to buy these for their nutritional value, not because your kid has a sweet tooth. If you give them a gummy with too much sugar, they might bounce off the walls rather than get ready for bedtime.
You also want to avoid artificial flavors or colors. You probably don’t want any gelatin, and you should look for those that specifically mention they include none of the most common allergens. You might not know if your kid is allergic to anything, but you don’t want to feed them the wrong gummy and find out that way.
You should also avoid ones that contain gluten or any artificial binders or fillers. Watch out for yeast, dairy, alcohol, or petroleum-based byproducts. None of that should be in a gummy you give your kids.
Is There Consensus that Gummies Help Kids?
Some doctors and nutritionists feel like nutritional gummies aren’t the best idea, while others say they’re fine. That’s not all that surprising.
The medical field is vast, comprising tens of thousands of individuals with medical degrees. You’ll almost always find someone who says something contradictory to what another medical professional just told you.
When you’re trying to decide whether to give your kid a nutritional gummy, probably the best way to go is to speak to your family doctor or another medical professional who you trust. You can talk about why you want to give them the gummy, such as if you’re afraid they’re not getting enough of a particular nutrient.
The doctor can give you their opinion, and you can follow that advice. If they say a gummy isn’t the best option, they can suggest some alternative nutrition-delivery methods. There are so many these days that finding another solution shouldn’t be all that difficult.
What to Do if Your Doctor Okays the Gummy Vitamin
If your doctor does say a child’s gummy vitamin is fine, you can ask them which one they recommend. They might mention a particular one, or even a specific company that they feel makes the best ones.
You can get them from a brick-and-mortar location like a drug store, or perhaps you can buy them in bulk from a Sam’s Club or Costco if you have a membership. If you’d prefer to buy them online, you can check out Amazon’s options.
You can make giving your child the gummy a daily ritual. You might present it to them with breakfast, lunch, or after dinner. If it has melatonin or another sleep aid, then an hour before bedtime will probably be your best bet.
We’ll just have to wait and find out what the next child health craze is, but for now, the gummy vitamin market is going strong. Few kids can resist a tasty gummy, so this might be the way to get your picky eater to ingest the vitamins they need.
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