There’s a world of misleading info about kids multivitamins. Here’s everything you need to know.
As we all become more educated about nutrition, children’s vitamins have become more popular than ever. Yet according to published studies, many children’s vitamins can cause more problems than they solve. To determine which vitamins are best, we researched hundreds of options and investigated the problems they can cause. What we found is the best option is to choose a multivitamin that’s 1) a daily chewable, not a gummy; 2) made with zero added sugar, and 3) preferably made with organic fruits and veggies. Our favorite option is Hiya, which satisfies the need for zero added sugar and organic fruits and veggies in a once-a-day chewable format kids love.
When it comes to choosing between a cheap multivitamin or a high-quality one for your little one, pediatricians typically recommend the higher-quality vitamin for two reasons discussed below. (As always, consult with your pediatrician to make sure you’re making the right choice for your child.) We suggest Hiya children’s multivitamins because it’s formulated by pediatricians and designed for picky eaters. Yet if you’re still thinking about going with a cheap multivitamin instead of a high-quality one, here’s what you need to know:
Bad ingredients
Cheaper children’s multivitamins are sometimes loaded with way more of the things you don’t want your kids ingesting in addition to the vitamins and minerals they promote. These additions include synthetic dyes, unnecessary preservatives, and complex chemicals you’ll want to avoid. Our general rule is if you can’t pronounce it, then your child probably shouldn’t be taking it. You’ll want to be careful to avoid these types of additives in your children’s vitamins.
The other main ingredient you have to watch out for is added sugar. Sounds simple, right? But it’s important to know that added sugar gives a lot of reasons why you may want to consider a high-quality children’s multivitamin instead of a cheaper one. For one, too much sugar (especially prevalent in gummy vitamins) can potentially impact your child’s long-term health and contribute to nutrition issues later in life. They can also lead to cavities, meaning your little one may be spending more time in the dentist’s chair. We all want our children to enjoy taking their vitamins, but if there’s too much tempting sugar, they may accidentally overdose, which can lead to other nutrition issues caused by toxicity. Plus all that sugar might go to their head, literally! Dealing with a child who has a sugar rush can give both of you a headache.
Wrong Nutrients
What if all the claims your child’s favorite cheap multivitamin makes about being full of helpful vitamins and minerals isn’t really true? In some cases, the wrong form of a nutrient can be found in these vitamins. So for example, the gummy may have tons of Vitamin B, but if it isn’t the right form of Vitamin B, then your child’s digestive system won’t be able to properly absorb it, making it not as useful as you might expect. It might also contain the wrong amount of nutrients. Some may have too little of those important vitamins that your child needs to maintain proper nutrition. Some may have too much, which may make them potentially harmful if your child takes too many. And believe it or not, some of these cheaper ones might even have chemicals in them that are derived from GMO-treated plants, which can be harmful to your children.
So what are you to do? We turn to Hiya for our children’s multivitamin needs, not a cheap alternative. Not only is it made with a monk fruit sweetener, but it also does a better job of including vitamins known to support your little one’s immune system. You simply don’t get this type of quality from a cheap vitamin you’d find on the sale rack of the supermarket shelves.
Check this out: for a limited time only, Hiya is giving our readers and all first-time orders 50% off your first month’s purchase! Click here to get your first month’s bottle!
Toni Edwards
Toni Edwards (39) is an Editor for The Daily Post specializing in Fitness, Health, Fashion, and Parenting with a focus on women's wellness. She's ghostwritten several books for people you've heard of and has edited for a variety of academic journals. She fiercely believes in the power of holistic medicine and a good laugh.
Great article. We recently switched to Hiya and our two girls are loving it, and we’re loving how it’s the best vitamin on the market. Great company, adorable packaging — we’ve already shared it with our mom group!