Delivered by a parent with instant accusation, “Why do I need to give my child a multivitamin?”

“I don’t have any idea, why?” was the only response I could muster.

As the conversation weaved around the horror of life without a multi-vitamin the accompanying guilt and anger were triggered by advertisers and marketers, not doctors. For the record, collectively doctors think multivitamins are a cool party trick for turning your kid’s pee bright yellow. A healthy diet provides most of the vitamins a child needs. Many vitamins are water-soluble and the day-after-day pill usage usually gets filtered by the body and washed away in pee. Hence the reason behind bright did-I-get bitten-by-a-radioactive-spider yellow pee.

This letter is based on my thoughts and opinions constructed by years of medical study, active medical practice, and a decent medical understanding. Having said that, I think getting a child used to the idea that they need to take a pill every day to stay healthy is unhealthy. This routine sets up a terrible precedent that we need pills to be healthy, pills when we’re sick, pills to be happy and medicine makes everything better. We need a whole lot less pill usage and more healthy food, exercise, and time with our family and loved ones. If your child needs a vitamin due to an obvious deficiency your doctor may recommend one. Kids who live on fast food, chips, nuggets and soda are not and will not get the proper nutrients required for a healthy lifestyle. The magic cure is not in a pill but rather in healthy lives, healthy relationships (with people and food), and old-fashioned responsibility. A pill or gummy has never been the right way to get the vitamins and minerals we need each day.

Teach your kids to eat healthily and stop paying for unnecessary pee dye. However, if yellow pee helps your son “aim” that pee easier, we would suggest not overdoing it.