Episode 150: Supplements and Kids

doTERRA: We try our best to take care of our children's nutrition and give them everything they need, but with modern food offerings, sometimes their little bodies just need a little bit more than the food they eat. Thankfully, there are a lot of options to help fill the gap. And today, we're going to talk about choosing the right supplements for your children.

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Today, we're excited to talk to Andrea Bontrager about the right supplements for your children. Andrea, thank you so much for talking with us today.

Andrea Bontrager: I'm so glad to be here!

doTERRA: My first question for you is I think a big one that a lot of people have around this topic, and that is are supplements safe for children?

Andrea: I would say absolutely if you're getting them from a great source. And we know that doTERRA cares so much about purity, that for our family, it made perfect sense to go with doTERRA supplements for kids because we trusted the quality of the oils.

doTERRA: Well, that is absolutely good to know going into this. And why is it that kids might need supplements?

Andrea: Well, I think it's pretty common knowledge these days that we're not really getting what we used to out of our food. The nutrients just aren't there, like in our grandparents’ food, for instance. So as a mom, it's really important for me to know that my kids are getting the best that I can possibly give them. So to me, that means I have to supplement, because no matter what I do, however organic, or how many fruits and vegetables I'm packing into their diet, it's still probably not enough. So it just makes sense in my mind to supplement, again, with the highest quality that I can find.

doTERRA: And is this something that parents should be doing every day? Should kids be getting these supplements every day?

Andrea: Oh, yes, definitely. I know my kids' diets aren't the best every single day. So it gives me such peace of mind to know that I'm doing what I can to give them what they need every single day. We know their diets kind of vary. We were just on a trip and I'm like, “Oh goodness, I'm so glad they're getting their vitamins because we're not eating so well right now on vacation.”

So it just helps so much I feel like, as a parent, to know that you're doing the best that you can and giving them everything that you possibly can to help them have that balanced diet that we want for them.

doTERRA: Absolutely. Now, you mentioned earlier that you want to make sure you're getting these supplements from a trusted source, such as doTERRA. What options does doTERRA have for supplements for children?

Andrea: Well, there are three options. There's a chewable multivitamin called dōTERRA a2z Chewable™, and then there's a fish oil called IQ Mega that's a liquid. And then there's a probiotic that comes in a powdered form called PB Assist® Jr. So one of the things that I really love about the way doTERRA made these supplements for kids is that they patterned them after the doTERRA Lifelong Vitality Pack®, which we all know is such a beneficial thing for adults.

a2z Chewable

For the a2z Chewables, I love that my kids are getting a cognitive blend, a superfood blend, and also the Alpha CRS®+ blend that we get in the Lifelong Vitality Pack, and also 100 percent of what they need for 10 different vitamins, minerals that are bioavailable to them. And there are no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or colors and a lot less sugar than most vitamins out there. Plus they're GMO-free and gluten-free. So that's like a win across the board.

IQ Mega

And then they're made to work well with the IQ Mega, which for me, it's important that my kid's brain health is a priority. So even the name IQ Mega tells you that this is going to be beneficial. But the best part is that it's free of toxins and heavy metals, and they've completely deodorized it, so it doesn't smell like fish oil. So my kids don't mind taking this at all. They love the Wild Orange flavor. And I love that all the fish oil is coming from a renewable source in the northeast Atlantic. So that makes me feel good that this fish oil is coming from something that's renewable.

PB Assist Jr

And then finally, the PB Assist Jr. It's encapsulated so that these probiotics can actually get to where they need to go. So that's very similar to the PB Assist®+ that we have as adults. And I love that the science and research that doTERRA puts into the adult supplements is also carrying through to the kid supplements as well. So the PB Assist has six different strains of probiotics, and it tastes delicious. My kids love it. They almost love it as much as candy. So you can't go wrong with that.

doTERRA: Well, those all sound fantastic. And it sounds like it's a really simple way to make sure that your kids are getting those nutrients that they need.

Andrea: Definitely. And my kids love the flavors. I can say that if they don't want to take them, it's because we've been having a little bit too much sugar. So that's kind of my gauge that we need to dial back the sugar consumption because normally they absolutely love the flavors and all of the options for them.

doTERRA: Well, Andrea, it has been amazing talking to you today. We want to thank you again for sharing this knowledge about supplements for children!

Andrea: Thanks! This was great.

doTERRA: Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you liked what you heard today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. Also, if you want to try any of the products you learned about, go to doterra.com or find a Wellness Advocate near you to place an order today.