All parents want their children to be healthy. The question is: what’s the most important thing can we do to boost the immunity of our little ones so they stay disease-free?

Hands down, our best recommendation is to provide the maximum amount of vitamin C in their daily diet.

What makes Vitamin C so special?

For starters, vitamin C is a powerful reducing agent, meaning it readily donates electrons to recipient molecules, making it a powerful antioxidant that works to keep disease out of cells in the first place.

That’s critically important to the most fragile of us, our children. That’s why we recommend kids get plenty of vitamin C in their diet so seasonal viruses like colds and flus don’t put a damper on school and play. In fact, vitamin C ranks as one of the best defenders against cellular malfunction—the only “real” disease—caused by nutritional deficiencies or toxicity.

Studies show that vitamin C can reduce the duration of colds up to 14%. In other words, it can boost your child’s immunity and help curb the winter sniffles, coughs, fevers, and more. It can also help fight diarrheal infections—even prevent them in the first place.

And that’s not all. With children being exposed to greater amounts of environmental chemicals than ever, it’s important to rid young bodies of unwanted toxins. As a powerful antioxidant, Vitamin C is shown to help rid the body of heavy metals, like lead and mercury.

Research also shows that vitamin C stimulates the production and function of white blood cells. White blood cells fight infections, making them the primary line of defense in every cell of your child’s body…making Vitamin C a core component of childhood immunity.

Further, Vitamin C stimulates the growth of collagen. The body needs collagen for healthy bones. The most abundant protein in our bodies, collagen gives bones, muscles, skin, and tendons both strength and structure. Vitamin C also accelerates the healing of fractures, making it an important element of recovery from sports injuries.

How can you be sure your child gets enough vitamin C?

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient—meaning our bodies don’t naturally produce it—so it’s critical we get an ample supply in our diet. Start by providing access to plenty of raw, organic foods—particularly fresh vegetables and fruits. Red peppers, green peppers, kiwi, oranges, tomatoes, and broccoli are all rich in Vitamin C.  So make these foods a regular part of your child’s daily meals and snacks.

In addition, we recommend adding supplements to your child’s wellness routine. The average American gets about 50 mg of vitamin C from their diet. However, the recommended daily allowance is 90 mg per day. Yet even these amounts are negligible, barely enough to prevent scurvy (a severe vitamin C deficiency). Much more is needed for optimal health.

We strongly recommend giving your child a high-quality organic daily vitamin C supplement