Dosing Vitamins During Wellness and Sickness
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
This post was collaborated with Jessica Bunkelman, FNP with Complete Renewal Health & Wellness, and is for educational purposes only. This Is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before giving supplements to yourself or your child.
During Times of Wellness
During warm months when you are outside, getting lots of natural daylight, grounding, fresh air, and good circadian rhythm, less is more! Focus on the bare minimums, and ensure you have what you need to keep the immune system functioning and ready to handle anything life throws at it.
A good focus is on a multi-vitamin, a multi-mineral, and electrolytes......especially if you are traveling, camping, or experiencing high stress.
Multi Vitamins
While we should be focusing on getting all our vitamins and minerals from whole, organic foods, a multi-vitamin is a good way to keep it simple if extra help is desired.
Unless there are known deficiencies or underlying genetic SNPs, I prefer a 100% whole food or organ based multi-vitamin. View my full multi-vitamin guide.
Multis for Kids
Llama Naturals (whole food)
Garden of Life powder (naturally derived)
Garden of Life chewable (naturally derived)
Multis for Adults
Llama Naturals (whole food)
Just Ingredients (whole food) link gives $ off
Just Ingredients organ complex link gives $ off
Paleo Valley organ link gives $ off
Seeking Health (bio-available synthetic)
Needed (bio-available synthetic)
Multi-Mineral
For kids: dose according to taste, as they typically won’t drink it if they can taste it. This could be anywhere from a few drops to a full squeeze, depending on the product.
Electrolytes
Toddlers: quarter of a packet or scoop
5-12 years: ½ packet/scoop
13+ years: ¾ to 1 full packet/scoop
100lb+: full packet/scoop
Just Ingredients this link gives % off
During Times of Sickness
When sick focus on Vitamin A, C, D , Zinc, Magnesium, and Fluids/Electrolytes. A good way to get a few vitamins without doing them all separate is cod liver oil. This will give you A, D, and omegas, which are helpful for the inflammatory aspect of illness.
Cod Liver:
10-19lb: ¼ tsp
20-39lb: ½ tsp
40-59lb: 1tsp
60-79lb: 1 ½ tsp
80lb: 2tsp
Dr. Green Mom this link gives $ off
Earthley this link gives $ off
Vitamin A
Vitamin A supports the immune system and helps maintain the protective lining of the respiratory tract and gut, which act as the body’s first barrier against pathogens. It also helps regulate immune responses and supports antibody production, allowing the body to fight infections more effectively.
0-19lb: 200mcg
20-39lb: 400mcg
40-59lb: 600mcg
60-79lb: 900mcg
80+lb: 1,110mcg
I have found Mary Ruth’s Vitamin A to be one of the easiest to dose when you want smaller doses for the whole family.
200 mcg ~3drops
400mcg ~5-6 drops
600mcg 8 drops
900mcg 12 drops
1,110 mcg ~15 drops
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects immune cells from free-radical damage and enhances the function of white blood cells that fight pathogens. It also supports your body’s natural defenses and may help shorten the duration and severity of illness.
10-19lb: 250mg
20-39lb: 500mg
40-59lb: 1,000mg
60-79lb: 1,500mg
80+lb: 2,000mg
Dr. Green Mom this link gives $ off
Just Ingredients this link gives $ off
Vitamin D
Vitamin D supports the immune system by helping regulate immune responses and preventing excess inflammation during infection. It also supports the activation of T-cells, the immune cells that recognize and target infected cells, helping your body respond more effectively when you’re sick.
0-1yr: 500 IU
2-13yr: 1,000-1,500 IU
14-18yr: 1,500-2,500 IU
18yr+: 2,000-10,000 IU
Seeking Health is my favorite. 1 drop is 500mg, so it's super easy to customize for any age/dosing.
500 IU: 1 drop
1000 IU: 2 drops
1500 IU: 3 drops
2000 IU: 4 drops
2500 IU: 5 drops
5000 IU: 10 drops
10,000 IU: 20 drops
Zinc
Zinc supports immunity by helping with enzyme function, wound healing, and the production and activation of immune cells. It’s also one of the top antiviral minerals which can help limit viral replication and support a stronger, more effective immune response when you’re sick.
0-19lb: 10mg
20-39lb: 20mg
40-59lb: 30mg
60-79lb: 40mg
80+lb: 50mg
10mg = 5 drops
20mg = 10 drops
30mg = 15 drops
40mg = 20 drops
50mg = 25 drops
These can also be added to water or electrolyte mix to help with fluid consumption, and get the necessary intake.
Magnesium
Magnesium supports immune health by helping regulate inflammation and supporting the activity of natural killer cells and white blood cells. Because magnesium is involved in hundreds of enzymatic processes in the body (and an estimated 48–60% of Americans are deficient) adequate levels are especially important for a resilient immune response when you’re sick. View my full magnesium guide.
We do daily mag lotion/balm on our kids, and when sick we do epsom salt or mag flake baths. This is an easy way to get in added magnesium without another oral supplement.
0-25lb: 100mg
25-50lb: 200mg
50-75lb: 300mg
75+lb: 325mg
For 0-25lb magnesium in bath water or topical magnesium cream is preferred, but if they are toddlers drinking water then don’t hesitate to add right to their water!
Magnesium spray this link gives $ off
Earthley magnesium lotion this link gives $ off
Hydrate & Rest
Often when sick we put so much emphasis on immune boosters that we forget about the importance of hydration. Fluids with electrolytes/minerals are extremely important. These are depleted fast when sick, especially if there’s a fever.
If you’re sick and don’t have an appetite, don’t force it. The body naturally pulls the energy taken to digest food and puts it towards fighting the illness. You don’t need to chug. Be strategic. Take small sips, but ensure fluids are high in electrolytes and minerals (vs plain water). Bone broth is another great options!
Your body heals when it sleeps, so if you follow a strict sleep schedule don’t hesitate to throw it out. Let your kiddo nap longer than usual, go to bed earlier if needed, sleep in, etc. Resting allows the body to focus all its energy on healing, cleansing toxins, and immune support. If a fever or cough is keeping your child up at night, that would be a time where you could consider medication if you feel that their body needs to rest and reset.
This post was collaborated with Jessica Bunkelman, FNP with Complete Renewal Health & Wellness
Jessica Bunkelman, FNP, FMP is a Functional Medicine Nurse Practitioner based in Thorp, Wisconsin. Her practice focuses on holistic family care, combining Eastern and Western approaches to address the root cause of illness rather than just treating symptoms.
With over 12 years of healthcare experience, Jessica began her career as a CNA in memory care before working as an EKG technician and later as a nurse on an ICU step-down unit caring for critically ill patients. She also worked as a travel nurse throughout Wisconsin, gaining experience across multiple hospital settings.
After earning her Family Nurse Practitioner degree, Jessica developed a passion for holistic medicine and completed additional training to become a Functional Medicine Practitioner.
Today, she is dedicated to helping patients achieve better health through root-cause, integrative care.
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