Frequently Asked Questions
Where are your products made?
The majority of our products are manufactured in a GMP facility in Canada. GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Processes, which follows strict manufacturing regulations monitored by Health Canada. Some of our products are manufactured in the European Union where ISO (International Standardization Organization) EU regulations apply to ensure we have top quality products.
How are KidStar® products tested for purity and potency?
Each individual raw ingredient is tested by the manufacturer of the ingredient and signed documentation is provided to the manufacturer of the finished product.
When the raw ingredients arrive at a Health Canada-approved manufacturer, it is tested again to ensure it fully meets the specs stated.
Once the product is manufactured it then goes through finished product testing – this is for purity and potency.
Once the finished product arrives at KidStar Nutrients® we send it out once more to a 3rd party to test the product, ensuring it meets all of the requirements and matches the certificate of analysis from the manufacturer.
On top of testing, to ensure the product meets all labels claims, we always test for:
- Molds
- Heavy metals
- Pesticides
- Chemical residues
- Bacteria, such as E.coli.
What about products made in the EU?
The products take the same path of testing. Once the product arrives at Kidstar we test the product and put in through an internal Quality review before it ever makes it to a customer.
What makes KidStar® different from other children’s supplement brands?
Many other children’s supplement brands contain undesirable non-medicinal ingredients. We promise to deliver the highest quality nutrients without harmful additives.
What is MCT oil and why is it used in your products?
Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) are healthy fats. We chose this healthy fat instead of soy, corn or canola oil as a carrier oil.
What is xylitol and why is it used in your products?
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol made from birch trees or corn cobs and is a natural alternative to sugar. Xylitol is also naturally found in varying amounts in some fruits and vegetables. Our body can also naturally make xylitol during the metabolism of carbohydrates. It tastes sweet like sugar, but studies have found it helps prevent tooth decay. Xylitol has minimal effects on blood sugar or insulin levels, making it safe for those with diabetes or prediabetes.
What does bioavailable mean?
Bioavailability is the amount of an ingredient that gets absorbed by the body. In order for products to be bioavailable, they have to go through some hurdles in the body like stomach acid, the intestinal wall, and the liver. The form of the nutrient, for example, bisglycinate vs carbonate or pyridoxine vs pyridoxal-5-phosphate, can improve bioavailability. Whether the nutrient is delivered in an oil or a liquid, tablet or softgel can affect how quickly something is absorbed. Items used during manufacturing can also inhibit absorption or bioavailability, like sugar, artificial colours or titanium dioxide. A person’s digestive system can also hinder bioavailability, for example, low stomach acid, colitis, Crohn’s or IBS.
Are KidStar® products Health Canada approved?
Yes, all KidStar® nutritional supplements are licensed by Health Canada. The claims on the front panel of the product are provided to KidStar® by Health Canada.
Is it okay to take expired KidStar® products?
An expiry date is a best before date or the date that we know all ingredients will still be at label claim. We know that most vitamins and minerals will still be able to be used past the expiry, but the activity of the ingredient may be diminished.
My child is on medication, can they still take KidStar™ supplements?
It is recommended that all nutrients be taken at least 2-3 hours apart from medications. It is best to ask your pharmacist if the medication is contraindicated or not to be taken with nutritional supplements. Blood thinners would be a medication that would not be recommended to be taken with supplements of any type.
What do I do if my child has a reaction to a KidStar® product?
If your child has a reaction after taking a KidStar® product, discontinue use.
My child weighs 95 pounds, should they still be taking a child’s supplements?
Yes, they can but the dose may need to be increased. Most children and teens will need the added ingredients like iron well into the adult years.
What does it mean when the iron is micronized and microencapsulated?
Micronizing is a process that grinds the iron into a fine powder to make it completely dispersible in liquids.
The iron in BioFe is microencapsulated with a protective coating. The coating ensures the iron can travel intact, past the stomach, into the small intestine. Microencapsulating the iron means you will not have the common side effects of iron supplements, like constipation, black stools, tummy upset, and grey teeth.
My child is already taking StarMulti®, can they also take BioFe®?
Yes, your child can combine StarMulti with one of our BioFe products without having to worry about getting too much iron.
Do all children need to take iron?
Yes, all children need iron at approximately 10 mg per day. If your child is in sports or an athlete or menstruating, they will require more.
My iron is low, will taking my child’s BioFe improve my levels?
Yes you can take your child’s BioFe. If you are pregnant take 30 mg per day, otherwise 20 mg per day for adult women and 10 mg for adult men.
Isn’t iron dangerous unless you are anemic?
According to the latest health survey we should be eating 20 mg of iron from food, but we are eating 8 mg per day on average. Based on that information you or your child can start iron supplements.
How long will BioFe take to raise my child’s iron?
You should start to see an increase in iron levels in 3 months (90 days). If your teen is menstruating and has heavy periods, controlling heavy periods is essential to help reduce blood loss. Add iron-containing foods to further enhance iron levels at the same time.
Why do you include organic fermented whole foods in your StarMulti® product?
Organic fermented whole foods provide vitamins and minerals and added fiber to the product. Organic fermented whole foods also provide prebiotics that enhance probiotics in the digestive system.
Is StarMulti® vegan-friendly?
Yes, StarMulti is now vegan-friendly! Newer lots of our StarMulti product use vitamin D3 from lichen, which is a vegan ingredient.
Why do we use both 5-MTHF and folic acid as sources of folate in our Star Multi?
Our StarMulti has both naturally occurring 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), and folic acid for several reasons. We use 5-MTHF because it reduces the potential for masking hematological symptoms of B12 deficiency.
5-MTHF is also well absorbed by those with low gastrointestinal pH. But we also use folic acid along with naturally occurring 5-MTHF because the bulk of the research in humans has used folic acid. New research has shown that even those with a genetic variant called the MTHFR gene variant still process all types of folate including folic acid. You may have heard that if you have the MTHFR variant that you should avoid folic acid and should only take the 5-MTHF. However, this has now been shown to be not true. People with the MTHFR gene variant can process all types of folate including folic acid. And folic acid is the only type of folate shown to help prevent neural tube defects. You can read an easy-to-understand review of MTHFR gene and different types of folate.
Do all children need to take a multivitamin?
Yes is the short answer. Read the long answer here.
General Product
Where are your products made?
The majority of our products are manufactured in a GMP facility in Canada. GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Processes, which follows strict manufacturing regulations monitored by Health Canada. Some of our products are manufactured in the European Union where ISO (International Standardization Organization) EU regulations apply to ensure we have top quality products.
How are KidStar® products tested for purity and potency?
Each individual raw ingredient is tested by the manufacturer of the ingredient and signed documentation is provided to the manufacturer of the finished product.
When the raw ingredients arrive at a Health Canada-approved manufacturer, it is tested again to ensure it fully meets the specs stated.
Once the product is manufactured it then goes through finished product testing – this is for purity and potency.
Once the finished product arrives at KidStar Nutrients® we send it out once more to a 3rd party to test the product, ensuring it meets all of the requirements and matches the certificate of analysis from the manufacturer.
On top of testing, to ensure the product meets all labels claims, we always test for:
- Molds
- Heavy metals
- Pesticides
- Chemical residues
- Bacteria, such as E.coli.
What about products made in the EU?
The products take the same path of testing. Once the product arrives at Kidstar we test the product and put in through an internal Quality review before it ever makes it to a customer.
What makes KidStar® different from other children’s supplement brands?
Many other children’s supplement brands contain undesirable non-medicinal ingredients. We promise to deliver the highest quality nutrients without harmful additives.
What is MCT oil and why is it used in your products?
Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) are healthy fats. We chose this healthy fat instead of soy, corn or canola oil as a carrier oil.
What is xylitol and why is it used in your products?
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol made from birch trees or corn cobs and is a natural alternative to sugar. Xylitol is also naturally found in varying amounts in some fruits and vegetables. Our body can also naturally make xylitol during the metabolism of carbohydrates. It tastes sweet like sugar, but studies have found it helps prevent tooth decay. Xylitol has minimal effects on blood sugar or insulin levels, making it safe for those with diabetes or prediabetes.
What does bioavailable mean?
Bioavailability is the amount of an ingredient that gets absorbed by the body. In order for products to be bioavailable, they have to go through some hurdles in the body like stomach acid, the intestinal wall, and the liver. The form of the nutrient, for example, bisglycinate vs carbonate or pyridoxine vs pyridoxal-5-phosphate, can improve bioavailability. Whether the nutrient is delivered in an oil or a liquid, tablet or softgel can affect how quickly something is absorbed. Items used during manufacturing can also inhibit absorption or bioavailability, like sugar, artificial colours or titanium dioxide. A person’s digestive system can also hinder bioavailability, for example, low stomach acid, colitis, Crohn’s or IBS.
Are KidStar® products Health Canada approved?
Yes, all KidStar nutritional supplements are licensed by Health Canada. The claims on the front panel of the product are provided to KidStar by Health Canada.
Is it okay to take expired KidStar® products?
An expiry date is a best before date or the date that we know all ingredients will still be at label claim. We know that most vitamins and minerals will still be able to be used past the expiry, but the activity of the ingredient may be diminished.
My child is on medication, can they still take KidStar® supplements?
It is recommended that all nutrients be taken at least 2-3 hours apart from medications. It is best to ask your pharmacist if the medication is contraindicated or not to be taken with nutritional supplements. Blood thinners would be a medication that would not be recommended to be taken with supplements of any type.
What do I do if my child has a reaction to a KidStar® product?
If your child has a reaction after taking a KidStar product, discontinue use.
My child weighs 95 pounds, should they still be taking a child’s supplements?
Yes, they can but the dose may need to be increased. Most children and teens will need the added ingredients like iron well into the adult years.
BioFe® Iron
What does it mean when the iron is micronized and microencapsulated?
Micronizing is a process that grinds the iron into a fine powder to make it completely dispersible in liquids.
The iron in BioFe is microencapsulated with a protective coating. The coating ensures the iron can travel intact, past the stomach, into the small intestine. Microencapsulating the iron means you will not have the common side effects of iron supplements, like constipation, black stools, tummy upset and grey teeth.
My child is already taking StarMulti®, can they also take BioFe®?
Yes, your child can combine StarMulti with one of our BioFe products without having to worry about getting too much iron.
Do all children need to take iron?
Yes, all children need iron at approximately 10 mg per day. If your child is in sports or an athlete or menstruating, they will require more.
My iron is low, will taking my child’s BioFe improve my levels?
Yes you can take your child’s BioFe. If you are pregnant take 30 mg per day, otherwise 20 mg per day for adult women and 10 mg for adult men.
Isn’t iron dangerous unless you are anemic?
According to the latest health survey we should be eating 20 mg of iron from food, but we are eating 8 mg per day on average. Based on that information you or your child can start iron supplements.
How long will BioFe take to raise my child’s iron?
You should start to see an increase in iron levels in 3 months (90 days). If your teen is menstruating and has heavy periods, controlling heavy periods is essential to help reduce blood loss. Add iron-containing foods to further enhance iron levels at the same time.
StarMulti®
Why do you include organic fermented whole foods in your StarMulti® product?
Organic fermented whole foods provide vitamins and minerals and added fiber to the product. Organic fermented whole foods also provide prebiotics that enhance probiotics in the digestive system.
Is StarMulti® vegan-friendly?
Yes, StarMult is now vegan-friendly! Newer lots of our StarMulti product use vitamin D3 from lichen, which is a vegan ingredient.
Why do we use both 5-MTHF and folic acid as sources of folate in our Star Multi?
Our StarMulti has both naturally occurring 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), and folic acid for several reasons. We use 5-MTHF because it reduces the potential for masking hematological symptoms of B12 deficiency.
5-MTHF is also well absorbed by those with low gastrointestinal pH. But we also use folic acid along with naturally occurring 5-MTHF because the bulk of the research in humans has used folic acid. New research has shown that even those with a genetic variant called the MTHFR gene variant still process all types of folate including folic acid. You may have heard that if you have the MTHFR variant that you should avoid folic acid and should only take the 5-MTHF. However, this has now been shown to be not true. People with the MTHFR gene variant can process all types of folate including folic acid. And folic acid is the only type of folate shown to help prevent neural tube defects. You can read an easy-to-understand review of MTHFR gene and different types of folate.
Do all children need to take a multivitamin?
Yes is the short answer. Read the long answer here.