Dietary Supplements Blog

Best Liquid Vitamins for Kids

Written by Dr. Matt Hand | Aug 17, 2023 2:00:00 PM

Do kids need to take daily vitamins? To be sure, most children will gladly gobble down a handful of colorful, flavorful gummies. As a parent, it’s important to determine whether the net vitamin intake is enough to justify the sugars, dyes, and sweeteners commonly used in them.

In this article we explore different delivery options for children’s vitamins, why kids might need to supplement, and which products stand out as the best liquid vitamins for kids.*

Should Kids Take Vitamins on a Regular Basis?

Do children really need to take vitamins on a daily basis? Are their supplementation needs identical to those of an adult?

While kids don’t typically deal with the complex health issues that many adults have developed after decades of stress, aging, and environmental exposures, supplements can address some similarities in nutritional needs.*

Even if your family is eating a healthy diet by today’s standards—organic produce, grass-fed and finished local meat, etc.—soil depletion, sunscreen use, and incidental toxic exposures can impact vitamin D exposure. In fact, research shows 70% of American children are vitamin D deficient, and shortcomings in potassium, zinc, iron, and other nutrients are also common.*[1]

Kids are often picky eaters, cycling through their favorite few foods and rejecting  many others. This nutrient exclusion can also lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.*

Getting children to eat their veggies can be a major battle. Expecting them to take dietary supplements each day might also be a tough ask for some families.

While eating a rich and varied diet of colorful vegetables is the best way to obtain nutrients, supplements can be used to fill some remaining gaps.*

Although gummy vitamins may seem like a great option, they don’t offer enough benefit to justify their sugar content. For example, common omega gummies for children offer just 300 mg, instead of the 2000 mg kids need daily.*

In the most challenging cases, gummy vitamins are better than nothing, but there are certainly better options, though swallowing pills and capsules or chewing chalky tablets are not practical or enjoyable for most kids.

With these considerations in mind, liquid supplements should be the first choice to support the body if diet alone is not enough.*

Why are Liquid Vitamins for Kids Superior?

If kids are commonly deficient in important vitamins and minerals, have trouble swallowing pills, and do not receive adequate supplementation from gummies, what’s the best course of action?*

The answer is liquid vitamin supplements. With accurate dosing, adequate levels of micronutrients, and a highly bioavailable delivery format, liposomal and other liquid vitamins are the best supplementation choice for kids.*

Liquid vitamins can be water-based, alcohol-based, or liposomal (fat based). Liposomal is ideal for many nutrient deficiencies, as this delivery method enhances the body’s ability to absorb and store the micronutrients listed on the bottle.*

Liposomal vitamins address a variety of concerns related to dosing and absorption. For example, excess sugar intake may irritate the intestines and can reduce the ability to absorb vitamin C via the usual digestive process.*[2] As a healthier alternative, kids should take a liposomal vitamin C supplement, as it bypasses this absorption pathway.*

Beyond accurate dosing, easy delivery, and highly bioavailable absorption, liquid vitamins can also taste great while helping to reduce the carrier components like sugars and dyes that are so prevalent in a gummy format.*

RELATED CONTENT: BACK TO SCHOOL IMMUNE BOOSTERS FOR KIDS

 

5 Best Liquid Vitamins for Kids

While the primary source of micronutrients should be a diet rich in colorful vegetables, kids often lack certain nutrients that a good quality multivitamin can help address.* Even the pickiest eaters can get a healthy boost with a scoop of Mightiest Vite in their favorite food or drink.*

For more targeted needs or concerns, look to these five liquid vitamins for kids:*

  • B vitamins. To support specific concerns like neurological or behavioral health, a more specific vitamin or complex is indicated.* B vitamins and zinc are often deficient in children who do not eat a regular diet of meat and leafy greens.* Kids as young as four can benefit from liquid Behavior Balance DMG.*

  • Melatonin. To promote relaxation and support restful sleep, kids can use a spray of Sleep Tight each night before bed, which helps kids to wind down and create healthy sleep habits.*

  • Vitamin C. Kids not eating their broccoli? Offer a dose of Sync Up liquid sulforaphane broccoli sprout powder, rich in vitamin C, to support the nervous system and boost immune function.* Iron can be one of the main deficiencies in children, and liposomal vitamin C can aid iron absorption all year round, offering extra immune support on a seasonal basis.*

  • Vitamin D. This fat-soluble vitamin supports a healthy immune response and is best absorbed via liposomal delivery.*

  • Omega 3/s. What may be missing in children’s diet—and is vital to brian health—are Omega-3 fatty acids.* EPA and DHA are available in adequate doses in KiddOmega-3, which can support  proper cognitive development.*  

 

Takeaway 

Some things about kids are certain: they can be picky and can lack essential vitamins and minerals in their diet.* While they gravitate toward candy-like gummy vitamins, research doesn’t support this delivery method as the most nutritious option.[3] 

Because it’s impractical to expect children to swallow pills or chew tablets every day, our wellness efforts are best directed toward liquid supplements. Offering more accurate and appropriate doses, better absorption, and ease of delivery, liquid vitamins are an excellent way to boost kids’ immune function and overall health.*

Discuss your child’s diet and lifestyle with their pediatrician to create the most beneficial supplementation plan for their unique wellness needs.* After making all the mealtime food improvements you can, liquid vitamins for kids can help fill in the gaps.*

[1] Chauhan K, Shahrokhi M, Huecker MR. Vitamin D. [Updated 2023 Apr 9]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441912/

[2] DiNicolantonio, James J, and Amy Berger. “Added sugars drive nutrient and energy deficit in…a new paradigm.” Open heart vol. 3,2 e000469. 2 Aug. 2016, doi:10.1136/openhrt-2016-000469

[3] Elliott C. Assessing Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements Marketed to Children in Canada. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Nov 6;16(22):4326. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16224326. PMID: 31698815; PMCID: PMC6888471.