As your child begins to grow, he or she will need more than just milk. Just like adults, they need to eat healthy, with colourful vegetables or fruits on the plate. After all, children need the nutrients from a balanced diet. To be healthy, they have to consume vitamins and minerals. Soft and colourful gummy vitamins for kids are quite popular as supplements. But does your child really need to eat gummy vitamins?

Gummy vitamins are called vitamins, but they don’t come in boring pill forms or tablets. They are chewable vitamins that are available in a range of flavours, colours and forms. Komal Malik, Head – Dietician, Asian Hospital, Faridabad, says these supplements taste and feel like gummy candies and are among the most widely used kind of vitamins. Children who dislike taking pills may find these vitamins appealing.

These vitamins are usually made from:

• Gelatin
• Corn starch
• Water
• Sugar
• Other colourings

Lemon, raspberry, cherry and orange are just some of the flavours that your child can enjoy.

What are the pros and cons of gummy vitamins?

Gummy vitamins have several advantages, including the irresistible taste and the nutrients they provide.

1. Appealing taste

The appealing taste of gummy vitamins is one of their main benefits. Taking daily vitamins will no longer feel like a chore as they come in many fruity flavours.

2. Nutritional benefits

They tend to have nutrients such as vitamin D and calcium, making them beneficial for children who are fussy eaters or have increased nutrient needs, the expert tells Health Shots.

3. Easy to take

They are easy to include in your child’s daily routine. All you have to do is simply buy a few gummies and let your child chew them. They are even easy to swallow, so no water is needed to drink with the vitamins.

4. Yummy alternative to pills

Gummy vitamins are a wonderful alternative for a child who hates taking pills. They make taking vitamins pleasurable and exciting, increasing your kid’s chances of maintaining a daily schedule.

Also read: Nutrition supplements for kids: Are they necessary?

On the downside, they may contain added sugars or sugar alcohols that may be harmful. Consuming excess amounts of added sugar is linked to dental cavities, obesity and heart disease, says Malik. As for sugar alcohols, when they are consumed in huge quantities, they can lead to nausea, diarrhoea, bloating and other digestive problems.

Also, a 2015 study published in the journal Health Promotion Perspectives found that children might overeat gummy vitamins due to their candy-like flavour. This in turn may put your child at risk of getting too much of certain nutrients, particularly, if he or she also consumes foods fortified with vitamins and minerals. This could bring about vitamin or mineral toxicity in children.

Gummy vitamins does offer some benefits, but there is a healthier way to provide all the necessary vitamins to children.

This includes adopting a well-rounded eating plan that has a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. This will help to obtain the vitamins and minerals required for their growing bodies naturally, says the expert. You can also consider incorporating fortified foods like cereals, milk or yogurt that offer added vitamins. For wholesome snacks, nuts, seeds and dried fruits are some nutrient-dense options. Fruits like oranges that are rich in vitamin C and bananas, which is a good source of potassium, can be given as healthy snacks too.

When it comes to consuming vitamin supplements, always check with a doctor first.