Finding the best immune supplement for children
Updated
Considering your child's immune system health is crucial for avoiding time away from school and complicated childcare arrangements. Parents with fussy kids can also find supporting the immune system through a healthy diet challenging. Moreover, bottle-fed babies may also want to consider additional immunity support.
Dietary supplements designed for children can conveniently supply additional daily nutrients for immune system function. Here, we explore why immune health in children is so important, how you can support your child's immune system and what to look for in an immunity supplement.
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Learn why immune health in children is essential and the factors that can impact it.
Helpful tips for supporting the immune system in children with a healthy lifestyle and behavioural tweaks.
We explore the top vitamins and minerals for supporting immune health in children
Understand what to look for in a food supplement for children and discover Junior Revive supplements.
Why is immune health in children important?
A child's immune system is not fully developed until the age of seven or eight and may be more susceptible to the sniffles until then. Moreover, breast milk contains many components to support a strong immune system in young children. In fact, immediately post-partum, a mother's breast milk contains the highest number of immune cells to support a child's immune system, while it is the weakest. Bottle-fed children may need additional immune support.
In addition to the impact on the child's education, sick days can have a knock-on effect on the family. In addition to emotional strain, parents having to stay home and care for their children can impact a family financially if these days at home are unpaid or not fully paid.
Immune health in children should be a priority, especially if your little one is a picky eater and you struggle to include nutrient-dense foods into their diet. Getting the proper nutrients daily is essential for normal immune function and development.
How can you boost the immune system in kids?
Certain dietary, behavioural, and lifestyle factors can be adjusted to improve your child's immune health
- Healthy eating – it can be challenging to get a young child to eat healthily when many fruits, vegetables and nutrient-rich foods are unappealing to them. If you cannot get your child to eat healthily, incorporate a healthy food source into their dishes. Try blending roasted vegetables into pasta sauces or smash avocados, bananas, and sweet potatoes into, puddings and desserts. Foods rich in essential vitamins include red pepper (rich in vitamin C), sweet potato and carrot (rich in beta carotene, the precursor to vitamin A). Free-range eggs are rich in vitamin D, while fish and red meat are rich in Zinc and B vitamins.
- Child's hygiene – when they are old enough, ensure that you encourage good hygiene practices in your kids, such as washing their hands before meals and after going to the toilet. Also, teach them to cough/sneeze into their hands and wash them immediately – germs can spread quickly between children.
- Parent's hygiene – good hygiene in parents is essential to keep your child healthy. If you are unwell, make sure to regularly wash your hands, dispose of any tissues and disinfect surfaces regularly. Be a positive role model and practice good hygiene, particularly around your children. If your child is not old enough to wash their hands, do it for them.
- Sleep - it can be challenging to optimise sleep in young children. However, having a regular bedtime and nightly routine can help your children get consistent sleep every night.
- Food supplements are a convenient way to ensure children get the proper nutrients for immune health daily and in the right doses. A multivitamin supplement drink can be the most suitable for children.
Which are the best vitamins for a child's immune system?
Choosing the right food supplement to support immune health in children is essential. You must consider the ingredients and the dosage. Here, we explore the top vitamins and minerals to look out for in a kid's immune supplement.
- Vitamin C contributes to the immune system's normal function and the normal formation of collagen for bones, joints and skin. Since children are growing rapidly, they must get enough vitamin C.
- Vitamin D (or vitamin D3) is an essential vitamin for the immune system that we can obtain from a balanced diet or UV light. To avoid damaging UV rays, it may be worth using a vitamin D supplement for the immune system in children.
- Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system, metabolism, protein synthesis and maintenance of normal bones, hair, skin and nails. When children grow, they must get enough Zinc in their diet to support their immune system and healthy development.
- B vitamins – vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 are essential for psychological and immune function, normal cell division and energy-yielding metabolism. B vitamins are necessary for growing children to support healthy growth, brain development and the immune system.
- Vitamin A contributes to normal immune function, vision and cell specialisation (essential for development & growth). Zinc is also vital for the normal metabolism of vitamin A so vitamins A and Zinc may be best taken together.
Choosing the best immune supplement for kids
Multivitamin supplements can be a convenient way to support the immune system in children. Supplements are ideal for picky eaters who may benefit from additional nutritional support. However, navigating the children's supplement market can be challenging. Tablets for swallowing are not suitable for children. Even gummy vitamins or chewable tablets can contain artificial sweeteners, colours, added sugar and filler ingredients that may not benefit your child's health.
You may want to choose a supplement powder that can be easily dissolved into water, yoghurt or your child's favourite juice/drink. Also, look for a supplement that contains naturally derived sweeteners, flavourings. Finally, you will need to look for vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and vitamin A. Additional beneficial ingredients include copper, selenium and folic acid (folate) – these all contribute to normal immune function.
Junior Revive – the complete immune supplement for children
Our supplement for children (aged 4-12) contains nine vitamins and minerals known to contribute to normal immune system health, including vitamin C, vitamin D, Zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, vitamin A, copper, selenium and folic acid. Junior Revive also contains live, friendly bacteria.
We have scientifically formulated the supplement powder to effectively provide the right amount of nutrients to children in a convenient, daily powdered sachet that can be mixed with water, juice or cold puddings. Junior Revive is free from fillers and binders. Our supplement supports the heart, brain, bones and immune system all in one and is ideally suited to fussy eaters.
