A concerning trend is quietly growing among families.

Parents are increasingly turning to supplements recommended by friends, neighbors, social media influencers, online parenting groups, and wellness podcasts. The advice is often well-intentioned:

“Try this for focus.”

“This helped my child’s anxiety.”

“My neighbor’s son grew taller after taking this.”

“An influencer swears by it.”

What many families don’t realize is that supplements are not automatically safe simply because they are sold over the counter or labeled as “natural.”

In fact, some can be harmful—especially for children and adolescents.

The Problem With Supplement Advice

When a child has trouble sleeping, struggles with attention, experiences anxiety, seems shorter than peers, or enters puberty later than expected, parents naturally look for answers.

A recommendation from a friend may sound convincing because it comes from personal experience. An influencer may appear trustworthy because they have thousands of followers. But neither knows your child’s medical history, medications, allergies, growth pattern, or underlying health conditions.

What helped one child may be ineffective or even dangerous for another.

“Natural” Does Not Mean Safe

Many parents assume that if a product comes from a plant, herb, or natural source, it must be harmless.

History tells us otherwise.

Poison ivy is natural.

Tobacco is natural.

Opium comes from a plant.

Natural substances can have powerful effects on the body and brain.

Children are particularly vulnerable because their brains, hormones, and organ systems are still developing.

Even Tea Isn’t Automatically Harmless

I hate to say it, but even something as simple and “natural” as tea isn’t automatically harmless.

Depending on the type, tea may contain caffeine and other biologically active compounds that can increase heart rate, worsen anxiety, interfere with sleep, trigger headaches, or interact with certain medications.

That doesn’t mean tea is dangerous. It means that “natural” is not the same as “risk-free.”

Every substance we put into our bodies has the potential for both benefits and side effects. The question isn’t whether something is natural. The question is whether it’s appropriate, safe, and necessary for that particular child.

The Growing Concern About Kratom

One recent example is kratom, a plant-derived substance marketed for energy, mood enhancement, pain relief, and stress reduction.

Kratom products are widely available online and in smoke shops, vape stores, convenience stores, and gas stations.

The FDA has repeatedly warned consumers about serious health risks associated with kratom products, including addiction, withdrawal symptoms, seizures, liver toxicity, and even death in some reported cases. The agency issued a warning in 2024 regarding a kratom product linked to one death and multiple serious adverse events.

More recently, health officials have raised concerns about highly concentrated kratom-derived compounds such as 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), which act on opioid receptors and may have significant addiction potential. Some products are being sold in forms that may appeal to teenagers, including flavored gummies and beverages.

Most parents have never heard of kratom.

Many teenagers have.

That’s what makes this issue particularly concerning.

Why Children Are Different

Children are not simply small adults.

Their brains are still developing.

Their liver and kidney metabolism differs from adults.

Their hormone systems are actively changing throughout childhood and adolescence.

A supplement that appears harmless in adults may affect children very differently.

Even more concerning, many supplements have never been adequately studied in children.

The absence of evidence of harm is not the same as evidence of safety.

The Questions Parents Should Ask

Before starting any supplement, ask:

• Why am I giving this?
• What evidence supports its use?
• Has it been studied in children?
• What are the possible side effects?
• Could it interact with medications?
• Is there an underlying medical condition that should be evaluated first?

Sometimes a supplement isn’t the answer at all.

Poor sleep may be caused by anxiety.

Slow growth may signal a nutritional deficiency, hormonal issue, chronic disease or simply normal variation.

Difficulty concentrating may have multiple explanations that deserve proper evaluation.

Treating symptoms without understanding the cause can delay getting the right help.

A Better Approach

As parents, we all want to help our children thrive.

That doesn’t mean avoiding supplements altogether.

It means using the same standards we apply to any medical decision:

Ask questions.

Look for evidence.

Consider risks and benefits.

And remember that the best recommendation is not the one that comes from the loudest influencer, the most persuasive advertisement, or the well-meaning neighbor.

It’s the one that is right for your child.

Because when it comes to children’s health, “everyone is taking it” is never a substitute for good medical judgment.