What is Wrong with Giving My Kids Flintstones Vitamins?
I was at a home of young mother and I asked her if she gave her child vitamins? She replied that she gave her little girl Flintstones. I tried not to looked shocked because I knew that she was trying to do the best for her child. However, I know that many people simple aren’t aware of the dangers of Flintstones by Bayer Corporation.
Most people assume that since it is on the shelf at the grocery store that it must be safe for their children. But, let’s take a closer look at Flintstones and see why this product may not be the best interest to their child’s health.
Artificial Sweeteners
One glaring ingredient that is used in Flintstones is the use of the artificial sweetener Aspartame or NutriSweet. Click here to link to the post on the dangers of Aspartame.Not only is it dangerous for children but for anyone.
Lead
The FDA has given a guideline for acceptable levels of lead for various ages. As an aside since lead is cumulative in nature there really are no safe levels of lead for anyone especially the 0-6 years of age with developing brains. The FDA bulletin has medium mass fractional exposure at .0352 and maximum mass fractional level at .395. While Flintstones is not over the maximum it does exceed the medium exposure to lead for 0-6 year olds by almost 500% more with .147 The point is your child does not need any extra lead for health.
Gluten
- Bayer Corp manufacturer of Flintstones Vitamins states they do not add gluten to their products, but they also say at FlintstonesVitamins.com that they “cannot guarantee that they are 100% gluten-free due to the fact that raw materials [they] receive from outside vendors are not certified as 100% gluten free.” Many children have food intolerances to gluten, and even a small amount of gluten can trigger an adverse reaction. Children who are gluten intolerant must only ingest foods and supplements that are guaranteed to be gluten free.
Synthetic vs. Whole Food Based Vitamins
- Whole food-based vitamin supplements such as Shaklee Kids are much healthier than synthetic ones and are better absorbed by the body, as the body can better recognize whole foods. Flintstones Vitamins, however, are synthetic. Whole food supplements are derived directly from foods and are thus more likely to provide necessary nutrients than synthetic ones, according to Whole Food Supplements Guide. Click on link to this post to more information on Why Shaklee Kids is the Best Children’s Vitamin.