Calcium and Vitamin D for Kids

Mine loved dairy, oranges, and dark leafy greens - all high in calcium. For vitamin D, all you need to do is let the kids play outside in the sunshine and their bodies will make it.

Most supplements are in pill form (or worse for the teeth, gummy form), and they do not dissolve or absorb well. But the problem is worse than that, because the body cannot utilize nutrients (vitamins, minerals, trace elements) that are introduced singly or in small combinations. That's why "lots of Vitamin C for colds" or "extra Calcium and D" are not effective. Most pediatricians call typical over-the-counter supplements "expensive urine" because they are largely eliminated and not absorbed. And the "recommended amounts" on the bottles are the minimums, and they reflect levels set decades ago. Ever notice how the labels all say "keep out of reach of children"? Because they are not food-based, the FDA requires warning labels.

It's really more important to give a far more comprehensive supplement to ensure they are getting all the nutrients, not just calcium and D. The body just can't metabolize isolated nutrients without all the other "partner" nutrients that each of those needs to function in a complex interaction.

There really isn't any medical or nutritional authority who believes in 2014 that you can get what you need (child or adult) through diet alone because our food growing techniques and our heavy use of additives and preservatives. It's worse for children because so many of them are picky eaters anyway, so parents have a harder time getting "real food" into them. Does eating fresh food, locally grown, help? Of course. Does getting outing the sunshine help? Absolutely. Does it make sense to give kids a wide variety of tastes/textures and, if necessary, disguise ingredients in their favorite foods? Sure. Is it enough? The AMA doesn't think so (as of 2002), and they're usually late to the argument. So the problem is obviously much worse.

I'm in the food science business, and I can tell you that the Council for Responsible Nutrition is fighting the battle to bring higher standards to the supplement business. Most of the stuff on the store shelves is poorly regulated, manufactured under substandard conditions, and not available in countries with a stricter FDA than ours. There are supplements available that have clinical studies on the ingredients, which do not carry warning labels because the FDA says they are metabolized as food vs. a medication, and which are fully balanced with all the necessary nutrients so they qualify as a "complete food" (meaning you can live on it without anything else - not that it's necessary to do so).

If you talk to food scientists who specialize in pediatric nutrition, and if you look at all the work being done in immune system support, and if you look at how few physicians have had any extensive or recent nutrition training, you'll be astounded at how misled the public is. It's very easy to fix but you have to be willing to get the info.

I had asked our doctor about that last year. She asked about how much dairy they get, if they drink juice fortified with calcium and D, yogurt etc. She said to check the vitamins we take to make sure that it meets the recommended amounts. Since my kids love milk, yogurt and cheese, we could actually skip the calcium supplements. Vit D helps your body absorb calcium so it is good to have them togehter. The best way to get Vit D is actually from the sun, 15 minutes outside without cover. For my kids, that is the walk to school.

For vitamin D - all they need is about 15 min a day of sunshine while not wearing sunscreen.
If sunshine isn't available (we had long dark winters in western NY), we were given cod liver oil when we were growing up.
For calcium - our son is a major milk drinker - we could use a cow of our own.

Calcium rich foods:
Milk
Dark Leafy Greens
Salmon
Catfish
Almonds or Almond Butter
Cheese
Yogurt

I've never been a big milk drinker but I love cheese, yogurt and almonds.

I always tried to make sure my daughter got all of her vitamins naturally in her diet. We were fortunate that she is not a picky eater and open to trying new things that are healthy. I hate those gummy vitamins that get stuck in the teeth.

That said, even with my diet, my body has poor absorption. I am talking MY body which has never had proper absorption and I've been under the watchful eye of Dr.'s because of it....this does not indicate an issue such as mine with your children. At this time, I am on sublingual Vitamin D, B-12 and Biotin and chewable vitamin C. When I was pregnant, I was having B-12 injections every couple of weeks.

Everyone's body is different. Personally I don't like supplements but I order to keep my CBC balanced correctly I do it. it is a lot better than the first diagnosis of leukemia which thank God was wrong.

My kids get the calcium they need from milk, yogurt and cheese. Vitamin D they get from milk and sunshine. I usually let them go outside without sunscreen except in the afternoon. When they were infants and still on breastmilk I had to give vitamin d supplements because they can not get enough from sunshine alone this far north.

Because of our food supply it's hard to get enough nutrients from most foods. Also, you're right, most supplements don't absorb. I believe the average is around 30%. Some are even dangerous as they create free radicals. My kids took a supplement that is guaranteed to absorb....consistently at 85%, but measured higher, often. We ordered it online. They also have Omega-3s in liquid form that doesn't taste fishy. Dairy does not provide as much calcium as green leafy vegetables and sunlight is best for Vitamin D...

Hope this helps,
M.

We eat cheese and drink milk. Kids are fine and blood work is always normal.

Leafy greens and some milk for calcium, but I supplement the Vitamin D. They take a Fish Oil pill that is combined with D. They don't get enough of either of those in our diet and not enough sunshine daily.