3 minIs your child going through a phase of poor eating habits? Does your child struggle to eat more than a few bites of dinner each day? You probably keep trying to get them to eat their vegetables, but to no avail. Giving them some extra vitamins certainly can't hurt at this stage, but how do you do that if your child doesn't like taking them? And when is the best time to give my child these vitamins?
We also share more tips for parents of poor eaters.
In this article, you will read
- Why multivitamin drops are ideal for children
- The difference between liquid vitamins and pills
- When is the best time for your child to take vitamins
Choose an easy solution: multivitamins in drop form
When you are in a daily battle with your child to get them to finish their plate, it is not easy to get them to take a vitamin pill as well. Vitamin drops offer the solution. These drops can easily be mixed into a bowl of yoghurt at breakfast, for example, and in most cases do not contain any colourings, flavourings or fragrances, so your child will not notice anything.
This may sound like you are tricking them a little, but it is simply an easy and pleasant way for children to get their vitamins. For this reason, supplements in the form of drops are always recommended for children. But also consider the easy administration of vitamin D to babies.
Liquid vitamins and vitamins in pill form – the difference
In addition to the fact that multivitamin drops are easier for children to take than a (chewable) tablet, there is another difference between the two. Liquid vitamins are absorbed at a different rate than pills.
With liquid supplements, the vitamins are immediately “active” because they come into contact with the body sooner and are therefore absorbed immediately. Vitamins in pill form must first pass through the stomach and intestines before they can be absorbed. This is because the substances in the pill are “packaged”. The vitamins are only “unpacked” in the stomach and intestines.
Is this difference important? No, for most vitamins there is little difference in absorption between a natural vitamin in drop form and a synthetic one (tablet). However, it has been proven that vitamin E is better absorbed from a natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) than from a synthetic tablet. Vitamin E is a vitamin found in multivitamin supplements. It is therefore best for children to take a liquid multivitamin for kids.
When is the best time to take a multivitamin?
It is best to give your child a multivitamin during a meal. This can help with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, K, and sometimes D), because these vitamins are better absorbed in the presence of food and fats.
