Flintstones Chewable Vitamins

Flintstones Chewable Vitamins are supplemental multivitamins for children based on the animated sitcom The Flintstones. They were introduced in 1968 by Miles Laboratories and taste faintly like candy. Miles Laboratories was acquired by Bayer in 1979.

The vitamins are one of the most successful drug products.[1] Some advertisements have been under heavy rotation without being related to The Flintstones. Their jingle/tagline, "We are Flintstones Kids, Ten Million Strong and Growing . . ." (music by Martin O'Donnell,[2] lyric by Jim Morris, AKA Tagline Jim), has reached fame through the heavy circulation of advertisements.

The vitamins can be purchased in pharmacies, grocery stores, and on the black and grey markets. They feature vitamins in the shapes of the following characters: Fred Flintstone, Wilma Flintstone, Pebbles Flintstone, Barney Rubble, Betty Rubble, Bamm-Bamm Rubble, Dino, and The Great Gazoo.[3] For over twenty years, Betty was not included as one of the vitamins. However, after a grassroots campaign and the results of a Bayer telephone poll came in favor of including Betty, the character was added to the lineup in 1995, replacing the Flintstone car.[4]

The fact that the character of Betty was not a vitamin for a long time influenced the name of the band Betty's Not A Vitamin. The name was chosen when Chris Tocco lined up Flintstones gummies on a counter and realized that there was not a vitamin for Betty. [5]

Available products

Flintstones Chewable Vitamins are currently available in six variations:[6]

  • Flintstones Complete
  • Flintstones with Iron
  • Flintstones Plus Omega-3 DHA
  • Flintstones Plus Immunity Support
  • Flintstones Plus Bone Building Support
  • My First Flintstones

Flintstones Complete

Flintstones Complete comes in three forms: chewable, gummy and sour gummy.[7]

It is designed for children 2 years of age and older. Flintstones Complete has a high supplementation of iron, iodine, vitamin D and vitamin E. Vitamin D is necessary for the maintenance and growth of bones in children. Vitamin D deficiency is a concern for infants, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. This is because infants often have very limited exposure to sunlight, which is the main source of endogenous Vitamin D production. Vitamin D deficiency can result in rickets, a disease in which bones become soft and pliable. Vitamin E is a potent anti-oxidant in the body. Vitamin E deficiencies leads to neuromuscular, vascular and reproductive abnormalities.[8]

The chewable form of Flintstones Complete contains higher amounts of vitamins and minerals than the gummy version. The chewable form, unlike the gummy version, contains: Vitamins B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), Niacin, Calcium, Iron, Copper and Selenium.[7]

Flintstones with Iron

Flintstones with Iron has a similar vitamin profile as Flintstones Complete gummy version. The iron content meets 75% of the Daily Value of iron for children over 2 years of age.[7]

Flintstones Plus Immunity Support

Flintstones Plus Immunity Support has a similar vitamin profile as Flintstones Complete gummy version. However, Flintstones Plus Immunity Support provides 250 mg of Vitamin C, which far exceeds the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for children.[7] The RDA of vitamin C for children 1 – 3 years of age is 15 mg; 4 – 8 years of age is 25 mg; 9 – 14 years of age is 45 mg. The dosage of Vitamin C in one tablet of Flintstones Plus Immunity Support Vitamin C is still below the tolerable upper intake levels (UL). The UL for children 1–3 years of age is 400 mg; 4–8 years of age is 650 mg; 9–11 years of age is 1200 mg. Parents should not give their child more than the recommended dose of Flintstones Plus Immunity Support because they can easily exceed their child's UL for vitamin C. This can lead to adverse effects, such as diarrhoea and kidney stones.[8]

Notes and references
  1. Flintstones at the Museum of Broadcast Communication. URL accessed on February 28, 2007.
  2. Martin O'Donnell bio Archived 2007-12-13 at the Wayback Machine. URL accessed on March 1, 2007.
  3. Flintstones Vitamins–The Leading Brand Moms Trust and Kids dislike!
  4. "Bayer to add Betty Rubble to Flintstones Vitamins". Boca Raton News (via Associated Press). 1995-10-21.
  5. "Betty's Not a Vitamin". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  6. Flintstones - Our Products Archived 2011-11-05 at the Wayback Machine. URL accessed on November 8, 2011. Though all Flintstones have a healthy injection, they are all candy based, and still prescribed by doctors.
  7. Flintstones Complete Chewables. URL accessed on November 8, 2011.
  8. Mahan, K.L. & Escott-Stump, S. (Ed.). (2008). Krause's Nutrition Therapy. Missouri: Saunders Elsevier
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