6 of 8

No

Write now Article Tools

Absolutely not! Human beings did not start out popping pills, did they? The human race is thousands of years old - we would not have survived all this time if we didn't have "the proper nutrients". I seriously dislike it when the school system, the federal government, or anybody really starts in on "your kid should have this, maybe he or she has an imbalance of that." It does happen that there is sometimes an imbalance, but that's because he or she isn't being fed!

I mean actual food here, not potato chips and jell-o. Yes, it is true that I myself take supplements - specific ones, though, for a medical reason, not because of something missing in my diet. I don't take fish oil pills, for instance - I eat the fish that I know to have omega-3 in them. They aren't hard to find in the supermarket, any more than fruit and vegetables are.

People are on the run these days, more than ever, so yes it's easier to say that popping a supplement will give you all the necessary vitamins and minerals you're missing while "on the go". That translates very easily to children as well. But to me it's the same thing as using the TV for a babysitter rather than reading to your kid; it isn't healthy for them. I think if the child - or you yourself - becomes dependent on supplement-popping whenever he or she feels "I'm hungry", in the end he or she is missing out.

We have teeth for a reason, and a digestive tract. And how much more do we really get out of a supplement as opposed to taking a few extra minutes at the start of the week to make a salad, or to make stew or fish and rice every so often? We are becoming too dependent on the technology of pills - if you want the nutrients, go towards nature instead.

You'll find all you want.

Learn more about this author, Jess Howe.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Do children need vitamin supplements??
We want to hear your view. Write now!