Palatable Iron Supplements for Children

Palatable Iron Supplements for Children
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According to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health, iron is an essential mineral that is in hemoglobin. Iron helps transport oxygen to the cells in your body, and iron deficiency can cause fatigue and weakness. Iron is also important for children because it promotes cell growth and differentiation. If your child needs extra iron from a supplement, you need to be sure that the supplement is palatable so that your child will agree to take it.

Centrum

Centrum Kids Complete is a multivitamin and mineral supplement that claims to contain more vitamins and minerals than any other leading brand. This supplement can promote immune function because of the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. The iron and zinc in this supplement support children's growth. The supplement comes in the appealing flavors of orange, cherry and grape; the sweeteners include sucrose and corn syrup. Each chewable tablet contains 18 mg of iron, or 100 percent of the daily value for iron. This iron is in the carbonyl iron form, which absorbs slowly into the bloodstream. You should still be cautious about an accidental iron overdose, which can be fatal for a child at a dose of 200 mg of iron, or about 7 of these tablets. The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated the health claims about this supplement.

Natural Factors

Natural Factors Big Friends Children's Chewable has all of the essential vitamins and many minerals. Each tablet has 5 mg of iron, or 28 percent of the daily value for iron. The iron is in the ferrous fumarate form, which is one of the easier forms for your child's body to absorb. These chewable tablets come in fruit punch and jungle juice (orange and tangerine) flavors. The sweeteners include fructose and the natural plant stevia. Besides being palatable, these tablets are attractive to children because of their dinosaur shapes. Other ingredients in these tablets are citrus bioflavonoids, which are antioxidants, and red carrot powder. The Food and Drug Administration has not assessed these multi-vitamin and mineral supplements for safety.

Now Foods

Now Foods Kid Vits Multi-Vitamin chewable tablets come in orange splash and berry blast flavors so that they are palatable for children. Now Foods suggests that taking these supplements can help children, who are often fussy eaters, get all of the basic nutrients they need for health and growth. Each pair of tablets, or one serving, has 5 mg of iron, or 28 percent of the daily value for iron. The iron is in the form iron bisglycinate, which is highly absorbable. In addition to providing all of the essential vitamins and many minerals, these supplements have orange, lutein, and lycopene to enhance the antioxidant properties. These tablets are all natural and vegan. The sweeteners are fructose and sorbitol. It is always important to remember to monitor your children when they are near iron supplements to avoid iron poisoning.

References

Article reviewed by KathleenM Last updated on: Aug 13, 2010

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