Talk to me about supplementing a toddler's diet

[MunchiesMom]

Hi all! I recently posted about DS (2) having some extensive dental work done. I'm on a mission to never walk this path again, so I've been researching diet changes, dental hygene improvements and now I'm on to supplements. I've read a lot about cod liver oil. Can someone tell me more about it?

I also have read about increasing vitamin D. Is this necessary in a breastfed toddler (I'm a SAHM so he has unlimited access). We get more than 15 minutes a day direct sunlight.

Finally, would he benefit from a calcium, magnesium, zinc supplement? I talked to a local retailer today, but she felt that he should have everything he needs since he's BF.

Are there any other steps I can take to improve the quality and strength of DS's teeth? Since he's cavity prone and we just got them fixed, I want to start off with a clean slate.

TIA!!!

[MunchiesMom]

BUMP??????

[JaneS]

Where do you live? Vitamin D production depends on latitude and how much skin is exposed... to get "enough" in only 15 minutes you would need to be in a bikini at certain times of the year or living near the equator. Researchers have shown that vit. D production is based on the angle of the sun, so for example, I live in Massachusetts and we can't even make vitamin D for at least half the year in fall/winter. Most LLL advice on D that says hands and face for 15 mins is totally wrong.

If you are D deficient you are not passing it along to your child as your blood levels determine milk levels. Most people are D deficient we are finding (below 50 on the 25 OH D test). Harvard study showed that bf mamas had "enough" in their milk at 6,000 IU of D per day. Again, it depends on the mother's deficiency or sufficiency. Also their weight and other factors govern how much they make from sun. I could go on...

www.vitamindcouncil.org

Your BM nutrition can depend on your diet, again Kelly Mom and typical information is not necessarily correct. Supplements can be great, and some are not well absorbed at all, which is why I've tried to concentrate on whole food sources for minerals such as raw milk and homemade 24 hr bone broths. But we need to do mag. supplements b/c that seems to be a major deficiency here, it takes a while to restock a depleted body.

See "Curing Cavities with Nutrition" for cod liver oil and diet discussion. The essential triad is high vitamin cod liver oil (Blue Ice or Radiant Life) PLUS vitamin K2 in high vitamin butter oil (Green Pastures) OR K2 in pastured egg yolks, wild seafood, pastured butter/cream ... and also breastmilk but again, that can depend on your diet... PLUS a good mineral source like I said, raw milk or 24 hr bone broths.

There is also a cheat sheet around here somewhere on that monster thread.

[JaneS]

OK should specifically say breastmilk is the best raw milk as long as your mineral levels are very good.

[tanyalynn]

The Curing Cavities sticky is really helpful, on either the last page or the 2nd to last there's a couple posts with links to the cheat sheet version, since it IS a long thread.

One thing I'd add is cell salts. In the main H&H forum there's a discussion of cell salts (also called tissue salts), I've seen really cool stuff with my kids and for myself by adding in cell salts. We use other supplements as well, our health is improving (but not yet great) and the combination has been really good. I think other people with less going on health-wise would have good results just with good diet and cell salts.

Some people use them specifically for dental issues, so you'll find dental-specific discussion.