Elke Dag Junior by Vitals

Daily support for children

Elke Dag Junior is a strawberry-flavoured chewable tablet in the shape of a small elephant. It is developed for children aged 3 and over.

The formula is based on recent scientific insights, current data on nutritional status in the Netherlands, and optimal intake levels per nutrient.

Elke Dag Junior stands out for its composition, dosage, and absorbability. It contains almost all the same high-quality nutrients as Elke Dag for adults, but in amounts adjusted to the needs of young children.

One tablet provides 15 μg vitamin D3, so separate vitamin D drops are no longer needed. It also contains 60 mg magnesium and 120 mg calcium from natural sources.

Natural sweetness and taste

Excipients also affect the quality of a multivitamin. Many children's chewables contain large amounts of sugars or artificial sweeteners to improve taste.

Elke Dag Junior is sweetened mainly with steviol glycosides from the stevia plant and partly with erythritol.

Erythritol is a natural sweetener found in foods such as fruit, mushrooms, and cheese. It has no caloric value, is largely absorbed in the small intestine, and is almost fully excreted in urine.

It does not affect blood sugar levels and is not harmful to teeth or oral health. Children also rate the taste of Elke Dag Junior positively. It is not candy, but most children like the flavour.

B vitamins in active forms

The Elke Dag multis contain substantial but responsible amounts of B vitamins. Daily needs, average intake, lower limits, conversion in the body, scientific insights, and safe upper limits were all taken into account.

All formulas contain the biologically active forms of vitamin B2, B6, B12, and folate. Research shows that these forms have higher biological availability.

Vitamin B2 is included as riboflavin-5'-phosphate. Vitamin B6 is included as pyridoxal-5'-phosphate.

Vitamin B12 is included as methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. Folate is included as 5-methyltetrahydrofolate glucosamine salt.

Vitamin B6 and folate

Very high doses of vitamin B6 can in occasional cases cause tingling or numbness in the hands or feet. In the Netherlands, the safe upper limit for adults is therefore set at 21 mg per day.

The Elke Dag multis stay far below that level, with a maximum of 4.2 mg. They also use pyridoxal-5'-phosphate instead of pyridoxine-HCl, which still needs to be converted by the body.

Research is still examining whether those occasional side effects occur only with pyridoxine-HCl, or to a lesser extent with pyridoxal-5'-phosphate.

Instead of synthetic folic acid, the formula uses 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. This active form bypasses a conversion process that does not work well in a considerable group of people.

Quatrefolic and vitamin B12

The Elke Dag multis use Quatrefolic®, which is 5-methyltetrahydrofolate bound to glucosamine salt from a plant source. This supports stability and absorption.

Studies show that Quatrefolic® has higher water solubility, stability, and biological availability. Unlike standard synthetic folic acid, 5-MTHF can also cross the blood-brain barrier.

Vitamin B12 absorption from food is a complex process. There are also indications that the reference intake of 2.5 µg per day is too low, and that needs can rise to over 20 µg per day.

Because vitamin B12 supplementation is safe and absorption from food or supplements can be difficult, the Elke Dag multis contain substantial amounts of methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin.

Active B12 instead of cyanocobalamin

Many other B12 products and multis contain cyanocobalamin. This is a cheaper synthetic form that does not occur naturally in this way and still needs to be converted into active forms by the body.

During that process, the cyanide part is detached from cobalamin and must then be cleared by the body.

Studies show that methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin have higher biological availability than cyanocobalamin.

Plant-based vitamin D3

European authorities have raised the level for adequate vitamin D intake from food to 15 µg and the maximum permitted level to 100 µg. In the Netherlands, advice is still more cautious, with 10 µg as sufficient and 75 µg as the maximum.

The reference intake has remained at 5 µg. At the same time, higher vitamin D dosages have long been valued in orthomolecular practice.

Leading vitamin D experts advise an adult calcidiol level of at least 75 nmol/l. An oral dose of 25 to 75 µg vitamin D3 per day is estimated to help maintain that level.

The Elke Dag multis contain substantial amounts of vitamin D3, which is more effective than vitamin D2 at raising vitamin D levels.

Suitable for vegans

The new Elke Dag multis use plant-based vitamin D3, Vitamin D3V®, produced from algae rather than sheep's wool grease.

That means all multis in the Elke Dag range are also suitable for vegans.

Elke Dag Junior provides 15 μg vitamin D3 per tablet.

Vitamin K1 and K2

The Elke Dag multis now also contain a small amount of vitamin K1, alongside a higher dosage of vitamin K2.

Vitamin K1 is absorbed mainly by the liver and mainly supports activation of clotting factors. Vitamin K2 has higher biological availability, is distributed more widely through body tissues, and is more effective in activating proteins such as osteocalcin and MGP.

These proteins help calcium be absorbed properly and reach the right place in the body, namely the bones.

The body always uses vitamin K first for the vital blood-clotting function. Because vitamin K2 is a much more expensive raw material than vitamin K1, a small amount of K1 is added for that priority function.

Why both forms are used

This allows vitamin K2 to be used for other important functions. The current reference intake for vitamin K is based only on the amount needed for normal blood clotting.

It does not reflect the optimal dosage for other vitamin K-dependent processes in the body.

Stable vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 is a very sensitive substance. In combination with calcium or magnesium, its level in a tablet or capsule can drop sharply.

That makes vitamin K2 technically difficult to use in products with high amounts of these minerals. Vitals therefore uses K2VITAL™ DELTA, which remains stable even in formulas rich in calcium and magnesium.

This ingredient is made with a patented microencapsulation process. Two protective layers shield the fat-soluble K2 particles from interaction with other ingredients.

Vitals had K2VITAL™ DELTA tested in an independent laboratory against other vitamin K2 brands in combination with the ingredients used in Vitals products.

Tested for stability

The conclusions were clear. Protection of vitamin K2 was necessary, the K2 level remained stable with K2VITAL™ DELTA, and this ingredient performed better than the other K2 ingredients tested.

Calcium and magnesium from the sea

The multis use calcium and magnesium from Aquamin®, sourced from the sea. This makes it possible to include much higher dosages than with earlier compounds, while absorption remains proven to be good.

Aquamin Magnesium comes from seawater from the Irish Sea. Studies show that it is well absorbed in the body.

Besides about 35% elemental magnesium, this raw material also contains small amounts of other minerals and trace elements.

Aquamin Calcium comes from a red algae called Lithothamnion calcareum. This algae absorbs minerals and trace elements from the sea and stores them.

Natural mineral profile

When alive, it has a red-pink colour. After it dies, it calcifies and turns white or light grey. Only calcified red algae are harvested, from waters near the coast of Iceland.

Besides 32% calcium, this raw material also contains 3% magnesium and small amounts of other minerals and trace elements.

The natural trace element profile of this calcium and magnesium may partly explain the strong absorption and the positive study results.

Chelated minerals

Iron, zinc, copper, and manganese are included as amino acid chelates, or bisglycinates. In this form, each mineral particle is strongly bound to two glycine molecules.

Minerals in this form reach the small intestine well, are absorbed very effectively, and are gentle on the stomach. That is especially useful in the case of iron.

Vitals specifically uses Albion Minerals amino acid chelates, identified by the TRAACS® trademark, which stands for The Real Amino Acid Chelate System.

This brand was created to distinguish these chelates from other amino acid chelates that may be inferior or unstable. Albion holds more than 100 patents worldwide for the process, science, and structure of its chelated minerals.

Higher choline dosage

Choline has long been a standard ingredient in multivitamins, but usually in low amounts between 10 and 30 mg. Earlier formulas reflected limited knowledge about its role and required intake.

That has changed. In 2012, the European Commission approved three health claims for choline, applicable at a dosage of at least 82.5 mg.

Choline is important for normal lipid metabolism, normal homocysteine metabolism, and normal liver function.

In 2016, the United States set a recommended intake of 550 mg per day based on clinical research. In the same year, EFSA also concluded that choline is an essential nutrient.

VitaCholine

EFSA did not set a reference intake, but it did set an adequate intake of 400 mg per day based on average intake in European countries.

Average adult intake in Europe ranges from 291 to 468 mg per day. That is a clear reason to include a substantial amount of choline in a daily multivitamin.

The Elke Dag multis use choline from VitaCholine®. This brand is known for high quality and has been studied extensively.

Three carotenoids

Lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin are natural carotenoids. The body contains high concentrations of these substances in the retina and macula.

The body cannot make lutein and zeaxanthin itself, so they must come from food. They are found in green leafy vegetables and in red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables.

Meso-zeaxanthin occurs only to a limited extent in food, such as shrimp, salmon skin, and the skin and flesh of trout. It is formed mainly in the retina by conversion of lutein through an enzymatic reaction.

It can also be supplemented effectively. Meso-zeaxanthin has only relatively recently been recognised as a valuable addition and is preferred over supplementing only lutein and zeaxanthin.

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Patented ingredients

Aquamin® is a registered trademark of Marigot Ltd.

Ferrochel® is a registered trademark of Albion Minerals.

K2VITAL® DELTA is a registered trademark of Kappa Bioscience.

Quatrefolic® is a patented product and a registered trademark of Gnosis.

TRAACS™ (The Real Amino Acid Chelate System) is a registered trademark of Albion Minerals.

VitaCholine® is a registered trademark of Balchem Corporation.

Vitamin D3V® is a registered trademark of ProTecNutra Ltd.

Other information

Dietary supplement Vitamin supplement

Distributor Vitals Voedingssupplementen BV
Pieter Lieftinckweg 29
1505 HX Zaandam

Last page change
21 maart 2026