How to pick the best vitamins for your kids: Seven red flags to avoid

The world of vitamins and supplements is exploding as hundreds of new products hit the shelves and flood your social media every week. They look attractive, offering solutions and relief to your concerns for your children’s health. As consumers we are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of supplements, but finding the right product can feel like a dizzying effort. There’s even more worry when it comes to picking the best vitamins and supplements for your kids.

Seven red flags to look out for in your search for supplements that are safe for your children:

1. Products with a long of ingredients may have fillers that offer a lot of nothing
2. Be wary of gummies. While this is often a favorite for kids; many gummies come with gelatin, sweeteners and dyes that can trigger sensitivity.
3. Specific strains require higher quality control than products that over large quantities of everything.
4. Big promises are hard to swallow. Some labels promise to fix a problem, but every person responds to supplements uniquely based on their own body chemistry and symptoms, so these are hard promises to keep.
5. Non-GMO, USDA organic, and similar labels don’t mean they are safe. If you are not sure exactly why this would be good for you, do your research first.
6. Look for third party quality control. This information can often be found on the product website that gives credibility that what is on the label matches the content inside the container. Third party testing is important in that it minimizes internal bias.
7. Always check for the expiration date and proper storage.