S/O dc vitamins

[kmacnchs]

So, I've been reading a lot of Michael Pollan and he says that people who take vitamins are healthier but are not healthier b/c they take vitamins, just b/c they are more health-conscious. So he recommends being the *type* of person who would take vitamins (EAT WELL)...does that make sense at all?

 

My question is, does that apply to my kids as well? My kids eat well (fruits, veggies, no processed foods (except special occasions), water, milk, etc.)...do they *need* a vitamin supplement?

[Jean in Newcastle]

We live in an area where many are vitamin D deficient. My kids play outside very day but we still supplement with vitamin D.

 

In the winter we also supplement with vitamin C because when they go 2 days without it they are pretty much guaranteed to come down with something. We do eat fruits and veggies with vitamin C but perhaps not enough.

[Mergath]

The only supplement we use is fish oil, and my daughter has never had any kind of vitamin deficiency. I wouldn't be against the idea of using a vitamin in the future- vitamin D, most likely, since we live in Minnesota and there isn't a lot of sun in the winter- but in general, I think it's better to get what you need from whole foods. People have gotten by without supplements for thousands of years, so I don't think they're exactly necessary. Helpful, in some situations, but definitely not necessary.

[kmacnchs]

I guess I could ask the ped. what their vitamins (if they are deficient or not?) look like? I know not to ask if they need to take one - know what they would say...

 

We are in NC (LOTS of sun) and my kids *rarely* get sick (the last time we all got sick was in October and before that...?) and after reading Pollan and seeing the post about the cheap Walmart brand vitamins (that we have, by the way), it made me wonder...