Best Vitamins for Teens
Now that my kids are hitting the "tween" years, I come in contact with more parents with tweens and teens. Since you are on this page, like most of us, you are probably worried about your teen's poor diet. And you have reason to be! Let's face it, they often eat like poo and they are out of our care for more hours of the day and we have less control over what goes into their mouths. With our vitamins, you can at least know that in the morning at breakfast and in the evening at dinner they are getting good vitamins/minerals into their system. (And I know from personal experience that when you provide the proper vitamins and minerals, you actually start craving healthier food!)
Our teen vitamin comes from the same company that our children's vitamin comes from. We have been using vitamins from the same company since 2003. I had such wonderful results from the adult version of the vitamins (literally, my seasonal allergies DISAPPEARED), it only made sense to continue with this line, as well as share it with our customers!
As you are probably wondering, you should know that these science-based, pharmaceutical quality vitamins ARE made in the USA. The manufacturer has been around since 1992 and they provide nutritional supplementation for many elite and Olympic athletes.
If your teen is worth $.36 - $1.06 per day, these are the vitamins you need. Not only will they give you peace of mind, they will also
- Provide essential vitamins and minerals during a critical stage of growth and development
- Offer a comprehensive range of antioxidants for protection against oxidative stress
- Support healthy immune function
- Help compensate for teens’ erratic eating habits.
Teen Vitamin Instructions
You might be wondering when your child is supposed to transition to teen vitamins. It's different for each child. Here are times to make the transition:
- If your nine year-old no longer likes chewable vitamins (s/he can take one teen vitamins daily)
- If your child of any age is entering puberty
- If your child is taller or heavier than average
- If your child is becoming a teenager and/or
- You notice your child's eating habits waning
The general rule I would follow is that the older or larger the child or teen, the more s/he would take (up to 3) daily. My nine year-old takes one daily, my eleven year-old takes two daily. If I notice one getting the sniffles, we will increase to add another one daily.
Vitamin Side Effects
Some side effects you might notice (which are more likely if your child is starting vitamin supplementation for the first time)
- More frequent bowel movements (will diminish in 2-3 days)
- Slight weight loss (from the detoxing of the colon)
- Bright green urine (from extra B Vitamins flushing out)
- Mild headaches (from detoxing)
- Acne (from detoxing)
- Healthier food cravings
Your child might only notice the change in urine. If s/he is very in tune with his/her body, s/he may notice healthier cravings. The other side effects, while temporary, are also somewhat rare, and a sign of a teen who REALLY needed the vitamins!
Also please make sure to give your child extra Vitamins D and K in fall and winter, or if s/he spends a lot of time inside throughout the year!