Vitamins and Supplements, I recommend

If you are anything like me, you can get overwhelmed when you listen to the list of supplements and vitamins you should take daily.  Pretty soon you have a pill box like your grandparents but filled with vitamins.  When parents ask me what supplements they should be giving their children, I recommend the same ones I give to my children.

The first supplement I recommend is the one I think can be the most important, especially during the winter, Vitamin D.  Vitamin D is a powerful antioxidant and is produced in the body through the sunlight we absorb.  Even though we live in the sunny state of Colorado, we generally limit our time outside because it is too cold, and when we are outside our skin is pretty well covered up!  Vitamin D is an immune system regulator that helps arm the immune system against the common cold and possibly reduce your chances of developing the flu, according to 2010 research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

I generally forget about vitamin D during the summer but the week before school starts, I have the kids back on a daily dose.  I know that once they return to school the germs will fly and the chance of illness will increase.  This is the one vitamin that I am religious about taking myself and giving the kids.  The daily recommended amount is 600 IU, although we give our kids 2000 IU/day.

The next supplement I recommend is fish oil.  I know - all you think of is cod liver oil, Yuck!  Fish oil is an essential fat which is important in supporting brain and nervous system development, along with the immune system.  Our brain is composed of 60% fat, so it would make sense that by taking a fish oil supplement, our brain would thrive allowing for better focus, balanced mood and increased learning!  There are a lot of different types of fish oil so I know that choosing can be difficult!  Just make sure it is high quality fish oil as you do need to watch out for mercury and other environmental toxins in the fish.  The brands we recommend are third party tested.

Of course a multivitamin is always a good idea.  Most of us do not get in our daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.  Again, make sure you are getting a high quality vitamin.  Our rule of thumb is you get what you pay for!  We have some wonderful x-rays in our office that show undigested vitamins all the way through the intestinal system.  A whole food vitamin breaks down better allowing the body to absorb the nutrients.

A probiotic is also another supplement to consider if the child has issues with digestion or illness.  Probiotics strengthen the immune system by introducing good flora into the intestinal system – 60% of your immune system is in your gut.

There are so many other supplements that you can consider and it varies depending upon the child’s health.  Make sure if your children due have any health issues you consult their doctor before starting them on any supplements.  To be honest, I am not very good about taking vitamins so the simpler I can keep it the better!  

Help your children defend themselves again illnesses this winter

As the weather has turned and the children have returned to school, the first things that come to mind are snotty noses, sore throats and coughing!  It never fails that as the children return to school, the germ pool gets mixed and colds and stomach bugs begin.  The best thing we can do to help our children ward off these illnesses is raise their defense system by boosting their immune system.

The simplest things make the biggest difference when talking about the immune system.

1.        Sleep – Children, including teenagers, should be sleeping an average of 12 hours a night.  This number is more for younger children and slightly less for teenagers (9-10 hours).  Night time is when the body repairs itself and gets ready for the next day.

2.       Water – Ideally, everybody should be drinking a minimum of ½ their body weight in ounces of water.  For example, an 80lb child should be drinking at least 40 ounces of water.

3.       Sugar and processed foods – The more we limit the candy, soda, cookies, crackers, etc., the better our digestive system works allowing our immune system to work at a higher capacity.

4.       Increase your fruits and vegetables – I have found very few people that actually reach their daily servings of fruit and vegetables.  Even my children who complain that they are the “Only Children” at school that have vegetables in their lunch, probably still fall short 2-3 servings of vegetables.  Fruit is generally the easier one to reach but be careful not to eat too much fruit either!

5.       Wash their hands – I really am not a fanatic about touching public surfaces.  I don’t carry around a towel to open up doors anyway but I do insist the children wash their hands before they eat their after school snacks.

One of things I am pretty adamant about during the school year is making sure the kids are taking their daily supplements.  I am pretty lax about the vitamins and supplements during the summer but the week before school starts they are setting on the kitchen table next to their dishes and silverware.  I know a lot of people who come up with a pretty big concoction of supplements but I stick with 3 supplements in our house - Fish oil, Vitamin D3, and a multi-vitamin - the same ones I recommend to the patients in the office.  If my patients say they can only afford one vitamin, I recommend Vitamin D3.  I will talk about the supplements and why I choose the ones I do next week.

Children get sick and so do adults.  To completely avoid this from occurring is impossible, but we can help the body by building its defense system so hopefully we can get over it sooner!