How Many Sprays of Neutrient D3&K2 Can I Give My Child?

Written by Jacqueline Newson BSc (Hons) Nutritional Therapy

Children can be notoriously picky eaters, often leaving gaps in their diets that are essential for healthy growth and development. Ensuring they get enough key nutrients, like vitamin D, can feel like a constant struggle. That's where Neutrient D3&K2 comes in, it helps take the stress out of mealtimes by providing the reassurance that your child is getting the support they need for strong bones and overall well-being. Getting the dosage right is a natural concern, so we’re here to help. Here's how to ensure safe and effective supplementation tailored to your child’s age:

One spray of Neutrient D3&K2 delivers 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 and 25 mcg of vitamin K2.

For children aged 1–17: The adequate intake (AI) for vitamin D is 600 IU/day; vitamin K starts at 12 mcg/day. One spray every other day provides an average of 500 IU of vitamin D and 12.5 mcg of vitamin K daily, which meets these recommendations.

For children over 7 years: Our guidance is one spray daily, as their AI for vitamin K increases to 30 mcg/day, and this dose remains well within the upper tolerable limit of 2,000 IU/day for vitamin D.

Why Is It So Important To Give Your Kids Vitamin D Supplements?

Young children are especially vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies due to rapid growth and development.¹This is when their bodies need extra vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin D. A lack of vitamin D can impact their growth, immunity, mental health, and more. That’s why the National Institute for Health in the UK recommends a daily vitamin D supplement of 400 IU for all children from birth to 5 years old.²

What Are The Risks For Vitamin D Deficiency In Children?

Vitamin D deficiency is increasingly common in children, contributing to a rise in rickets,³ a condition that weakens bones and causes various health issues. Lack of sunshine may be a key factor in this dilemma.

As much as 80-90% of vitamin D comes from sunlight on the skin,⁴ but with kids spending more time indoors on devices instead of playing outside, they’re missing out on this vital nutrient. Only 10-20% of vitamin D comes from food, and even then, only a few foods are naturally rich in it. This includes:

•        Oily fish – salmon, trout, herrings, sardines, anchovies, tuna
•        Cod liver oil and other fish oils
•        Egg yolk
•        Shitake mushrooms
•        Fortified foods – breakfast cereals, margarine and infant formulas

Vitamin D deficiency is more common in low-income families, often due to limited access to a diverse diet. Affordable foods like cereals are a staple, but they don't provide the variety needed to meet essential nutrient needs. A healthy, balanced diet is much more expensive than one that's just calorie-sufficient. In fact, research shows that 3 billion people worldwide can’t afford a nutritious healthy diet.⁵

Your child may be more at risk of vitamin D deficiency because of the following factors:

•        Low or no exposure to the sun
•        Darker skin pigmentation e.g. people of African or South Asian origin
•        Having to cover the skin for cultural, religious or health reasons.
•        Obesity - as vitamin D may be stored in fat tissue reducing bioavailability
•        Anti-epileptic drugs or steroids such as prednisolone

What Is The Benefit Of Additional Vitamin K2?

Vitamin K2 works uniquely within the body. It is needed to help activate carboxylated osteocalcin, a protein important for bone health.⁶ Additionally, vitamin K2 is shown to be better absorbed than vitamin K1 and tends to stay in the body for longer.⁷

References

1. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/micronutrient-deficiency. [Accessed 20.11.24.]

2. Wood, Claire L., and Tim D. Cheetham. "Vitamin D: increasing supplement use among at-risk groups (NICE guideline PH56)." Archives of Disease in Childhood-Education and Practice 101.1 (2016): 43-45.

3. Chiarelli FG. Rickets in Children: An Update. Biomedicines 2021; 9,7:738. DOI:10.3390/biomedicines9070738

4. NICE. https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/vitamin-d-deficiency-in-children/background-information/risk-factors/. [Accessed 20.11.24.]

5. Hannah Ritchie and Pablo Rosado (2021) - “Three billion people cannot afford a healthy diet” Published online at OurWorldinData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/diet-affordability' [Online Resource]

6. Zhang T, O’Connor C, Sheridan H, Barlow JW. Vitamin K2 in Health and Disease: A Clinical Perspective. Foods. 2024; 13(11):1646. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13111646

7. Simes DC, Viegas CSB, Araújo N, Marreiros C. Vitamin K as a Diet Supplement with Impact in Human Health: Current Evidence in Age-Related Diseases. Nutrients. 2020; 12(1):138. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010138