Question
Where do you stand on kids and vitamins? Do kids really need them and if so, what would you recommend?
I want to know what to give my son.
Answer
Important to state I’m not a Dr. and this isn’t medical advice. So see a good Dr. for that, or better yet – nutritionist.
Having said that, I can tell you how I think given MY son’s needs. He’s 16 BTW, almost done with his sophomore year in high school.
Here’s what I see: Kids have nutrient deficiencies just like adults do.
In fact, I think these deficiencies are even more important to correct given they’re still growing.
Magnesium
Let me give you a simple example: Magnesium.
Despite being known as the ‘spark of life’, Magnesium is an important nutrient not only for energy but over 300 processes that contribute to your health.
Puberty is one of the largest physiological changes that the body undergoes. It consists of the increased output of sex hormones and an increase of hormone receptors in the brain.
Magnesium plays a role in the production of those sex hormones (and a lot more); the main ones being testosterone and estrogen.
You get the picture, Mg is really important – and like adults, deficiency is rampant. Largely due to over-farming the land, stripping the soil of its mineral content and not eating natural foods.
Now consider most Mg recommendations for teens are around 280-300mg/day.
Good sources are nuts, seeds, leafy greens and some vegetables….. none of which I see my son regularly eating (unless he’s over here, and my wife cooks for him).
Which is why I supplement kiddo with 400mg/day, in the form of Mg. Asparate, Citrate and Orotate. When his bottle runs out, he’s getting what I take – Mg breakthrough.
He also gets 5000iu of vitamin D/day, given he’s almost never outside like I was as a kid.
He also gets gram quantities of C, Quercetin, Curcumin, Zinc picolinate, fish oil and a few other odds and ends.
Take Precaution
You should work with someone knowledgeable when doing this BTW, as introducing some of these things into a teenager’s physiology can be problematic.
Although there’s nothing here that speeds kids up or slows them down, a few of the items may be contra-indicated given other meds they may be using for certain conditions.
Quercetin and certain anti-parasite meds for example – you just want all of your bases covered IMO, and the best way to do that is to enlist the help/opinion of a qualified health practitioner.
Working with your Dr. by using blood work to optimize Vit. D levels for example. You don’t want levels too high nor too low, and the only real way to know is to test every few months until reaching your goal.
Anyway, that’s a short peek into how I structure supplements for MY son (everyone’s child is different, so work with your Dr. to consider those differences). It’s a sad commentary that something as important as Mg deficiencies exist in people, much less our children who really need it for optimum mental and physical development.
Hope that helps.
