Vitamins for children: a good solution or completely unnecessary?

Anyone who has children knows that it is not always easy to encourage them to eat really healthy foods. For one thing, the vegetables don’t taste nearly as good as the chips or the sweets.

Fruit is often not as tempting as other unhealthy foods. Even most children’s favorite fruit only tastes really good in the right season – strawberries, for example, are an absolute hit for many children in summer.

In winter, however, the greenhouse strawberries bring relatively little compared to the real vitamin bombs in summer – and they also taste watery or even bitter.

No wonder that many parents like to use vitamin supplements, especially in the winter months, when smaller and sometimes larger infections appear. The question remains whether vitamins for children in the form of dietary supplements really work.

What vitamins for children are there on the market?

The market for vitamins for children is about as overflowing as the market for vitamin supplements for adults.

There are a variety of different vitamin combinations and dosage options. From the presentation of vitamins for children, one can differentiate between:

Tablets or capsules
juices
Soluble powders

There is also a whole range of special foods that are specially made for children and are enriched with various vitamins.

For example, there are some types of yogurt, different juices, or even sweets and lollipops. You can find the following vitamins most often on the market:

folic acid
Vitamin D
Omega 3 fatty acids
calcium
fluoride
vitamin C

In very few cases, a preparation or an enriched food comes with only one vitamin – as a rule, it is combination preparations that are offered.

These do not even have to be expensive and there are actually preparations that are covered by the health insurance companies.

Which vitamins for children are particularly important?

This also brings us to the question of whether there are vitamins for children that you should definitely give your child.

And as with so many things about nutrition and raising children, this is of course a question that is controversial among experts.

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Some vitamin tablets look like candy, others even have a bear shape or come out of the tube as a bright yellow gel. The manufacturers show a lot of imagination. (Image source: pixabay.com / stevepb)

Because there is actually a preparation that for babies and toddlers up to a certain age is borne by the statutory health insurance companies and prescribed by many pediatricians.

It is a fluoride vitamin D preparation. The administration of fluoride and vitamin D in babies and toddlers is intended to protect children from diseases such as rickets or tooth decay.

In addition, they are supposed to serve a healthy tooth and bone structure.

The advocates of giving these vitamins to children attach great importance to the fact that these are not food supplements, but rather recognized medicinal products, which are therefore borne by the health insurance companies.

Opponents of the administration of these tablets base their reasoning on the fact that the administration of these tablets takes place at a time when there are no teeth at all – prevention of caries cannot work effectively.

A sufficient amount of vitamin D in babies is supplied through breast milk or a good pre-food and fluorine is a poison and not a real medicine anyway.

So while pediatricians usually swear by the administration of these medications, it is primarily midwives who cannot do much about it.

There are two factors that can help you decide whether it really makes sense to give these tablets to your child. On the one hand, Germany is one of the few countries in Europe in which these tablets are administered.

In southern Europe, for example, there are no vitamin D and fluorine preparations for children – in northern Europe, to some extent.

This can also be due to the fact that the countries in Southern Europe have significantly more hours of sunshine a year anyway and that vitamin D education is also easier for infants due to the natural conditions.

However, this does not explain the absence of additional fluorine preparations. If you prefer preparations without fluoride such as toothpaste, you can also find out about fluoride-free products.

On the other hand, these tablets were subjected to a number of scientific tests before they were recognized by health insurance companies and declared to be eligible medicinal products, in order to test their effectiveness and tolerability.

And since these are pharmaceuticals and not nutritional supplements, they have to be subjected to much stricter controls in Germany than the various vitamin preparations that can be bought in the drugstore on the corner.

This also includes vitamin E and vitamin A..

The bottom line when it comes to fluorine and vitamin D tablets is that a large number of parents in Germany still give these tablets to their babies and toddlers. And on the advice of the treating pediatricians.

The benefits in the form of prevention of various diseases and an adequate supply of vitamin D are well known. One can only speculate about the disadvantages.

If you have any questions or doubts, you should definitely talk to the pediatrician in charge.

There are studies on vitamins for children?

In general, it is said that the supply of children in Germany with the necessary vitamins and minerals is quite good.

And yet, as the consumer centers let the customer know, there are some vitamins where the children on average do not reach the recommended daily dose. These would be:

With some of these vitamins and minerals, undersupply can be harmful.

An undersupply of folic acid, for example, is suspected of causing damage in the reproduction of DNA and thus promoting the outbreak of cancer.

In addition to the areas mentioned in which the recommended daily dose is not reached on average, there is also the situation that children have a particularly high consumption of certain minerals.

Children, for example, who, in addition to “normal” playing and romping, still play a sport in the club and are regularly very active in sport, can quickly suffer from magnesium deficiency, for example.

The first signs of this are usually calf cramps during or after exercise.

Ultimately, the question remains as to whether it makes sense to remedy these smaller or, in part, larger deficits with food supplements.

Bring vitamins for children in the form of nutritional supplements?

Dietary supplements – suppliers and consumer advocates agree – are not a substitute for a healthy diet. Consumer advocates, however, continue to insist that a healthy diet makes the use of dietary supplements absolutely unnecessary, especially for children.

The question arises as to whether there are actually studies that provide useful evidence. They actually exist.

For example, the Stiftung Warentest took a closer look at a large number of nutritional supplements with vitamins for children.

It was found that the funds tested here were at best useless – in the worst case they could even lead to health problems.

But can you make this general statement? This is particularly difficult if you only rely on the preparations themselves, but not on the particular circumstances of the people who take them.

A child in a sports club, especially in growth phases when it is also particularly active in sports, may well need an additional dose of magnesium or calcium for a short time.

The problem with this is that the actual effects of such nutritional supplements with vitamins for children have hardly been scientifically proven.

Also because appropriate experiments on children would be highly unethical. And yet there are some nutrients that manufacturers can even advertise with different effects of their vitamin supplements.

It is legally permitted to make these statements for the following ingredients:

ingredients	effect
Calcium, vitamin D (also as a combination preparation), phosphorus, protein	It is proven here that these vitamins are required for healthy growth and development of the bones
Vitamin D	Vitamin D contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system in children
DHA – an omega 3 fatty acid derived from alpha linolenic acid	Contributes to the normal development of eyesight in infants up to the age of 12 months The same applies if the mother takes DHA during pregnancy for the fetus or for a baby while breastfeeding In addition, when the mother takes it, DHA contributes to normal brain development in the fetus or nursing child
Omega 3 fatty acids	The body needs this for healthy growth and development
iodine	Is an important element for normal growth
iron	Contributes to the normal cognitive development of the child as a mineral

There are even fixed formulations here that manufacturers can use in advertising.

Critics at this point insist above all that none of the above-mentioned vitamins or nutrients bring about an above-average development when given more – all of these nutrients only ensure normal human development.

From their point of view, it should therefore be sufficient to ingest the necessary minerals and vitamins for children with daily food.

It is also a fact that the addition of nutritional supplements, especially if they are taken in combination with foods that are already enriched with vitamins and minerals, can quickly lead to an overdose of various vitamins or minerals.

Vitamins can be dangerous for children?

Some parents think that if vitamins are good for their child, many vitamins are better for their child. Unfortunately, this is only partially true.

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You should carefully consider in advance whether and which vitamin supplements you give your child. (Image source: 123rf.com / Daniel Jędzura)

Because the body cannot store many vitamins and especially minerals. However, no more than the required amount is used.

With some vitamins and minerals, this leads to deposits in the body that can actually become harmful in the long term.

In other cases, the excess vitamins and minerals are simply excreted through the kidneys. This can lead to kidney overload, especially in children.

The German Society for Nutrition has published guidelines for vitamins, minerals and trace elements, which daily dose should be reached but not exceeded.

Here are some sample values from the corresponding lists:

material	0 – 12 months.	1 – 4 years	4 – 7 years
protein	11 g	14 g	18 g
magnesium	60 mg	80 mg	120 mg
calcium	330 mg	600 mg	750 mg
iron	8 mg	8 mg	8 mg
folic acid	80 micrograms	120 micrograms	140 micrograms
vitamin C	20 mg	20 mg	30 mg
Vitamin E.	4 mg	5 – 6 mg	8 mg

These guideline values are usually so high that your child, even if it is just below it, cannot get any symptoms of deficiency.

However, it should not be too far above these values - otherwise side effects could occur, which parents often do not immediately associate with the administration of the respective preparations with vitamins for children.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of nutritional supplements with vitamins for children??

Ultimately, it is always a question of weighing up which advantages and disadvantages your child can get from giving additional vitamins to children. Here we have summarized the most important points for you.

Can serve briefly as a good means to compensate for an increased need during a growth spurt or during peak workloads in sports, for example
A possibility of an undersupply of various nutrients is to be prevented, especially since the average of the children in some areas has been shown not to reach the recommended daily dose
Especially in phases when children have big problems with healthy food, appropriate vitamins for children can be a good way to bridge the gap – if it really is only a very short phase and is counteracted by the educator
The administration of fluorine and vitamin D, especially in infants and young children, can protect them from diseases such as rickets or caries

Can quickly lead to an overdose of important vitamins and nutrients
The regular administration of nutritional supplements can quickly give the child the impression that tablets, juices or sweets are a substitute for a healthy diet
By taking additional vitamins for children, no real advantage is scientifically proven. In the end, an adequate supply of vitamins can only lead to normal development – better or faster development or greater performance cannot be achieved with "more" vitamins
Juices and yoghurts, in particular, which are enriched with vitamins, are often delicious and also fill you up

Conclusion: vitamins for children

Vitamins for children are primarily a thing that can be marketed effectively. There are situations in which the addition of additional vitamins can make sense for children.

Especially in infants and toddlers, pediatricians are advised to give fluorine and vitamin D – but not in the form of a dietary supplement, but in the form of an approved drug.

It is difficult to say to what extent additional vitamins promote or do good for your child, because in many areas there is simply no reliable scientific information available.

A real advantage of an additional vitamin C dose for a cold, for example, has not yet been scientifically proven – even if advertising would like us to believe it.

However, especially in such moments, one must not forget the power of thoughts.

A child who has a cold and relies heavily on his vitamin sat will definitely be more positive and probably more healthy than a child who has to overcome the cold without aids.

Regardless of scientific evidence.

In general, you should be careful about which foods and supplements you give your child during the same period.

If you really use vitamin supplements for children, you should make sure that you do not offer any vitamin-enriched foods or vitamin juices during this phase.

Otherwise, an overdose of various ingredients can actually occur. Basically, it is advisable to clarify the real advantages and disadvantages with the treating pediatrician before a longer therapy of your child with additional vitamins.

However, if your child complains of cramps, a single dose of magnesium does no harm, but only helps to remedy the acute deficiency. In this respect, it is simply a matter of stating that tact is required here.

It is only important that vitamins for children in the form of dietary supplements or foods that are enriched with vitamins are never used as an excuse to permanently renounce a healthy diet.

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