I’ll admit, the supplements game is slightly out of hand in our house. In the morning there’s the daily multivitamin with added omega-3, followed by a mood-boosting gummy packed with zinc and vitamin D. Then, before bed, it’s a 10ml shot of liposomal magnesium to help with sleep, and a wind-down gummy made with lavender, camomile and vitamin B6 and B12. But these aren’t for me — they’re for my six-year-old.
I’m not the only one with a kitchen cupboard packed full of children’s supplements. These days, it seems every wellness brand has a gummy or powder designed for kids, from Tonic Health’s extensive range — backed by reality TV star Ferne McCann — to the newly launched Chirpy, which has just signed up presenter Fearne Cotton as an ambassador and shareholder.
Even supermodel Elle Macpherson is getting in on the act, with a new Super Kids Elixir + Protein powder launching at the end of July to add to her hugely popular WelleCo range.
According to research from the Buy Now, Pay Later platform Clearpay, parents are reportedly spending an average of £234 each year on vitamins and supplements for their children.
But do children really need all these products, or are parents being conned into buying unnecessary extras?
Do children need supplements?
“Today, parents are rushed — they don’t have time to prioritise cooking from scratch and children are eating a lot of ultra-processed foods,” says child nutrition expert Lucinda Miller. “They’re also quite fussy eaters, so a lot of children aren’t getting the nutrients they used to get through their diet. A good-quality supplement can help fill in some of those gaps.”
This is echoed by Chirpy co-founder Emma Grace, who launched the brand along with her pharmacist sister Sarah Pontefract after struggling to support her own son, who was experiencing anxious feelings and low mood.
“Modern life is messing with mood, and it’s easy to forget that what’s happening externally also affects our biology, which in turn affects how we feel,” says Grace. “We always say we wish Chirpy didn’t have to exist. Fifty years ago, it probably wouldn’t have needed to. But our kids are growing up in a cortisol-inducing world, with nervous systems that are switched on all the time.”
The brand sells two gummies — the Mood One (£29.99 for 60), made with saffron, zinc, vitamin D and acerola cherry, which is designed to tackle emotional ups and downs; and the Zen One (£27.99 for 60), a blend of lavender, camomile and B vitamins that calms kids’ nervous systems at the end of the day.
“I was amazed at what such simple ingredients could do,” says Grace.
Another brand looking to redress the balance is Mighty Kids, the first UK company to develop liposomal supplements especially for children. “These encapsulate active ingredients within lipids that mimic what our cells are made of, making them up to 37 times more bioavailable than a standard supplement,” says Mighty Kids founder, and mother of four, Rachael Whittaker.
“I see supplements as scaffolding — they’re not meant to be there forever”
Lucinda Miller
My daughter has been taking Mighty Kids’ magnesium (£23.99 for 250ml) for several weeks and bedtimes have become easier, while friends swear by its vitamin C (£22.99 for 250ml) for boosting little ones’ immune systems.
However, supplements should only be used if your child has a deficiency or you notice a specific pain point, such as low mood, trouble staying focused or a nervous system that just won’t switch off at the end of the day.
“I see supplements as scaffolding — they’re not meant to be there forever,” says Miller. “Think of it as a three-month window to help lift that child. If after that they can stop taking the supplement and sustain the gains, you’ve done your job.”
