Vitamins & Supplements

NSF International, a non-profit firm that tests and certifies dietary supplements and sports nutritional products to ensure they are free of banned substances such as steroids, has announced full support for the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) "Supplement Safety Now" campaign.  The campaign will create increased awareness around this important public health issue and help safeguard consumers from taking steroids and other illegal or controlled substances in products that are marketed as "safe and legal" dietary supplements.

Well-meaning parents and coaches, who advise youth athletes to take dietary supplements in an effort to promote early athletic development, improve performance, or to provide nutrition "insurance" are, unfortunately, misinformed. Simply put, there is no place in the diet of a healthy child for megadoses of vitamins, minerals, or other ergogenic aids (dietary supplements that supposedly enhance performance above levels anticipated under normal conditions).

There are a surprisingly large number of myths about nutrition. Here are some of the common myths and the truth about vitamins:

Want to know what vitamins and minerals your family is consuming when it sits down for a meal? Here's a list of the vitamin and mineral content of some commonly eaten foods.

Everyone knows that calcium is needed for a child's growing bones and to build strong teeth. But what parents may not know is the wide variety of foods that their child can eat to meet her calcium needs. Here's a chart listing the amount of calcium in many common food items.

Your child doesn't need to take a vitamin supplement if she eats nutrient-dense food that contain them. Here's a list of sources for vitamins and the function they perform in the body.

Vitamins are complex "organic" (ones that contain carbon molecules) substances that the body cannot make on its own but that it requires in small amounts for a number of important bodily functions. Here's a rundown on the thirteen fat-soluble and water soluble vitamins, their functions, and advice on how to ensure that your child gets all the vitamins she needs for sports.