Most people take a multivitamin for the same reason: to fill in the gaps in their diet.
That’s why we give our kids multis; while our diets aren’t perfect, theirs are worse. But did you know that giving your child a well-crafted multivitamin can offer concrete benefits too? Turns out, a daily multi helps your child in school in three important ways.
A is for Attendance
School can sometimes seem like a swap meet for the sniffles, especially in preschool and the early elementary grades. If you want to stop your kids from bringing home what’s going around, vitamins A, C, D, and E will support their immune systems and help keep them in school.*<1>,<2>,<3>
Vitamin C is particularly well known for its immune-boosting power, so it’s no surprise that four studies of male students found it helped keep those sniffles at bay.*<4> (Did you know boys and men tend to get less vitamin C in their diets? That’s why the studies focused on them.) Also important: vitamin C is like underwear. You need a new supply every day. Why? Because it’s water-soluble, which means your body is constantly flushing it out.
B is for Brain Function
Learning is hard work. B vitamins help nourish the nervous system—including the all-important brain—so your kids are ready to soak up all the facts and ideas they encounter at school.*<5> B vitamins also help promote a positive mood, which makes learning (and parenting) a lot easier.*<6>
There are a bunch of different B vitamins, and like vitamin C, they’re all water-soluble. Vitamin B12 is widely recognized as helping kids do their best.* Case in point: One study found teens with normal levels of B12 did better on tests than those who were low on this brain-loving vitamin.*<7> Meanwhile, in another study, a combination of vitamin B6 and magnesium helped wiggly, easily distracted kids pay attention and focus.*<8> (We all know a kid like that, right?)
C is for Catch
Any parent knows kids need to play hard in order to be able to work hard. To be playground-ready, strong bones and muscles are key.*
You only get one chance to build bone density, and that’s childhood. It’s absolutely critical that kids’ bones gain enough density during their growing years since it has to last them for a lifetime. Bones are made of calcium, so it makes sense that two studies have found kids who get more calcium have stronger bones.* One of the studies focused on kids who didn’t drink much milk and the other one studied pre-teen girls. In both cases, a calcium supplement improved their bone mineral density.*<9>,<10>
Kinder Love® Children’s Multivitamin (Kindervital®) is an easily absorbed liquid herbal vitamin and mineral supplement that comes in a tasty fruit juice base. Of course, kids aren’t the only ones who can use the insurance of a multivitamin. Grown-ups can try Epresat which is just like Kinder Love (Kindervital) but made for adults.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
References
<1> Mora JR, Iwata M, von Andrian UH. Nat Rev Immunol. 2008 Sep;8(9):685-98.
<2> Ginde AA, Mansbach JM, Carmargo A, Jr. Arch Int Med. 2009 Feb 23;169(4):384-90.
<3> Moriguchi S, Muraga M. Vitam Horm. 2000;59:305-36.
<4> Hemilä H. Br. J Nutr. 1997 Jan;77(1):59-72.
<5> Erickson KI, et al. Brain Res. 2008 Mar 14;1199:20-6.
<6> Mayo Clinic. 2019. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/expert-answers/vitamin-b12-and-depression/faq-20058077
<7> Louwman MW, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Sep;72(3):762-9.
<8> Mousain-Bosc M. Magnes Res. 2006 Mar;19(1):46-52.
<9> Lee WT et al. Br J Nutr. 1995 Jul; 74(1):125-39.
<10> Courtiex D et al. Int J Sports Med. 2005 Jun; 26(5):332-8.
