Saturday, 17 November 2012
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Hot Topic: Is Taking Kids' Vitamins Okay?
This is a recent hot topic over at our Advice column!From violetxsky3@xanga:
"I'm 20 years old right now. I used to take Centrum adult vitamins ever since I was probably 16. My problem is, I can't swallow pills... And those Centrums are huge! So whenever I took them, I'd just chew it with juice to numb the bitter taste.
Recently, I've become FED UP with Centrum. I felt no difference health-wise when I forgot to take it for a few days or something. So it got me thinking that me taking Centrum was pointless PLUS it tastes crappy. So now, I've been taking "L'il Critters Gummy Vites" for about 2 weeks now. They're delicious. The only thing I don't like about them is they don't have Iron!But anyway, is it unhealthy for a person at my age to be taking kids' vitamins?"
What do you think? Is it okay for adults to take kids vitamins? Is it healthy to take vitamins made for children? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, or over at our Advice column!
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Comments (22)
I'm not a health professional, but I don't think taking a vitamin intended for children will be harmful for adults, but you may be lacking (either it doesn't contain any or in an amount not sufficient for adults) in certain nutrients adults need based on their age and gender. You mentioned the kids' vitamin you take doesn't include any iron. That could be a concern if you do not get enough from your diet, you might have to supplement with iron tablets or find another vitamin that is more complete and suitable for you. I have seen some fruit flavored gummy vitamins for adults available at my local drugstore, I think it will be worth checking out.
I do understand being frustrated with those huge pills/tablets the daily multivitamins can be...they are hard to swallow and are not very tasty to chew.
Why don't you just take gummy vitamins for adults...? They do have those, you know. Trust me, I take them :) Haha, I have the same problem with swallowing pills. I have a really sensitive gag reflex and whenever I would try taking any kind of pill I'd only end up gagging or throwing up. With gummy vitamins, it's much easier and I love how they actually taste good and don't make you feel like you're taking a "VITAMIN", like it's some kind of chore.
Why is this a hot topic? lol..
Yes it should be okay, they're just lower dose so you'll have to take more. There are liquid and gummy vitamins for adults btw.
FLINTSTONES FTW.
Nope not at all. Actually most of my pregnant friends/friends with babies took children's vitamins because they couldn't swallow pills. Their doctors, all different, suggested it.
One-a-day makes vita craves now. Also ironless. If you want iron, you can always buy iron by itself. My mom had these iron candies that were made out of chocolate and caramel or something crazy like that.
I seriously doubt it can hurt you, but you're not getting all the stuff an adult multivitamin provides. You know, there are a few brands of gummy vitamins for adults, I take them!
Adults taking kids' vitamins for the purpose of avoiding swallowing a pill is pointless since they make gummy vitamins FOR ADULTS too. One A Day's VitaCraves are awesome. Get them. Love them.
you don't really need particular vitamins unless your doctor has tested you and found that you have a deficit in something.
I just have to point out, taking a vitamin might not make you feel any different. You're not going to feel a marked difference unless you had a deficiency before taking vitamins.
@cody_ashby@xanga - I'm prone to both iron and Vitamin D deficiency and I feel tons better when I'm on a multivitamin. Much like the poster, when all my levels are within a normal range and I'm taking vitamins, I feel nothing but if I go two weeks, maybe a month, without taking something I get depressed (lesser known side effect of anemia) and lethargic (lesser known side effect of Vit D deficiency). Speaking of, I need to start taking my multi again!
It's not that it'll be bad for you, it just won't be as good for you. Certain vitamins (like iron) might be skipped or drastically lowered to prevent overdoses, & because kids won't need as much of a vitamin as an adult might. So definitely go for the gummy vitamins, but instead of a multivitamin, maybe try talking to your doctor about what exactly you need. I take a magnesium drink, which contains lots of vitamins & the magnesium helps my body absorb it, plus gummy B Complex & probiotics, & I feel great!
Oh, & adults can OD on iron, too, which is another reason why I recommend talking to your doctor about your needs.
at costco they have adult gummy vitamins that are not too terribly expensive. so does target as well. i believe they are called nature made. or find them on amazon with subscribe and save--nice discount and it comes to you automatically.
Well, your body doesn't absorb everything anyhow, taking it in lower doses won't hurt a bit. Keep in mind that regardless, you will always get the nutrition from the food you eat, so you don't need high doses to begin with. Typically, those flintstones pills aren't intended for children to take whole. They're suppose to take half a pill. You'll be fine.
If you compare the two there's really no difference. In fact, on the back of my Flinstones vitamins (yes be jealous) it says "children over 2 and adults."
You probably don't need the vitamins in the first place. Other than a B complex deficiency, you would likely feel no difference on versus off, but just because you cannot feel the difference doesn't mean your body isn't. They have gummy vitamins for adults as well, if you want to try that. The dosing is the only real difference. However, if you are an adult female of childbearing age and sexually active with no intention of aborting on the off chance you have children, you should be taking a multivitamin with folic acid. As a female, you should also be sure to maintain your iron. Gentlemen, check those lycopene levels as you age.
Here is what I recommend. Use an app like MyFitnessPal and track all of your food for at least one week. In the analysis, it will show what percentage of your vitamin intake you are meeting through food alone. If you're in the adequate range most days, you should be fine. You can also have an analysis done by a lab, but at your age it's unnecessary (unless you have symptoms of depression, which can be linked to vitamin intake, hormones, etc.).
@TheBottomandBack@xanga - That definitely makes sense. If you're prone to a deficiency or know that you have one they can make a major difference in how you feel. They are even a good prophylactic if you have a history of a certain deficiency in yourself or in your family. I was just pointing out that if the poster doesn't have one, that might be the reason they don't feel any better after taking one :).
Taking a multivitamin is usually a good idea for anyone though regardless of how it makes you feel. It ensures you're getting all of the right micronutrients.
Yesss must be fine, I love kids vits, so many more flavours and choices!
I just can't understand how people cannot swallow pills. I take 11 pills at one time in the morning. And 7 at night. You just have to not freak out. You swallow pieces of food bigger then those pills. But otherwise, no they won't hurt you.
Kids pills aren't bad, they just generally have too little amounts of the vitamins you need. So you might need to double or triple up on the dosage. Also changes depending on how active you are. If you're more active and exercise a lot you need more vitamins/nutrients than someone who doesn't. If you're already eating a healthy diet with a lot of vitamins and nutrients in it then you need less in the pill/gummi form than a person with a bad diet. It's all relative, but in general no there's nothing wrong with kids vitamins as far as I know.
The guy at red cross told me to take flintstone vitamins or anything chewable because the adult ones, since you swallow them, sometimes your body doesn't absorb all the vitamins, but when you take the chewable ones it's easier for you to absorb them and actually get the nutrients. (that was recommended me to me because I had low iron)
How on earth can grown adults not be able to swallow pills. God forbid they need to take strong antibiotics, any psych meds and a variety of other "non chewable" medications. And I agree with the other comments, taking a multivitamin, unless you are significantly lacking in a vitamin just creates expensive pee. Even then taking a single supplement, such as vitamin D tablets, iron tablets etc would prove more useful and effective.