The Best Organic Vitamins and Supplements for Toddlers
The Best Organic Vitamins for Toddlers: Supporting a Healthy Start
As parents, ensuring that your toddler gets all the essential vitamins they need for growth, development, and immune support can feel daunting. The good news is that organic vitamins for toddlers are a great option to fill nutritional gaps in a child’s diet and provide peace of mind that your little ones are getting what they need. However, it is essential to choose the multivitamin wisely.
While some companies work hard to ensure that each ingredient in their multivitamin comes from natural sources, other companies add filler ingredients. They will use cheaper ingredients to optimize profit. Understanding this makes finding the right multivitamin essential to support your child’s immune system while not undermining their health with unideal ingredients. Let’s learn more!
Why Organic Vitamins?
When it comes to vitamins for young children, opt for organic whenever you can. Organic vitamins sourced from whole foods will give your child the most authentic form of each vitamin. Many parents choose organic vitamins because they are free from artificial colors, flavors, and synthetic additives.
A food product must be at least 95% organic to be certified organic. The other 5% does not have to be organic. It is the other 5% of ingredients parents need to note and address in an organic multivitamin.
Here are some of the ingredients to avoid in a children’s multivitamin:
- Citric Acid: While most think of lemon juice extract when they think of citric acid, manufactured citric acid is far from lemons. Manufactured citric acid is a preservative mainly produced from black mold. Citric acid is an excitotoxin that negatively affects the brain and gut. It has recently been linked to various inflammatory symptoms and diseases (1).
- Organic Cane Sugar: Organic cane sugar is the least processed and most tolerable sugar produced. However, it is still added sugar. Sugar negatively impacts your immune system, which is exactly what you are attempting to build up in your child by offering a multivitamin. Other names for sugar on an ingredient list can include dextrose, fructose, sorbitol, and agave nectar.
- Artificial Dyes: Artificial food dyes are linked to many cognitive symptoms in toddlers and children. More than that, synthetic food dyes hurt digestion. While organic multivitamins should not have artificial food dyes, if you opt for a nonorganic version, ensure they, too, are free of synthetic dyes. Natural sources for colors include carrots, beets, spirula, and turmeric, among others.
- Polysorbate 80: Polysorbate 80 is another artificial preservative in the 5% of “other” ingredients that are often added to organic multivitamins. Polysorbate 80 is added as an emulsifier, negatively altering the microbiome and increasing inflammation (2).
The Importance of Essential Vitamins for Toddlers
Toddlers are at the primary stage of their development, and their bodies require a wide range of essential vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy. While a healthy diet with a variety of whole foods should always be prioritized, even the best efforts can leave room for improvement. Multivitamins are a great way to fill nutritional gaps for picky eaters and toddlers with food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
Here are some of the essential vitamins that every toddler needs for healthy development:
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Vitamin C is vital in supporting your child’s immune system and promoting healthy skin and tissue repair. It’s also an antioxidant, helping to combat free radicals in the body.
- B Vitamins: The B vitamins are essential nutrients that support cognitive development and help with healthy brain function, which is especially important during the toddler years.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D supports bone health by aiding calcium absorption. It also plays a crucial role in immune function and cell growth. Many toddlers, especially those who don’t get outside much, may need a vitamin D supplement.
- Vitamin A: Vitamin A is essential for vision, immune function, and cell growth. Vitamin A can also help support healthy skin.
- Vitamin E: As an antioxidant, Vitamin E helps protect your toddler’s cells from damage. It also supports skin health and has a role in immune function.
Organic Multivitamins: Filling Nutritional Gaps
Even with the best efforts to provide a well-balanced diet, toddlers are often picky. Getting them to eat a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods can take work. As a result, many children may have nutritional gaps in their diet. Organic multivitamins are designed to help fill these gaps and provide comprehensive support for your toddler’s health.
The best children’s vitamins for toddlers will contain a combination of the essential vitamins mentioned earlier and other minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc, all of which are crucial for bone health, immune function, and overall well-being. These vitamins often come in gummy form, a fun and tasty way for toddlers to get their daily nutrients.
The Best Organic Multivitamins for Toddlers
Gummy vitamins have become incredibly popular in recent years, and for good reason. They are easy for toddlers and are generally more appealing than traditional pills or liquid supplements. Organic gummy vitamins are especially beneficial because they contain natural ingredients like organic fruit, which can provide added nutrients and a natural sweetness.
When selecting the best gummy vitamins for your toddler, look for the following:
- Whole Foods: Many organic gummy vitamins use real fruit and vegetables, adding a natural source of vitamins and minerals. For example, organic gummy vitamins with vitamin C often contain organic fruit such as orange, lemon, or strawberry. Whole food vitamins ensure that the vitamins are as close to whole foods as possible.
- No Artificial Additives: Choose gummy vitamins free from artificial colors, artificial flavors, and synthetic preservatives, as mentioned above. These additives can be harmful to young children and can also affect their behavior and overall health.
- Quality Multivitamins: Ensure that the vitamins are from a reputable brand that prioritizes quality and transparency. Look for certifications like USDA Organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free to ensure the vitamins are produced with the highest standards.
- Nutritional Needs: Make sure the gummy vitamins are specifically formulated for toddlers, providing the right balance of essential vitamins and minerals for their age and development. Look for a vitamin that includes a broad range of nutrients, from vitamin C for immune support to B vitamins for brain function.
My Top Recommended Brands
- Hiya: Hiya vitamins are whole-food multivitamins from fruits, vegetables, and sprouts. Each batch is third-party tested in an FDA-registered facility for heavy metals. They feature a multivitamin, probiotics, iron, sleep support with chamomile flower extract, and more!
- Earthley: Earthley prides itself on its ingredients. While they do not have an all-in-one multivitamin, they have several different products that can be given to obtain all the necessary vitamins in the best way. This option is excellent if your toddler only needs specific vitamins or minerals. The majority are tinctures in liquid form and can be mixed and given in juice or water if your toddler does not tolerate them given directly. Below is a list of products to consider; use code HELLONATURAL for 10% off your first order!
- Nourish Me Naturally
- Vitamin D Cream
- Goodnight Lotion
- Elderberry Elixir (Alcohol-Free for kids!)
- Vita-C
Supporting Your Toddler’s Immune System
A toddler’s immune system is still developing and can be more susceptible to illness than older children and adults. That’s why immune support is among the most important factors when choosing the best vitamins.
Vitamin C, as mentioned earlier, is critical to supporting your child’s immune system. Earthley’s Vita-C is derived from whole food extracted from glycerin, making it a tasty way for toddlers to get extra vitamin C!
Additionally, Vitamin B play a role in immune support. They help the body fight off infections and improve the immune system’s overall function. Look for a multivitamin with folate as opposed to folic acid. Folate is the naturally occurring version of synthetic folic acid. You should see folate in the ingredients if you choose a whole-food multivitamin. Earthley’s Nourish Me Naturally is a whole food blend containing B2, B3, B6, B7, and B9 (folate).
Conclusion
It isn’t easy to find a truly clean multivitamin for your toddler. Whether you decide if your child needs a full spectrum multivitamin or isolated vitamins to fill nutritional gaps, the best vitamins offer your toddler the best nutrition in the most natural form. Whatever you decide, and as your child’s nutrition evolves, know you are always doing what is best for your kids!
If you are curious about the best organic vitamin D drops for infants and toddlers, read more here!
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(1) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214750018300362?via%3Dihub%C2%A0