According to recent research presented at the 57th Annual European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology Meeting, upping your child’s Vitamin B levels through supplementation can protect their kidneys, especially when they face the risk of developing kidney disease that comes along with Type-1 Diabetes.

The study tracked children with Diabetic Kidney Disease and discovered that consistent supplementation with vitamin B over the course of three months resulted in improved markers on subsequent blood work conducted on the children. This development proves most promising for parents of diabetic children looking for a way to prevent the disease from ravaging their kidneys.

It’s not just your child’s kidneys that Vitamin B can protect. This powerhouse of a vitamin is super beneficial in many different ways, especially for still-developing children.

Here Are Just A Few:

• Energy production. This is a wonderful benefit that can help counter the fatigue often experienced by children living with diabetes and/or diabetic kidney disease.

• Aids in proper functioning of the brain, which is essential for kids and can even help benefit their academic performance. 

• Assists in regulating mood. Depression affects children too and especially when that child feels limited by any form of chronic condition, Vitamin B can help.

• Insulin control. A key component of B vitamins is their ability to balance insulin levels. 

• Helps to keep asthma attacks at bay. This can be helpful if you notice your child is prone to asthma attacks or has asthma. 

Having diabetes is hard enough for a child, but parents need to keep in mind that diabetes can often lead to diabetic nephropathy down the line and this is a situation no one wants. Vitamin B is found in foods as well, and should definitely be added to the diet. But, some of these are more kid-friendly than others, with black-strap molasses not ranking quite so high on the list.

Some foods/beverages kids will love that also give them adequate amounts of Vitamin B include:

• Dairy like: Yogurt, Milk and Cheese. These are readily available in flavors/varieties that are targeted specifically toward kids like flavored milks and string cheese, many of which are fortified with extra folate. 

• Try incorporating foods like beans and lentils in dishes your children already like. Tacos, chilis, chili dogs or a nacho dip work great.

• Vegetables like Brussels Sprouts have long been notoriously despised by many children, but try to get them to develop a taste for these nutrient powerhouses early on. If all else fails, you can incorporate them as add-ons to salads or soups they enjoy or even in a bowl of mac-and-cheese.

As valuable as these sources can be, to ensure the levels of Vitamin B are sufficiently strong enough to offer the maximum benefits, you should definitely invest in a high-quality children’s multivitamin, many of which come in flavors children enjoy and in chewable varieties.

You’ll want to make sure you’re getting a B-Complex Multivitamin, one which includes every variety of B Vitamin, meaning:

• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 

• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

• Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

• Vitamin B7 (Biotin)

• Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)

• Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin).
  

You’ll most assuredly want to check the label of any multivitamin you’re considering for your child. Make sure they are the most potent blend of all the varieties listed here and you can practically ensure your child’s good health.

You should also be reading our articles about children and kidney disease and watch our videos on how you can better help your child thrive in spite of their chronic conditions.