A Big  iDea for Your Child’s Health

Benefits of vitamin D3 and cod liver oil

Do your children suffer from recurrent colds or lack energy?

Do you have a child who frequently complains of pain?

Has your child broken a bone?

Did you ever wonder why children get sick more often in the winter?

Vitamin D deficiency could be the answer.

Vitamin D is Essential for Health

Vitamin D is critical for even the unborn child. If a pregnant mother is deficient in vitamin D, her baby is more likely to be born smaller and to later develop allergies and asthma. One study showed that the children of mothers who took vitamin D during pregnancy had increased bone mass, even at nine years old. Since many mothers are vitamin D deficient, their newborn babies will also be deficient. Consequently, the Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants begin daily supplementation with vitamin D soon after birth.

While severe vitamin D deficiency in children causes rickets, even mild vitamin D deficiency puts children at increased risk of many acute and chronic illnesses. Low vitamin D levels decrease immunity, increasing chances of catching a cold or the flu, and making it harder to fight it off. Vitamin D deficiency makes it harder to absorb calcium, increasing the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis. People with vitamin D deficiency show increased rates of asthma, autoimmune diseases, depression, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. Recent studies support that vitamin D supplementation early in childhood may decrease the risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

Vitamin D is All Around Us

The sun is the best source of this important nutrient.  However, sunscreen blocks more than 90% of this vital vitamin. In order to get the 400iu/day RDA of vitamin D, children need to get at least 15 minutes of full-body sun exposure daily, without sunscreen. In Michigan, the ideal time to get vitamin D from the sun is between 10am and 2pm. While too much sun exposure increases our risk of skin cancer, too little vitamin D also increases our risk of skin cancer. As parents, we must find a balance.

The darker your skin, the more difficult it is to absorb vitamin D. People with darker skin need to spend 5-10 times more in the sun to absorb similar levels of vitamin D.

While the sun is the best source, vitamin D can be found in fortified foods such as milk. However, one would need to drink 32oz per day to get the minimum daily requirement of vitamin D.  For most people, drinking that much milk would be unhealthy and is not advised. Contrary to common belief, most other dairy foods do not contain vitamin D.

I suggest a daily supplement of at least 400iu vitamin D3, starting at birth.  I often recommend higher levels to maximize health. The best way to determine how much vitamin D is needed is to have your physician check a vitamin D 25-OHD level.

One Healthy Fat – Cod Liver Oil

Cod liver oil is an excellent source of Vitamin D. It’s also is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin A.

Look for a product with 400 iu of vitamin D3 per tsp, that has met purity standards – assuring no mercury, heavy metals, dioxins or PCBs. The liquid form is more cost effective and far easier to swallow than capsules.

Dose – 1 tsp/day for ages 2 to adulthood, ½ tsp/day for toddlers (1-2 years old.)

Keep cod liver oil refrigerated for best texture. Chase with a cold drink or orange slice.

Cod liver oil has a three month shelf life once opened. It must be discarded thereafter.

Never force a child to take cod liver oil or fish oil. Never give via syringe. With any oil, aspiration (choking) is possible, so use caution. Consequently, I do not advise cod liver oil for infants, for children with significant reflux, nor right before bed. For babies less than 1 year old, infant multivitamins or liquid vitamin D are the best non-sun sources of vitamin D.

Use caution if you are on a blood thinner, have an allergy or anaphylactic reaction to fish, or have severe gastroesophageal reflux.

To best maximize your health and minimize illness, I recommend taking cod liver oil daily. Trust your grandparents and great grandparents, they took it and were much healthier for it.  Luckily, it tastes much better now than when our grandparents were young.

For more information on the benefits of vitamin D, go to www.vitamindcouncil.org or www.aap.org/new/VitaminDreport.pdf

Disclaimer: Some products mentioned have not been evaluated by the FDA.  They are intended to benefit normal structure and function and are not intended to cure, treat, or prevent any disease.

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