I have two small children, one who was born at a preemie weight at 38 weeks, and the other born with a  collapsed lung at 37 weeks.  The health and nutrition of my children have always been a priority.  For my daughter it was weight gain and making sure I integrated proper nutrition into her diet.  And, for my son, it was making sure his immune system was high enough to ward off any unwanted bacteria that could creep into his lungs to cause pneumonia, bronchitis or even meningitis. 

With this in mind, a friend/family member of mine who was an expert in health and nutritional supplements (her husband happened to be a retired pediatrician as well) pointed me in the direction of some fascinating research.  Which, if you know me at all, I absorb every new piece of information that someone can put on my plate.  The most profound statement she made to me that day was, "not ALL vitamins are created equal!" 

Yes, there are different types of vitamins or health supplements.  Both for children and adults, but for me, it started with my kids!  There are 2 important things to know and take away...the first is that there are pharmaceutical grade vitamins.  What this means (you check out some more info by clicking here) is that because the FDA is not able to regulate the standards of these vitamins, companies can put different elements besides the actual vitamin in the ingredients, but still call it whatever!  So, how do you know it is of Grade A quality or pharmaceutical grade.  Well, the difference is in the purity of the vitamin itself.  Grade A simply means that it is completely pure and must have a quality of 99% pure. 

The next piece of information I got regarding what I was giving my children (I was a Flinstone vitamin mommy, can anyone relate?) was the facts about absorption rates.  Which simply means how fast do the vitamins absorb into the blood stream so that my children's body is able to use the supplements I am giving them.  Try this, I was shocked, take one of your vitamin pills, put it into a glass of water and see how long it takes to dissolve! 

So, how do you reach maximum absorption, so that your kids are getting not only the best ingredients, but that the best ingredients are actually being absorbed into their bloodstream so their bodies can use it?  The trick is to make sure the vitamins you are giving your children are in an isotonic format.  What does this mean?  "Isotonic solutions bear the same chemical resemblance to blood and tears allowing for superior delivery and complete absorption." (isotonix.com).  I now use a certain type of product and their multi-vitamin, their OMEGA3's are all in this format.  I don't let them leave home without it.  During cold and flu season, they also get a healthy dose of Vitamin C.  To know what I am actually giving my kids is not only the best ingredients but is being used by their body at 95-99% is unbelievable!  Thank you to my friend for the wonderful information!  I feel smarter, and a better mommy because of it! 

If you would like to find out how to get some of these products, you can contact me directly and I will point you in the right direction. 

Other articles you might like:
Omega 3 and its impact on children's health
Omega 3 and ADD or ADHD
Calcium and Women's Health