My kids are going back to school this fall.

I’m a little nervous, I won’t lie.

I’ve had a hard time knowing which scientific studies to believe. Everything seems to contradict itself, and I don’t have enough initials after my name to wade through it all. (Although I don’t mind learning from those who do. Check the bottom of this article for medical citations!)

One thing I do know, though, is that certain vitamins are naturally immune-boosting and that these chewable vitamins are exactly what I want floating through my children’s bloodstream come 9:00 am.

As always, make sure you talk to your pediatrician about these vitamins before adding them to your daily breakfast table.

I’ve included my research citations below, but you’re the mama, not me! You decide, with the help of your doctor, what is best for your kids. He will be able to help you figure out the correct dosage as well. Remember, it is possible to overdose on vitamins, so make sure you give him a call!

As an important reminder, let me explicitly state that these vitamins are not a guaranteed prevention or cure. There is no definite way to prevent getting Covid-19. All we can do is mitigate our exposure and boost our body’s natural immune-fighters. Hopefully, someday we will have enough research and trials to enjoy the benefits of a vaccine.

Chewable Vitamins I Give My Kids Every Day

Here are the chewable vitamins I keep coming on a monthly basis with free shipping through Prime.

The last vitamin below, the Multivitamin, should be used in place of the others, not in addition to! I’ve included it as an option for parents who prefer the one-and-done daily approach.

Learning the Terms: Coronavirus vs. Covid-19

Before I dig into what I’ve uncovered about these chewable vitamins, though, I want to walk you through a very important distinction.

There are two terms floating around out there that some people are mistakenly using interchangeably.

Coronavirus and Covid-19 are NOT the same thing.

Calling the specific virus that is causing COVID-19 “coronavirus” is a bit like calling the Ford Explorer “the SUV.” Both statements are true, but with both, one is part of the other. There are lots of different SUVs; there are lots of different coronaviruses.

Coronavirus: To Zinc or Not to Zinc? UCHealth.org

Research on Covid-19 is obviously really young, but people have been studying coronavirus for a long time.

Is it possible we can use some of the coronavirus studies to make generalizations about Covid-19? This article, published by Frontiers in Immunology certainly thinks so.

Helpful Chewable Vitamins #1: Vitamin C

Vitamin C has long been tauted as the anti-cold vitamin. Here are some reasons why this is one of the most helpful chewable vitamins you can take:

• Supports the functioning of immune cells as they fight viruses in our bodies.
• It helps to clear away dead cells so new healthy immune cells can step up.
• It’s an antioxidant.
• This study shows that giving your children a regular dose of Vitamin C reduces the duration of colds in children by 14%.
• Vitamin C helps reduce inflammation and lung inflammation is one of the most severe symptoms of Covid-19.
• Also encouraging, this study showed Vitamin C significantly improved the symptoms of people suffering from upper respiratory viral infections.

So it definitely is worth adding to your toddler’s picky diet or including as one of his regular chewable vitamins!

Helpful Chewable Vitamins #2: Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for a healthy immune system. The easiest way to get it is by going outside, and letting our skin soak in the sun’s goodness.

However, with the need for sunscreen to block UV rays, and the fact that many of us (self-included) live in climates that don’t have warm sunny days all year long, many people (including kids!) can be deficient in this area. Here’s why Vitamin D should be at the top of your chewable vitamins list!

• Vitamin D enhances the powers of several virus-fighting white blood cells and reduces inflammation.
• People with low Vitamin D numbers tend to struggle more with upper respiratory tract infections. (See the study source.)
• This 2019 study showed that those people who supplemented with Vitamin D had a significantly lower risk of contracting respiratory infections than others.
• Vitamin D has been demonstrated as being one of the key micronutrients that feed your body’s main defense against viral germs.

Helpful Chewable Vitamins #3: Zinc

Zinc may be the newest hero to emerge in the world of nutrition and immunology. Yes, yes, I hear you, shouting out your high school chemistry notes. Zinc is not technically a vitamin, but a mineral.

Po-tay-toe, po-tah-toe.

Your body needs it. You may not have enough of it. In fact, some scientists believe nearly a third of everyone in the world is zinc-deficient. So I’m including it in this article. So there.

• A 2019 study of 64 hospitalized children with lower respiratory infections, showed that kids who took a zinc supplement stayed at the hospital an average of 2 fewer days than those of the placebo group.
• Zinc helps produce and activate T-cells (t-lymphocytes), which trigger the body to respond to infections.
• Zinc was studied on SARS patients (a close cousin of Covid-19) and they showed encouraging results, indicating that Zinc messes up with the virus’s replication, stopping the disease’s spread in the body.
• A deficiency in zinc has been linked to 16% of all deep respiratory infections worldwide. Yikes.

Please Mom,
May I Have Some More?

I’m not a morning person, friend.

The LAST thing I want to deal with, while sipping my first cuppa of the day, is whining and fussing about taking vitamins.

It feels me with a weird sense of joy to set the vitamins out and know they will be the first thing my kids eat.

That plate of eggs or bowl of oatmeal though…those are probably going to still sit there, cold and barely touched.

And actually, I may be okay with that, especially since I know that something nutritious made it inside that tummy before they walked into that Bacteria Castle known as school.

These chewable vitamins are a helpful buffer between our kid’s picky eating and the Bacteria Banquet that arrives every autumn. Time to stock up!

I Love Citations!

6 Ways to Arm Your Immune System to Fight Coronavirus. PsychologyToday.com
The 15 Best Supplements to Boost Your Immune System Right Now. Healthline.com
Vitamins vs. COVID-19? These 3, and Zinc, Will Reinforce Your Immune System. HealthNewsHub.org
COVID-19: How to boost the immune system with vitamins. DW.org
Coronavirus: To zinc or not to zinc? UCHealth.org
The Potential Impact of Zinc Supplementation on COVID-19 Pathogenesis. FrontiersIn.org
Scientists evaluate the perspectives of zinc intake for COVID-19 prevention. MedicalXpress.com
COVID-19 and Supplements: What We Know Now. ClevelandClinic.org
Nutritional strategies to support your immune system. OregonState.edu

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