Kids Multivitamins | IDLife Kids Nutrition - Product Review

There are many kids / children's multivitamins on the market and it's difficult to determine the best kids vitamin. IDLife Kids Nutrition is a high quality vitamin for ages 2 and up. This review will show you how IDLife is creating a standard that other companies are striving to meet.

IDLife has formulated a vitamin that covers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, the basic nutrients for bone development, nervous system, cardio vascular development, but more important, brain (neurodevelopment, memory development) and vision (eye/retina development).

The safety of the product, the healthy levels of ingredients, the quality... nobody has a product like this on the market, it simply didn't exist until now. IDLife is creating a benchmark for other companies to try to achieve (and this applies to all of their product lines, not just IDLife Kids Nutrition). IDLife Kids Nutrition is the leading vitamin for children, and I'm going to show you why, so let's dig into the details...

Background on IDLife Kids Nutrition and Competition

About 14 months ago IDLife starting looking at nutrition for kids. They looked at what was currently available from competitors and what science was available. Unfortunately, not many studies are out there, and what is available, has your standard recommendations between 11 to 18 minerals (think of the cartoon character that drives the stone car). They wanted to find out what was good out there and what they should include in their formula.

They were mortified by what was available. These other companies selling nutrition products for kids to caring parents to supplement diets from fast foods and non-nutritious foods... giving them a vitamin expecting all bases to be covered. These vitamins have labels promising health and vitality and it's just plain deceptive. Why? Most of those vitamins with the standard 11 nutrient formula have no minerals. There is one that has no B1, B2, or Vitamin K. Another had a moderate level of iron (which for children under 6 can have a danger of poisoning!). Many had no calcium or manganese.

The "Bad Stuff"

Many kids vitamins contain artificial ingredients; chemical forms of sweeteners, synthetics, artificial flavoring, preservatives, and other additives - all of the "bad things". Others have label paint, a lot of ingredients listed that impress people thinking that they have plenty of coverage. But when you look at the amounts, the levels of those ingredients, they do not meet what science indicates as being efficacious.. required by the body. They end up being sub-potent and do not meet the bodies requirements.

"Unlike most children’s vitamins that contain artificial ingredients and fillers, IDLife Kids Nutrition offers a formula that will ensure your child is getting the best ingredients available with no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives or additives. Boasting 24 vitamins and minerals, these easy-to-chew tablets deliver all the necessary ingredients that your child needs to fill their nutritional gaps with a great taste that will have them begging for more." - IDLife

IDLife Kids Nutrition Ingredients

So what is IDLife's philosophy on a good kids vitamin? I mentioned some of the bad stuff that may be in your kids vitamins. Or simply the lack of what should be included. Paul Sullivan, the Chief Formulator, for IDLife decided that the vitamin should include, what he calls, the three "A's" and two "P's".

The three A's.

1. Anti-inflammatory
2. Anti-neurotoxic
3. Antioxidant (read about free radicals and oxidants here)
   

The two P's

1. Pro brain development
2. Pro eye development

Many focus on the A's, but everyone misses on the P's.

"Kids, like adults, are deficient in certain vitamins and minerals due to a number of contributing factors. To address these nutritional gaps, IDLife has developed a fun and great tasting chewable packed with 24 vitamins and minerals designed just for kids." - IDLife

Cofactors

IDLife included cofactors in their vitamins which many others lack. Cofactors are basically an insurance factor that helps with metabolism and absorption, cellular absorption as well; they are complimentary to the vitamins. And nobody else does it to the extent that IDLife does.

So, let's take a look at some of the ingredients (vitamins, minerals, and cofactors) that are in IDLife Kids Nutrition.

Methylfolate and Methylcobalamin

They mandated two ingredients, methylfolate and methylcobalamin. I've mentioned folic acid and the associated dangers in a previous post, and many of you probably have heard of the MTHFR gene abnormality (having this marker hampers the process to properly absorb folic acid). Why is this important? Not a single kids vitamin has methylfolate and nobody has requested to use it, which is shocking. Both of these ingredients are so critical to overall health.

"Folate deficiency in the periconceptional period contributes to neural tube defects; deficits in vitamin B₁₂ (cobalamin) have negative consequences on the developing brain during infancy; and deficits of both vitamins are associated with a greater risk of depression during adulthood." - Journal on the Effects of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency on brain development in children.

Methylfolate alone may help in clinical depression. Folate (B9) is an essential nutrient that is required for DNA replication, it cannot be synthesized by the body, it can only be obtained from diet or supplementation. Methycobalamin (Methyl B12) rescues neurons from cell death due to excess homocysteine (toxic to neurons). It has also been shown to help with Autism. There are many other benefits as well.

Choline

Choline is essential for the integrity and signaling functions of cell membranes. It's primarily for brain and memory development. Some prenatal vitamins even lack this critical nutrient, so the child is pretty much depleted of that nutrient right out of gate. It helps develop those neurotransmitters, the signaling pathways within membranes in the brain. It also helps methlyfolate to develop cells and DNA in a healthy manner.

"Choline is critical during fetal development, when it influences stem cell proliferation and apoptosis, thereby altering brain and spinal cord structure and function and influencing risk for neural tube defects and lifelong memory function." - Journal - Choline: Critical Role During Fetal Development and Dietary Requirements in Adults

Inositol

Inositol works closely with Choline for nerve cell communication. And it can help fight depression in children as there is evidence that depressed kids have lower levels of inositol. Adults as well.

"A double-blind controlled trial of 12 g daily of inositol in 28 depressed patients for four weeks was performed. Significant overall benefit for inositol compared to placebo was found at week 4 on the Hamilton Depression Scale." - Controlled trials of inositol in psychiatry.

It's also beneficial for the eye membranes.

Lutein

There are few vitamins out there for kids that have ingredients to help the eyes. Lutein is essential to both the brain (helps improve neurons) and retina. They also have zeaxanthin and carotenoids listed in their ingredients. For a child's first 4 years these nutrients are important, eye development is very rapid in the first year. Long term cognitive performance, learning and memory all are impacted by these nutrients.

"Oral supplementation with the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) formulation (antioxidant vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc) has been shown to reduce the risk of progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Observational data suggest that increased dietary intake of lutein + zeaxanthin (carotenoids), omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] + eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]), or both might further reduce this risk." - Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Research Group.

These are the basic nutrients for bone development, nervous system, cardio vascular. But more important, brain and vision. Before the child can even speak they use their vision to learn.

And it's not just for children. I take a zeaxanthin supplement (EyePromise Restore) as I have a low MPOD (Macular Pigment Optical Density) score, which as seen above, can lead to macular degeneration when you are older.

Other Vitamins and Minerals

• Vitamin A deficiency can result in poor immune function. Infant impaired neural cognitive development is another result from a deficiency in Vitamin A. It promotes normal growth and development; tissue and bone repair; healthy skin (inside and out), eyes, and immune responses. It also helps protect against many forms of cancer. 
• Zinc is used in over 200 enzymes in the body. It promotes a healthy nervous system and brain, especially in the fetus. 
• Calcium for building strong bones, contracting muscles, teeth health, clots blood. 
• Vitamin D helps maintain healthy and strong bones by retaining calcium. 
• Vitamin K for metabolism pathways in tissue and bone. It can reduce neural damage and stop free radicals. Also controls blood-clotting.
• Vitamin E is an important antioxidant. It protects the cells from damage. It prevents blood clots, improves wound-healing, it's good for the skin, and helps against cancer.
• Vitamin B1 (aka thiamine) is essential for energy function and intellectual development (brain function). It helps the body make use of protein. 
• Riboflavin (aka B2) is also used for energy (by converting fats, protein, sugars), healthy skin repair and maintenance, used for hair, nails, eyes. Also important to help protect against free radacals. 
• Niacin (B3) helps lower cholesterol levels and balance blood sugar. Also helps with diarrhea. 
• Pantothenic Acid (B5) controls fat metabolism, creates anti-stress hormones, helps with immunity. 
• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) has been shown to help with protein digestions, brain function, hormone production, help balance sex hormones (more useful in older individuals with PMS and menopause), used as a natural anti-depressant, and known to help with allergic reactions. 
• Biotin (B7) is particularly important for children to prevent pain and fatigue in muscles, that ache from physical activity. 
• Vitamin B12 is essential for energy, it helps to carry oxygen in your blood. Also helps with allergens and deals with toxins. It's also essential for the nerves. 
• Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) - What doesn't this remarkable nutrient do? It's a very important antioxidant that strengthens the immune system. It fights pollutants, helps to protect the heart from disease, it protects against cancer, turns food into energy, helps making those anti-stress hormones, keeps joints, skin, and bones firm by making collagen. 
• Selenium is another antioxidant that helps protect the body from free radicals. It can also reduce inflammation, fight infections, and helps the Vitamin E's processes. 
• Manganese is important for the thyroid and calcium absorption. It helps cartilage formation, tissues, nerves, stabilizes blood sugars, promotes healthy RNA, and is important for insulin production. 

Wait, No Iron?

You may have noticed there is no Iron. This was an executive decision by IDLife, and included many many long conversations. Why? Because under the age of 6 it’s a big danger. There should be a warning on vitamins that contain iron. Just imagine if you had an open bottle of delicious candy (to your 1 or 2 year old) laying around. They could ingest far too much and cause iron poisoning.  If they are over 6, you can probably add iron. But IDLife decided against adding iron, especially since they wanted to create a vitamin for children as young as 2 (like my son in the picture at the beginning of this post). They did find safer versions of iron that could possibly work, but it's a risk they do not want to take.

Summary

With the risks we are seeing today, such as the dangers from sugar (primarily fructose) and associated cancer risks from processed meats, it's your duty as a parent to make sure your children are meeting their requirements to live long healthy lives. It can be difficult to determine if they are getting their required essential nutrients. It's more difficult to find a high quality product that doesn't contain artificial ingredients (colors, preservatives, additive, sweeteners).

The intentions and the way IDLife designed their kids nutrition product should tell you that it was a labor of love. The science behind it, which keeps changing, is solid (and they will reformulate as the science evolves). IDLife has created a product line that nobody else has, it simply didn't exist at this quality. It will help to develop your kids immune system, help protect them from everything they are exposed to, they'll be healthiest kids on the block.

Order IDLife Kids Nutrition <-- CLICK HERE!
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FAQ

Q: When should my kids switch to IDLife Nutrition?

A: At the age of 12+ and 100 pounds healthy weight, once they have reached maturity.

Resources:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3218540/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3137939/
http://www.clinicaleducation.org/2011/11/01/methylfolate-and-methyl-b12-play-a-profound-role-in-health/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2441939/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3607807/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3140638/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inositol
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9169302

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23644932

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699988/

Conference call with Paul Sullivan - October 2015 

Processed meat and cancer

A team of scientists reviewed 800 epidemiological studies, with greatest weight to high population-based case-control studies, on the association of cancer risk due to consumption of processed meats and red meats. They just released a journal today: Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat - and as usual, the news is running wild with the story. "Meat causes cancer!". Perhaps it does...

First, let's define processed meat and red meat.

Processed meat is meat that has been transformed through a process like salting, smoking, fermentation, curing, and other methods to improve preservation or to enhance the flavor of the meat.  Hot dogs, baloney, ham, sausage, bacon (le sigh).

Red meat is "unprocessed mammalian muscle meat"; Pork, lamb, beef, veal, etc.

Note: The article does not mention if the studies were conducted with pasture-raised/grass-fed meats or industry meats.

How does meat processing cause cancer?

Smoking or curing meat can result in the formation of carcinogenic chemicals. Cooking meat, can also produce carcinogens. And High-temperature (frying, grilling, barbecuing) produces the highest amount of carcinogens. 

Did you know that fried food causes a significant amount of free radicals? And nitrosamine, which is a common chemical found in processed and cured meats, causes cancer ("90% of nitrosamine compounds were deemed to be carcinogenic" - Wikipedia). 

"A  majority of the Working Group concluded that there is sufficient evidence in human beings for the carcinogenicity of the consumption of processed meat." 

Not all 800 studies were used. For example, 12 of  18 cohort studies that provided relevant data showed positive associations of colorectal cancer with processed meats. In a meta-analysis of colorectal cancer from ten studies, they saw an 18% increase per 50g per day of processed meats.

What about red meat?

Only 7 of the 15 case-control studies, with relevant data, showed positive associations of colorectal cancer with high consumption of red meat, which is a limited data set. In a meta-analysis of colorectal cancer from ten studies, they saw an 17% increase per 100g per day of processed meats.

However, red meat also contains important micro-nutrients, such as B vitamins (B12, B6) and iron. It also has high biological-value proteins. Meat also contains CoQ10, which is an antioxidant that helps protect cells from carcinogens (also in fish, nuts, and seeds).

Summary

"A  majority of the Working Group concluded that there is sufficient evidence in human beings for the carcinogenicity of the consumption of processed meat." However, for red meat, they found that there is limited evidence to support carcinogenicity of red meat consumption. But they classify it as "probably carcinogenic to humans".

Most people already know processed meats are unhealthy. This is not ground breaking news folks! And just to put things into perspective, about your risk from meat, there are over a million deaths per year from smoking, and red meats? Assuming all of the above is accurate, less than 34,000.

What should I eat/do?

Stay away from processed foods. Not just processed meats, but party goods, ice cream, deli, etc.. You can also up your veggies and fruit intake - your antioxidants. For example, grapes, strawberries, and raspberries contain ellagic acid that can neutralize carcinogens before they mutate or damage your DNA.

Or, if you are open to a high quality nutrition program, take a look at ID Nutrition, which depending on your personal lifestyle, health, medical conditions, environmental factors, hereditary history, allergies, and diet, can contain significant amounts of antioxidants to help fight carcinogens. 

Also stay away from artificial colors and flavorings, soda (including Diet Soda), white flour, corn syrup (your pastries) -  you know the drill.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045%2815%2900444-1/fulltext

http://www.healthdata.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coenzyme_Q10

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrosamine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellagic_acid

What are free radicals or oxidants?

Cell Oxidation

To understand free radicals (oxidants) you'll need a basic understanding of how your genetic expression is changed through methyl tags (I cover the basics on epigenetics in a previous post). In simplistic terms, in DNA methylation, proteins attach tags to your DNA in specific places. These tags are known as methyl groups. DNA methylation can supress your genes (turn them off). There is another part to this called histone acetylation, which basically, comes down to activating genes (turning them on).

Free Radicals (or oxidants) can come from our environment or be created in our bodies. Some environmental sources for free radials are: sunlight, fried food, poor diet, pollution, cigarette smoke, drugs, illness, stress. Smoking, diet, disease can change the chemical responses in your body and thereby lead changes to your epigenome. Your body can produce free radicals as well, such as burning fat. That fat molecule can be converted into energy which also creates free electrons.

"A free radical is a molecule with an unpaired electron. The molecule is reactive and seeks another electron to pair. Free radicals are involved in the mechanisms of damage associated with disease development"- wikipedia

So that free radical that is floating around doesn't have anything to attach to... That's where antioxidants come into play. They'll attach to that free radical and neutralize them. Otherwise, it could try to attach to other molecules, like DNA. These free radicals can be damaging and cause faulty methylation.This can form cancer cells, cause DNA mutations, and all sorts of bad mojo.


What does this mean for the cells in your body?

 “About a trillion molecules of oxygen go through each cell every day, inflicting about 100,000 free radicals hits or wounds on your cells genes or DNA, estimate geneticist, Bruce Aimes, of the University of California at Berkley.’’

According to Dr. Aimes, by the time we are old, each cell will have "a few million oxygen lesions"! For example, cancer, can be caused by changed in the epigenome.

"Cancers are caused by changes in the genome, the epigenome, or both. Changes in the epigenome can switch on or off genes involved in cell growth or the immune response. These changes can lead to uncontrolled growth, a hallmark of cancer, or to a failure of the immune system to destroy tumors." - Genome.gov

How can I prevent free radials?

Antioxidants can neutralize free radicals. These antioxidants can come from us (our bodies can create them) or from external; nutritional foods like vegetables, and supplements like vitamin C and spirulina. Spirulina has been found to have high concentrations of antioxidants. The issue is quality control, so make sure you have a high quality product.

"Quality control in the growth and process of Spirulina to avoid contamination is mandatory to guarantee the safety of Spirulina products." - cbi.nlm.nih.gov

The need for antioxidants in our daily life is becoming more critical with increased exposure to free radicals.

Before you jump on the bandwagon for antioxidants and overdose on Vitamin A, C or E, be aware that antioxidants can be harmful if not taken in moderation. Getting what you need, or knowing the amount needed, is something that is being debated by the health industry. There is a lack of evidence on how much they help (at least in human studies), but more research and studies are coming out frequently.

What can you do?

• First steps, check your diet. Diets rich in vegetables (antioxidants) have been shown to be 'good for you'. But, are you getting enough? If you are on a restrictive diet (Atkins or Low-Carb) you may not be getting the proper nutrition. Or for medical reasons, such as Gastroparesis (inability to empty your stomach), thereby limiting foods you can eat. This could possibly lead to getting a nutritional deficiency.

• Next, limit toxic environmental factors (such as exposure to smoking, stress, pollution, sunlight, etc). Stress is a huge one... work, family, lack of sleep, relationships, finding time to do just about anything.. you need to balance your life. It's not easy.
• Exercise daily. Note that exercising can increase free radicals! However, regular exercise can also protect against free radical damage by enhancing your antioxidant defense system. But, if you only exercise excessively once or twice a week... it can generate more free radicals. So for you "weekend-warriors", it may be doing more harm than good due to the increased oxygen utilization. 30 minutes a day keeps the fee radicals at bay (I just made that up).
• Limit over supplementation. Figure out what your body needs based on your lifestyle habits, allergies, dietary habits, medical conditions, prescriptions, and goals. You can do so through the free assessment link located at the bottom of this page.

Summary/TLDR!

Free Radicals can lead to epigenome changes that can lead to human disease, such as cancer. How do you prevent them? Eat right (fruits and veggies), limit toxins (smoking, pollution, fried food, STRESS), daily exercise regime, supplement if you can't eat right, and limit over supplementation (figure out what you need using the health assessment below). You are unique; your environment, diet, DNA, everything. Your nutrition should be too.

>> Click here to take your free assessment. <<

References:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20633020
https://www.genome.gov/27532724
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_radical
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidant
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants/introduction.htm
http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/antiox.html
http://thenationonlineng.net/anti-aging-tips-for-buhari-in-change-era-3/