When it comes to battling cold and flu germs, the best offense is a good defense—and that means, a strong immune system. This is particularly true for children who often don’t consider where their hands have been before using them to grab their favorite snack or touch their face. 

How can you ensure your child’s immune system is ready to take on whatever germs come their way? One of the most effective ways is with the support of vitamin supplements, which can bolster the natural defenses of the immune system so that it performs at its best. 

In this guide, we’ll discuss three of the best vitamins for kids’ immune systems—vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin B12—as well as other immune boosting minerals. Armed with scientific knowledge, you and your child won’t be defenseless against germs.

#1 Vitamin C

Vitamin C is synonymous with immune health support. Ubiquitous in drug-stores and pharmacies alike, the immune booster of vitamin C comes in many different forms and doses, and it’s popular for immune health for a good reason. 

Vitamin C can help: 

• Control infections
• Heal wounds
• Reduce cold duration 

As a commonly known antioxidant, vitamin C can also help neutralize free radicals in the body.  Free radicals are harmful substances that can build up in the body over time. They can be anything from smoke to cholesterol that inhibits the body’s healthy immune function. When too many free radicals build up in the body, it’s referred to as oxidative stress—a condition that can lead to poor health.

Antioxidants, like vitamin C, are important because they fight against free radicals and reduce their harmful effects on the body. Antioxidants even actively work on repairing different kinds of immune cells.¹ 

Our Liposomal Synergy Vitamin C supplement can cover all your kid’s vitamin C needs and more. It’s designed to absorb into your body as efficiently as possible so you can see the normal immune function benefits as soon as possible. 

You can also find vitamin C in various nutritious foods and vitamin supplements, including mushrooms and elderberry extract. 

Mushrooms

The mushrooms that you cook for dinner, such as Portobello and Oyster mushrooms, are really good nutritious foods for you. However, they might not pack as many benefits as the following: 

• King Trumpet
• Turkey Tail
• Antrodia
• Maitake
• Reishi 

Although these mushrooms are more difficult to find in your average grocery store, the healthy food provides the antioxidant equivalent of rocket fuel. For example, Reishi has been treasured for hundreds of years in Asia as a way to reduce inflammation and support immunity by stimulating immune cells. 

Although your kid might not like to eat mushrooms for dinner, they may enjoy a cacao-based, flavorful supplement like our Longevity Mushrooms. Just tell them about the superpowers.

Elderberry 

The Black Elderberry plant grows almost all over the United States. But not everyone knows about the benefits the plant has to offer them and their children.

Elderberry extract contains:

• Multiple antioxidants – Including vitamin C and vitamin A.
• Antiviral properties – Which are especially helpful in preventing the flu.

In addition to preventing the flu, elderberry supplements may also reduce the duration of an illness by activating a strong immune system response when faced with cold and flu germs.² 

If you’d like your child’s immune system to benefit from all that elderberry has to offer, check out our Liposomal Elderberry Defense. It provides an easy way to incorporate elderberry into your child’s diet. If you like the taste of elderberry, you and your child can also enjoy the fruit in jams, preserves, and pies, as well as in our supplement.

#2 Vitamin D

Vitamin D is most commonly associated with bone health. This is because vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorous, which in turn, allows the body to build strong and dense bones and teeth. Although strong bones are essential to preventing children from suffering serious bone injuries, the benefits of vitamin D don’t end there. 

This immune boosting vitamin can also reduce your child’s susceptibility to infection and viruses by promoting healthy immune system function.³ Like vitamin C, it may also reduce the duration of a cold or other illness.

Even though vitamin D has similar benefits to vitamin C, they each have differences that will provide a comprehensive immunity boost.

#3 Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 plays a key role in boosting the immune system. In fact, vitamin B12 acts as an immunomodulator for cellular immunity.⁴ Immunomodulation simply means to change the immune system’s function. In the case of vitamin B12, immune system function is stimulated so that it can more effectively fight off illnesses. 

This explains why a vitamin B12 deficiency can suppress the body’s response to illness or bacteria. However, ample vitamin B12 may even help protect children from developing chronic disease. 

Since this vitamin may be more easily absorbed as a supplement than through food, there’s no reason to wait to give your child a B12 supplement, like our Synergy Vitamin B12⁵.

Other Ways to Boost Your Child’s Immune System 

There’s nothing mysterious about the best vitamins for your child. They’re simply combinations of some of the best substances nature has to offer. These vitamins are essential for strengthening your child’s immune system and creating a strong physical foundation from which to fight illness. 

But there are other natural minerals and nutrients that can also play an important role in boosting your child’s immune system. Let’s take a look at our top three. 

#1 Omega-3 

Omega-3 fatty acids help regulate immune system function. However, they cannot be made by our bodies. Your child needs to consume them from external sources in order for their immune system to reap the benefits.

Studies have also found a link between adequate omega-3 consumption and a reduced risk of developing certain autoimmune disorders during the first year of life, including:⁶ 

• Type 1 diabetes
• Autoimmune diabetes
• Multiple sclerosis

Because Omega-3s contribute to cell membranes and cell receptors that play vital roles in regulating inflammation in the body, they may also offer long-term protection against cancer and other diseases. 

Types of Omega-3

Let’s take a look at the three most important Omega-3 fatty acids.

• Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – Another marine Omega-3, DHA, is found in foods like salmon and algae. It plays an important role in the development of the brain and nervous system during the first two years of life (as well as during our time in the womb).⁷

• Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) – This acid is more ubiquitous in food like nuts and seeds and contributes to energy levels.

Although fish and other animal products are a common source of Omega-3, there’s no need to consume Omega-3 from animal sources. Regardless of whether you have concerns about the mercury levels in fish or you follow a vegan diet, you can still take advantage of the benefits Omega-3 has to offer with the plant-based Cymbiotika Omega supplement. 

#2 Glutathione (GSH)

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that combats free radicals in the body in an aggressive manner. GSH is so powerful that even in the scenario of oxidative stress, it can reverse the effects of too many free radicals in the body.¹ More specifically, GSH can transport mercury out of the body and the brain. 

Since our little ones are indeed little, the same amount of toxins can have a larger impact on their bodies than on adult ones, making GSH even more vital for kids.¹ To ensure your child’s intake of GSH, choose one of our most popular supplements, ReGenesis Glutathione, which is an effective and safe choice for children. 

#3 Magnesium

Low levels of magnesium have been linked to  symptoms of magnesium deficiency in kids and adults such as: 

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Poor appetite
• Migraines 
• Digestive issues 

 This is because magnesium plays a role in a number of vital bodily functions, including the growth of strong bones and the regulation of blood sugar.⁹

Wondering is magnesium is safe for kids and adults? But perhaps one of the most important  magnesium benefits for kids and adults is its ability to improve the quality of our sleep.⁹ As you may know from personal experience, skipping sleep can make you more prone to illness. Less sleep can even be the tipping point if you’re trying to fight off a cold.  

When your child sleeps better, their body—including their immune system—functions better.   More sleep for your kid means that they have ample time to rest, making it possible to fight off sickness and to recover from other stressors.¹⁰ 

For little kids, sleep is even more essential since they need it not only to recover from stress, but also to grow and develop. Cymbiotika’s Magnesium L-Threonate is easy to add into your kid’s favorite drink to ensure their magnesium levels are sufficient. A topical magnesium oil spray can also be applied to your child’s skin to help their bodies relax before bedtime.

Strengthen Your Child’s Immune System with Cymbiotika 

You can provide so many of the essential, immune-bolstering nutrients that your child needs through their meals, but it can be a challenge to provide all of them—or even enough of them—through diet alone. Instead of worrying about what your child is missing, find confidence in strengthening your child’s immune system by incorporating essential vitamins and minerals into their diet with the help of Cymbiotika.

At Cymbiotika, we offer a comprehensive selection of liquid vitamins for kids that your child can take orally or apply topically to strengthen their immune system and prevent them from catching a cold that’s traveling around their classroom. Plus, in the long term, a strong immune system can build the foundation for a lifetime of good health. Planning another pregnancy and want to start early? Check out our collection of liquid prenatal vitamins to ensure you’re staying a step ahead of your next child’s nutrition and health.

Harness the power of immune-strengthening vitamins and minerals to keep your little one healthy today and always, with Cymbiotika. 

Sources: 

1. The Nutrition Source. Antioxidants. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/
2. Pub Med. The effect of Sambucol.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11399518/

3. Pub Med. Vitamin D. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/

4. Pub Med. Immunomodulation by vitamin B12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1020950
5. The Nutrition Source. Vitamin B12. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin
6. NCBI. Use of cod liver oil during the first year of life is associated with lower risk of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes: a large, population-based, case-control study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14668274/ 
7. The Nutrition Source. Omega-3 Fatty Acid. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/types-of-fat/omega-3-fats/
8. The Nutrition Source. Vitamin C. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-c/
9. The Nutrition Source. Magnesium. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/magnesium/1/
10. Johns Hopkins Medicine. The Importance of Sleep for Kids. https://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/ACH-News/General-News/The-importance-of-sleep-for-kids
11. The Nutrition Source. Mushrooms. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/mushrooms/-b12/
12. Pub Med. Immunomodulation by vitamin B12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10209501/