Children: Essential Supplements to Boost Your Child’s Immune System

Part-6 by: Jonathan Vellinga, MD

Children are rarely concerned about germs and can be exposed to many pathogens while playing with other children. This can be good for a healthy child because it strengthens their immune system so they can more easily destroy those pathogens in the future. However, no one enjoys watching their child suffer through a cold or the flu. Luckily, there are some supplements that help prevent illness and reduce symptoms that are also safe and effective for children.

For those of you interested in learning how to provide an extra boost to a child’s immune system, whether to help them stay healthy, or alleviate symptoms once they become ill, here is our list of recommendations. Each supplement is backed by science that proves it is safe and effective for children.

When considering adding supplements to your child’s diet, it is important to remember the necessity of maintaining the 5 Pillars of Health. Sleep, staying physically active, excellent nutrition, limiting stress, and building strong relationships are of vital importance to a child’s overall health. Providing all the best supplements cannot compensate for neglecting even one of these areas. If you help your child build a strong foundation of health while they are young, it will benefit them for the rest of their life.

It is important to be aware that many supplements for children are sweetened, especially those in syrup or gummy form. Be sure to find supplements that do not have added sugars, since added sugar inhibits healthy immune function.

ImmunoBerry

ImmunoBerry Liquid provides immune support for children or adults. Key ingredients are elderberry fruit, shiitake and maitake mushrooms, and beta glucan.

Elderberry remedies have been used to fight colds and influenza for centuries. Research has discovered that elderberry reduces flu symptoms 4 days earlier on average (2, 3), blocks the ability of the viruses to infect host cells (4), and exhibits many immune boosting and anti-inflammatory properties (5).

Mushrooms are an excellent source of nutrients and are safe for babies to begin eating with other foods. They also have an incredibly wide range of health benefits and support immune function (6).

Beta glucan is found in many plants, including shiitake and maitake mushrooms. It is a soluble fiber that strengthens and modulates the immune response (7, 8). It is safe for children and improves their overall health (9).

We recommend that children have 1 dropperful of ImmunoBerry each day for prevention. If your child is ill, they can have 2 dropperfuls, 2-3 times per day until symptoms improve.

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 is necessary for a healthy immune system, and a deficiency will cause you to be more susceptible to infection and autoimmune disease. It is so important that babies born with low levels are “more likely to develop upper respiratory infections or otitis media by 3 months of age and wheezing at 15 months compared to those who had higher levels” (10). One study found that children who receive a vitamin D3 supplement were far less likely to be diagnosed with influenza A than those who received a placebo (11).

It is especially vital for growing children since it helps them absorb calcium. Children over 1 year need at least 600 IU per day and babies need 400 IU per day. You can temporarily increase the dose by 2-3 times for children over a year old who are ill until symptoms improve.

Probiotics

Probiotics support a child’s developing immune system, but “low levels of beneficial bacteria and microorganisms in the colon provide a greater opportunity for pathogenic bacteria to become established” (12). As children grow, their microbiome also grows. If it is full of healthy microorganisms, there is less opportunity for unhealthy bacteria to form colonies, and possibly negatively impact your child’s health throughout their lifetime. This is just one reason why it is vital to ensure that your children consistently get enough probiotics.

Probiotics also have many preventative and healing effects. Children who supplement with probiotics and vitamin C have fewer upper respiratory tract infections (18) and supplementing with probiotics alone prevents diarrhea (13, 14).

A diet that contains plenty of grains, fruits, and vegetables will increase the level of probiotics in the colon. Fermented foods are an excellent source. You can also choose to supplement, especially if your child is unwell or has needed antibiotics.

We recommend using MetaKids Probiotics by Metagenics. Chew 1 tablet each day for prevention and increase to 2 times a day for illness. For INFANTS under 1 year of age, use MetaKids Baby Probiotic. Give them 6 drops a day for prevention and you may increase to 6 drops twice a day for illness.

Vitamin C

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Vitamin C is vital to the body’s maintenance of overall health, and is seen in high concentration in immune cells.” It also prevents and treats respiratory infections and reduces the duration of the common cold (15, 16, 17).

A pilot study investigated how the combination of supplementing with vitamin C and probiotics prevented upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) in children who attend preschool. It found that children who received these supplements had far fewer days with URTI symptoms than children who received the placebo (18).

Since vitamin C is not a nutrient that stays in your body for long, it is important to consume it at regular intervals throughout the day. Citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and broccoli are great sources. When your child is ill, their body needs more vitamin C, and if they do not want to eat much it may be difficult to get them to consume enough of this healing nutrient. We recommend that when your child is feeling unwell they supplement with UltraPotent C Chewable by Metagenics. Give them 500 mg up to 3 times a day for illness. You may increase the dose for children over 2 years of age. Once they are well you can reduce it to 500 mg once a day for prevention.

Argentyn 23 Colloidal Silver

One study treated children with nasal congestion due a viral infection. Half of the children were treated with colloidal silver and carbossimetyl beta glucan (group 1), the other half received a saline solution (group 2). “At the end of treatment, 90% of subjects in group 1 resulted completely recovered, whereas 10% experienced some degree of complications (otitis, tracheitis, bronchitis). In group 2 a complete recovering was achieved in 66 % of subjects, the remaining 34 % developed complications.” All children tolerated the treatments well (19).

Since congestion provides a breeding ground for infection, anything that reduces congestion will be helpful in preventing complications. Colloidal Silver is a safe and effective treatment for children of all ages.

At TCIM, our patients have benefited when using silver nasal sprays for acute and chronic rhinitis and sinusitis, as well as quicker recovery from upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, and viral pneumonia when nebulizing silver. We do recommend not to nebulize for longer than 10 days. For children, we recommend 0.5 - 1 tsp, 2 times per day in a Nebulizer, or up to 7 times per day under the tongue.

Curcumin

Curcumin is an ingredient in Turmeric, which is a plant that is used as a spice. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor effects (20). Curcumin is also active against leukemia, colon, CNS, melanoma, renal, and breast cancer cell lines (21). It helps to inhibit NF-KB and other cytokines that are activators of inflammation (22, 23). Researchers have also found that turmeric stops the Rift Valley Fever virus from multiplying in infected cells (24). This makes curcumin ideal for improving symptoms of a cold or flu, and perhaps for helping your body eliminate viral infections.

In India, people of all ages consume large doses of turmeric. Many average 60–100 mg of curcumin daily, and do not experience any negative effects. One study provided a curcumin supplement to pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease. All the patients tolerated curcumin well, and many had improved lab results (20).

Adding turmeric to your family’s diet is a great idea. Many kids would benefit from a supplement. Nordic Natural curcumin gummies are a good choice. Chew 1-2 gummies 1-2 times a day for illness.

If you want more extensive information on many of these supplements, you can read our articles on essential immune boosting supplements and supplements that help your body heal, or purchase supplements directly from trusted sources through this link. We are also available to discuss the best choice of supplement for your child. Please feel free to contact us and we would be privileged to set up a consultation.

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Jonathan Vellinga, M.D. is an Internal Medicine practitioner with a broad interest in medicine. He graduated Summa cum laude from Weber State University in Clinical Laboratory Sciences and completed his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin.​

Upon graduation from medical school, he completed his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Michigan. Dr. Vellinga is board-certified with the American Board of Internal Medicine and a member of the Institute for Functional Medicine.

info@tcimedicine.com

951-383-4333

www.tcimedicine.com

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#kidshealth #childrenshealth #immunesystem #metagenics #curcumin #supplements #vitaminc #probiotics #vitamind3 #immunoberry #functionalmedicine #TCIM #health #wellness #treatment #temecula

1. Damiani, V et al. “Efficacy of a new medical device based on colloidal silver and carbossimetyl beta glucan in treatment of upper airways disease in children.” Minerva pediatrica vol. 63,5 (2011): 347-54.

2. Zakay-Rones, Z et al. “Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections.” The Journal of international medical research vol. 32,2 (2004): 132-40. doi:10.1177/147323000403200205

3. Zakay-Rones Z, Varsano N, Zlotnik M, et al. Inhibition of several strains of influenza virus in vitro and reduction of symptoms by an elderberry extract (Sambucus Nigra L.) during an outbreak of Influenza B Panama. J Altern Complement Med. 1995;1(4):361–9.

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5. Ulbricht, Catherine et al. “An evidence-based systematic review of elderberry and elderflower (Sambucus nigra) by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration.” Journal of dietary supplements vol. 11,1 (2014): 80-120. doi:10.3109/19390211.2013.859852

6. Lindequist, Ulrike et al. “10. Lindequist, Ulrike et al. “The pharmacological potential of mushrooms.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM vol. 2,3 (2005): 285-99. doi:10.1093/ecam/neh107

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13. Goldenberg, Joshua Z et al. “Probiotics for the prevention of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in adults and children.” The Cochrane database of systematic reviews vol. 12,12 CD006095. 19 Dec. 2017, doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006095.pub4

14. Guo, Qin et al. “Probiotics for the prevention of pediatric antibiotic-associated diarrhea.” The Cochrane database of systematic reviews vol. 4,4 CD004827. 30 Apr. 2019, doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004827.pub5

15. Chen, Jian-Xin et al. “Activity of andrographolide and its derivatives against influenza virus in vivo and in vitro.” Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin vol. 32,8 (2009): 1385-91. doi:10.1248/bpb.32.1385

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17. Lindequist, Ulrike et al. “The pharmacological potential of mushrooms.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM vol. 2,3 (2005): 285-99. doi:10.1093/ecam/neh107

18. Garaiova, I et al. “Probiotics and vitamin C for the prevention of respiratory tract infections in children attending preschool: a randomised controlled pilot study.” European journal of clinical nutrition vol. 69,3 (2015): 373-9. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2014.174

19. Damiani, V et al. “Efficacy of a new medical device based on colloidal silver and carbossimetyl beta glucan in treatment of upper airways disease in children.” Minerva pediatrica vol. 63,5 (2011): 347-54.

20. Suskind, David L et al. “Tolerability of curcumin in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease: a forced-dose titration study.” Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition vol. 56,3 (2013): 277-9. doi:10.1097/MPG.0b013e318276977d

21. Ramsewak, R S et al. “Cytotoxicity, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of curcumins I-III from Curcuma longa.” Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology vol. 7,4 (2000): 303-8. doi:10.1016/S0944-7113(00)80048-3

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23. Xu YX, Pindolia KR, Janakiraman N, Chapman RA, Gautam SC. Curcumin inhibits IL1 alpha and TNF-alpha induction of AP-1 and NF-kB DNA-binding activity in bone marrow stromal cells. Hematopathol Mol Hematol. 1997;11:49–62.

24. Narayanan, Aarthi et al. “Curcumin inhibits Rift Valley fever virus replication in human cells.” The Journal of biological chemistry vol. 287,40 (2012): 33198-214. doi:10.1074/jbc.M112.356535