Send your Kids' [Immunity] to the Head of the Class

Written by Jolie Root, LPN, LNC

Jolie is the Senior Nutritionist and Educator for Carlson. She travels throughout North America attending medical conferences, lecturing, and educating about the role of nutrition in integrative medicine.

It is back to school time. Most years, parents think about pens, paper, backpacks, and other traditional school supplies. This year, many of us are thinking about our kids' wellness and how to keep them healthy and their immune systems strong.

For starters, remember that sweets and sweetened beverages are the number one source of sugar for our kiddos, and sugar can negatively impact our immune systems. Finding tasty beverages that kids can drink may be as simple as flavoring water with fruit. Older kids may enjoy sparkling beverages or unsweetened tea. Snacks that feature whole fruits and veggies are also great for keeping kids well. And although we try to get our children all of the nutrients they need from diet alone, it's not always possible. That's where nutritional supplements come in.

Fall is one of the most important times to boost our children's immune super powers. On my short list of top nutrients are vitamin D3, vitamin A, zinc, vitamin C, and probiotics. These should be taken together with a high-quality multivitamin and omega-3 product. Take advantage of the delicious Carlson Kid's Vitamin C Gummies and Kid's Vitamin D3 Gummies.

For the omega-3, I like to put Kid's The Very Finest Fish Oil in a smoothie with fresh fruit in the morning. Two other great smoothie add-ins are Carlson Kid's Probiotic Stix, a cherry flavored probiotic powder, and Kid's Super Daily® D3 drops, with concentrated vitamin D in a single, unflavored drop. The immune system depends in part on a healthy gastrointestinal tract, which is where Kid's Probiotics Stix come in.

An alternate omega-3 that also provides vitamins A and D3 is the Carlson Kid's Cod Liver Oil. Just like Kid's The Very Finest Fish Oil, it's taste award-winning, so adding it to a smoothie is a great way to go. Kid's will get the brain-boosting benefits of omega-3s also.

To get the immune support benefits of zinc, children can take Carlson Kid's Chewable Zinc. The chewable tablets come in delicious mixed berry flavor and in cute animal shapes kids love.

Getting kids on a well-designed supplement program is one of the best ways to keep our kids healthy and strong.