Every parent wants what’s best for their child. If your child is a picky eater and you worry whether he or she might lack some nutrients, it’s normal for you to look through the internet in search of some quality supplements.
The issue is that not every child’s supplement is entirely good for your kid, as they might contain some harmful ingredients. In this article read about which ingredients to avoid when buying multivitamins for your kids.
GMOs
Genetically modified organisms are often linked to some serious health problems, although there is no scientific evidence yet. But, these foods have been in our life for a relatively short time, so we don’t know the long-term effects yet.
Soy and corn are the two most common GMO foods, so it’s best to avoid them. When searching for a supplement, read the label and search for these additives that might be derived from corn:
- Glucose
- Sucrose
- Maltose
- Dextrose
- Maltodextrin
- Corn starch
- Dextrose monohydrate
- Microcrystalline Cellulose
Also, soy is not only most commonly a GMO, but also an allergy cause. Many kids’ vitamins contain soy even though it doesn’t have any health benefits.
Artificial ingredients
If the vitamins you’re looking for have a label you can’t read - avoid them. Artificial colours, preservatives, flavours and sweeteners are plain chemicals with names impossible to read.
The most common issue with kids’ vitamins is artificial sweeteners which are linked to causing a plethora of health issues. Buying vegan multivitamins that contain organic sweeteners such as honey is a much better option.
Aspartame is one of the most known artificial sweeteners. It contains phenylalanine, which can be found in natural food sources, but as an artificial additive can cause problems. Except for that, aspartame also contains aspartic acid and methanol, which both are harmful, especially for developing children.
Another artificial sweetener you should definitely avoid is sorbitol. It is derived from corn, seaweed or fruits. It’s not good for children because it has a laxative effect and can cause long-term digestive problems.
At any cost avoid artificial food colourings, as they can be derived from petroleum and coal tar. Some food dyes are even linked to ADD and increased hyperactivity in kids.
Especially dangerous is the Aluminium Lake food colouring. It is a very dangerous chemical made from coal tar, and it contains antifreeze, ammonia, and petroleum - which are cancerogenic.
Synthetic vitamins
Some studies have shown that synthetic vitamins provide only 50% biological activity, compared to natural vitamins. Not only that, some synthetic vitamins don’t contain all the nutrients, so our body tries to compensate for them from our own tissue.
How to differentiate synthetic vitamins from organic? Read the label. Every organic vitamin listed always contains a food source. For example: “Vitamin C (From organic food blend)”
On the other hand, if the label contains words like Calcium Carbonate/Phosphate, Zinc Oxide and similar, you can tell it’s artificial.
Look for vitamins that have all-natural ingredients, with no additives.
There are also synthetic minerals you should avoid. Cupric Acid is used as a Copper source even though it’s listed as a hazardous substance. Its bioavailability is rated zero as it cannot be absorbed in our body and it’s best to be avoided.
Zinc Oxide is another ingredient you should avoid registered as “as an occupational hazard with concerns regarding organ system toxicity.”.
And to top off our list of harmful synthetic minerals, there’s Ferrous Fumarate, an extremely toxic chemical that could lead to fatal poisoning in children under six years old.
Other ingredients to avoid in children’s vitamins
To be honest, this list could go on and on, as there is a lot of stuff they put in children’s vitamins that are not healthy.
Some of the ingredients you should definitely avoid are hydrogenated soybean oil, silicon dioxide, sodium benzoate, carnauba wax, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, magnesium stearate, methylcellulose,...
When looking at the list above it is clear why we said “If you can’t read it, don’t eat it”. It’s a much easier option to buy vitamins that contain no additives, food colourings, and other shady stuff. Look for organic vitamins, and afford only the best for your child.