Nutritionally Inadequate:
WHAT’S A PARENT TO DO?
Growing bodies can benefit from supplementation too!
Jeff Dorsett, MSHS; dōTERRA Research Scientist
As parents, one of the most
important things that we can do for
our children is setting an example
through our good nutritional habits.
As the old adage goes, “The apple
doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Preparing healthy meals based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean
proteins (like beans, nuts, seeds, fish, and poultry), while avoiding over-processed,
nutrient-poor foods, can help establish good nutritional habits in your child that
can last a lifetime. one-third of children and adolescents consume fast food daily.
Multivitamins Can Help Fill
Nutritional Gaps
Mother Nature’s Best Brain Food:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Unfortunately, even the best efforts to prepare a balanced diet
often fall short in providing the recommended levels of nutrients.
Many children do not meet daily recommendations for several
nutrients including vitamins A, C, E, and K and calcium and
magnesium. Similar deficiencies are found for health-promoting
nutrients without official recommended daily intakes, like omega-3
fatty acids (pa rticularly DHA), and probiotics. For a variety of
reasons, most kids simply do not consume these important
nutrients on a regular basis.
Healthy eating and obtaining adequate nutrition is important
for healthy growth and development, including healthy brain
function, concentration, and learning. Arguably, there are no
more important nutrients for the healthy growth and function
of the brain and nervous system than omega-3 fatty acids,
particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In fact, 60 percent of
the brain is structural fat and DHA, which makes up more than
30 percent of gray matter (the information processing center
of the brain). This gray matter structure is extremely important
for signal transmissions in the brain, eyes, and nervous system.
Unfortunately, the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids are often
some of the most avoided by children: fish and seafood.
This is where supplementation can really help bridge nutritional
gaps in a child’s diet, without adding significant calories. Our
children aren’t just little adults. They don’t act or function the way
adults do (anyone who has had a 3-year-old can attest to that!).
But more importantly, their young bodies are still growing; their
metabolisms and nutritional demands are different than those
of an adult. Furthermore, excessive amounts of certain nutrients
(such as iron) can be toxic in children. Children may have unique
nutritional needs, so working closely with your child’s pediatrician
can help too. All of these factors should be considered before
giving a child a supplement.
One way to address many of these needs is a daily multivitamin
supplement specifically formulated for children. Unfortunately,
many leading children’s supplements deliver cheap, poorly
absorbed forms of vitamins and minerals, and are often formulated
with undesirable artificial colors, sweeteners, and/or flavors.
dōTERRA a2z Chewable™ tablets are a great tasting,
concentrated source of your child’s daily vitamins and minerals.
Each serving delivers a balanced blend of B vitamins and is
an excellent source of vitamins A, C, D, E, and K. This unique
formula also delivers a comprehensive blend of botanical powders
and extracts along with brain and nervous system supporting
nutrients, to help support the nutritional needs of growing
bodies.* dōTERRA a2z Chewable is a delicious and easy way to
ensure that your kids get the nutrients they need from high quality
sources without the artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners so
abundant in other children’s vitamins.
Probiotics For Healthy Tummies
These days, it seems as though everyone is talking about
probiotics and how they help maintain the health of the digestive
and immune systems. Yogurt is a source of probiotics that most
children enjoy. However, brands have a lot of added sugar and
typically only deliver relatively small amounts of a single probiotic
strain. In addition, some kids may be allergic to dairy.
One of dōTERRA’s most recent dietary supplement offerings helps
address the nutritional need for probiotics without the dairy, sugar,
or unfamiliar taste of fermented foods. PB Assist® Jr is a powdered
probiotic supplement designed with children in mind. It includes
5 billion live cells of a unique blend of six different probiotic
strains, to support both digestive and immune health.* These
probiotics have been blended into a delicious powder that can be
poured directly into the mouth for a fun and tasty way to integrate
probiotics into anyone’s daily routine.
18 / FALL 2016 LIVING MAGAZINE
For kids who have distaste for fish and seafood, dōTERRA IQ
Mega® provides a great way to get the important benefits of
omega-3 fatty acids, without the “fishy” taste so typical of other
fish oil supplements. IQ Mega combines the fresh orange flavor of
Wild Orange essential oil with 1,000 mg of concentrated omega-3
fatty acids (including 400 mg of brain supportive DHA), without
concerns about mercury, contaminants, or fishy aftertaste. It
can be taken straight by the teaspoonful, blended into fruit and
vegetable smoothies, or added to other healthy beverages or foods.
Supplementation
It Just Makes Sense
As parents, it is important that we set good nutritional examples.
We all know the importance of eating healthy, well-balanced
meals. But it is often difficult to put anything on the dinner table,
let alone making sure that every meal is nutritionally sound. This is
why supplementation just simply makes sense.
Of course, getting nutrients from a healthy, well-balanced diet
should continue to be strived for. But the reality is that most
children simply do not eat as well as they should. Supplementation
offers an affordable and convenient way to fill nutrient gaps. Great
tasting, convenient, easy-to-use supplements like dōTERRA a2z
Chewable, IQ Mega, and PB Assist Jr help to fill these gaps and
promote a foundation for lifelong health and vitality.
References available upon request.
ABC’s of Kids
Supplements
•A
lways consult your child’s
pediatrician before giving your
child any dietary supplement.
•B
e on the lookout for products that have been specifically
formulated with children in mind (e.g. dōTERRA a2z
Chewable, IQ Mega, and PB Assist Jr).
•C
arefully read and follow the instructions on the product label
and keep all supplements out of the reach of children.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
doterra.com / 19