Gummy Vitamins for Kids – How Safe Are They?

Every parent struggles and strives to ensure that their child gets ample nutrition. And if you have for yourself a fussy or picky eater, then compensating the nutritional needs of your kid may become further taxing. As a result, parents may consider the option of giving supplements or multivitamins to their kids that are also available in luring gummy forms. Well, if you wish to get yourself better acquainted with gummy vitamins and whether or not these are a viable option for your kid, we recommend reading this blog for a better insight into this topic!

What Are Gummy Vitamins? 

Gummy vitamins are vitamin supplements for kids, but this variation of supplements has more sugar and calories in comparison to traditional multivitamins. Parents should be careful and read the label thoroughly before picking up such vitamins because sometimes these may not contain all the vitamins that you may be looking for. Mostly such variants come with water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, some type of vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, etc. However, these kinds of supplements may lack nutrients such as calcium, iron, etc. and if you are relying on to compensate for your kiddo’s calcium or iron requirements, considering this option may not be a great thing to do!

Types of Gummy Vitamins

If your kid eats his meals properly that constitutes all food groups, then there is no need to give any supplements to your child. The matter of fact is that not all kids require vitamin supplements; however, if your kid needs supplements, then it is a good idea to know what all options you have:

1. Gummy Multivitamins

You can opt for gummy multivitamins for kids that contain a combination of some vital nutrients. However, it is important to understand that not all vitamins and minerals are present in all types of gummy multivitamins. Therefore, you need to exercise discretion while picking up such vitamin combos.

2. Gummy Vitamins Fish Oil

These vitamin supplements are formulated with fish rich omega-3 fatty acids. These vitamin supplements are great for promoting brain development in kids, and these are also beneficial in preventing various kinds of diseases such as coronary artery disease.

3. Vitamin D and Calcium Gummies

If compensating for your kid’s calcium and vitamin D requirements is something that you are looking for, then opt for gummy vitamins with vitamin D and calcium in them.

4. Other Gummy Supplements

There are other kinds of gummy vitamins available that contain antioxidants and fiber, which are great for preventing infections and effective in building immunity.

Why Are Gummy Vitamins so Popular in Children?

The simple answer to that question is that they look utterly appealing and taste heavenly too! Well, there is no rocket science in understanding that most kids love to eat sugar-laden treats and if they come in enticing forms, well, that becomes the icing on the cake.

Another aspect associated with the popularity of these gummy vitamins is that in today’s fast-paced lives it may sometimes get tedious for the parents to keep a tab on their kid’s nutrition and opting for resorts like this, which is also enjoyed by kids, seems to be a great deal! On top of it, when there are advertisements doing the rounds propagating umpteen benefits for your munchkin, well, that surely becomes a sure-shot deal of popularity for such things!

Again, you should not forget that it is not important or necessary that what is popular is healthy and safe for your kid too!

How Can Gummy Vitamins Harm Kids?

How parents wish that few yummy gummy bears could compensate for their kid’s nutritional requirements. Well, there is no doubt that some kinds of supplements do take care of your kid’s nutritional needs but as far as gummy bears are concerned that may not hold true completely because of few concerns. The first concern is that these gummy vitamins for toddlers contain high amounts of sugar and comes in a sticky texture, which becomes the perfect recipe for dental caries, tooth decay, and other dental issues in kids. Secondly, children may sometimes consume them in more than required amounts because let’s face it that these appear like normal candies, which may lead to health complications (if consumed in large amounts on a regular basis). And thirdly, there is no substantial evidence available that supports that these kinds of vitamins help in compensating the nutritional requirements in kids.

What Should Parents Do?

Here are some things that as parents you should do:

• Always check labels when buying supplements. Usually, chewable multivitamins are more complete than gummy ones.
• Refrain from giving more than prescribed amounts of vitamins to your kid and keep them out of your kid’s reach.
• Do not forget that gummy vitamins are medicine and should be administered carefully.
• If you are giving different kinds of supplements to your kid, keep a tab on the kinds of vitamins in each supplement to avoid any kind of over dosage of vitamins.
• Usually, gummy vitamins do not contain calcium and iron in them or contain these nutrients in very fewer amounts. Make sure you look for other supplement options such as children’s gummy vitamins with iron to compensate for such nutrients.
• Whether you are opting for organic gummy vitamins or other kinds of gummy vitamins, all these vitamins contain high amounts of sugar. Therefore, it is important to practice good oral hygiene in your child to avoid any dental issues.

If in case, any dental issue crops up, do visit a pediatric dentist as soon as possible to avoid any dental complication.

Are Gummy Vitamins Advertisements Misleading?

The main aim for every manufacturer is to advertise their products in a way that the customer feels lured to buy it, and the same holds for gummy bears. There are many famous brands that make these supplements for kids and claim that their supplements contain zinc, which can help in improving eating habits in children. Well, the truth behind this statement is that there is not much scientific evidence available that supports this claim. Another misleading fact on gummy bears about their classification, as some brands, advertise it as food whereas other brands term them as supplements.

As parents, you must exercise great caution and discretion when you pick up any such supplements for your kids and don’t get fooled by false claims of various drug companies.

Are Sugar-free Gummies Safe for Children?

There are some sugar-free varieties available in gummy vitamins too. However, how safe they are for kids greatly depends on what goes in them. Some manufacturers may use sugar alcohol in place of regular sugar. Again, some manufacturers may increase other ingredients such as citric acid, to compensate for the sweetness that may lead to weakening the teeth enamel.

Well, which are the best gummy vitamins for kids is the decision that should be best left to your kid’s paediatrician!

There is no match to eating a well-balanced and healthy diet that comprises of all kinds of food groups. However, if under any circumstances you feel that you need to give supplements to your kid, do talk your kid’s paediatrician before doing so!

Also Read:

Importance of Magnesium for Children
Important Nutrients Needed for Kid’s Strong Immune System
Vitamin D Deficiency in Children