Does your child really need vitamins?

Many parents fondly remember childhood memories of cod liver oil, that fishy spoonful doled out weekly like a grim family ritual. 

Fast-forward to today, and the UK’s parents are shelling out a whopping £234 per year on vitamin supplements for their little ones, according to a recent article by Victoria Young of The Times UK. It’s a market booming with promises of boosted immunity and boundless energy, yet experts are scratching their heads, wondering if this spending spree is more placebo than panacea.

The appeal is understandable...who wouldn’t want to armour their child against every sniffle? But nutritionists point out that a colourful plate of fruits, veggies, and whole grains usually covers the bases for most kids. TheNHS echoes this, advising supplements only for specific groups like vegan children who might miss vitamin B12 or those with absorption issues. Broadly hawking multivitamins to every toddler feels like overkill, especially when studies from the British Journal of Nutrition suggest healthy eaters get ample nutrients without the pill-popping.

That £234 could fund a small library of storybooks or a family zoo trip, couldn’t it? It’s as if parents are betting on gummy bears to outsmart broccoli. Recent data from the Office for National Statistics highlights rising supplement sales post-pandemic, fuelled by wellness hype, but paediatric guidelines from NICE remain sceptical. For the average child munching a varied diet, experts argue it’s money better saved than swallowed.

In the end, chat with your GP before stocking up, a personalised advice is always the best route.