In the second part of our series on supplements, Anastasia Stephens, nutrition advisor to UK Fostering recommends some leading super-foods. Taken from nutrient-rich natural sources, they’re packed with vitamins and minerals, but are much more easily digested.
Many supplements sold in chemists and supermarkets contain synthetically manufactured vitamins which are difficult for the body to absorb and use. So which supplements should you give to the children in your care?
BEE POLLEN (NATURAL MULTIVITAMIN)
Collected by young bees from thousands of plants and glued into small balls for food, bee pollen contains nearly all nutrients needed for humans. Considered a nutritive tonic in Chinese medicine, it is 40pc protein, contains B-vitamins plus folic acid, flavonoids, vitamins C and E and numerous other plant-compounds known to enhance health.
Tip: Bee pollen is sweet so can be sprinkled onto breakfast cereal or stirred into yoghurt
You may want to try: Bee pollen (£8.95 for 250g) from www.rawliving.eu
ROSEHIP EXTRACT (NATURAL VITAMIN C)
The fruit of the rose plant, rosehips are one of nature’s richest sources of Vitamin C. During WWII people were encouraged to gather wild grown rosehips to make Vitamin C-rich syrup for children. Rosehips have been found to lower cholesterol and heart disease risk and combat arthritic inflammation.
Tip: Making your own rosehip supplement can make a fun family trip out: gather some rosehips on an autumn walk in the woods then cover in honey for three weeks. Use your rose-hip honey as breakfast spread.
You may want to try: RoseMax Pure High Strength Rosehip Extract (£14.90 for 60caps) from www.chemistdirect.co.uk
If you are interested, here is a further article on Rosehips and heart health.