Flintstones Chewable Vitamins are a supplemental multivitamin for children shaped like the characters of the

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

sitcom ''

The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...

''. They were introduced in 1968 by

Miles Laboratories Miles Laboratories was founded as the Dr. Miles Medical Company in Elkhart, Indiana, in 1884 by Dr. Franklin Lawrence Miles, a specialist in the treatment of eye and ear disorders, with an interest in the connection of the nervous system to ov ...

and taste sweet like candy. Miles Laboratories was acquired by Bayer in 1979. The vitamins are a very successful dietary supplement. The

jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...

tagline In entertainment, a tagline (alternatively spelled tag line) is a short text which serves to clarify a thought for, or is designed with a form of, dramatic effect. Many tagline slogans are reiterated phrases associated with an individual, s ...

, "We are Flintstones Kids, Ten Million Strong and Growing..." (music by Martin O'Donnell, lyric by Jim Morris), became famous through heavy advertising. The vitamins are widely available. They feature vitamins in the shapes of the Flintstones characters:

Fred Flintstone Fred Flintstone is the main character of the animated sitcom '' The Flintstones'', which aired during prime-time on ABC during the original series' run from 1960 to 1966. Fred is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and father of Pebbles Flintsto ...

Wilma Flintstone Wilma Flintstone is a fictional character in the television animated series ''The Flintstones''. Wilma is the red-headed woman married to caveman Fred Flintstone, daughter of Pearl Slaghoople, and mother of Pebbles Flintstone. Her best friend is ...

Pebbles Flintstone Pebbles Flintstone (also known as Pebbles Flintstone-Rubble as an adult) is a fictional character in the ''Flintstones'' franchise. The red-haired daughter of Fred and Wilma Flintstone, Pebbles is born near the end of the third season. She is mo ...

, Barney Rubble,

Betty Rubble Betty Rubble is a fictional character in the television animated series '' The Flintstones'' and its spin-offs and live-action motion pictures. She is the black-haired wife of caveman Barney Rubble and the adoptive mother of Bamm-Bamm Rubble. H ...

, Bamm-Bamm Rubble, Dino, and

The Great Gazoo The Great Gazoo or simply Gazoo is a character (arts), fictional character from the animated series ''The Flintstones''. He first appeared on the show on October 29, 1965. The Great Gazoo was voiced by actor Harvey Korman. Fictional biography ...

. 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.

Available products

Flintstones Chewable Vitamins are currently available in six variations:Flintstones - Our Products
. URL accessed on November 8, 2011. Though all Flintstones have a healthy injection, they are all candy based, and still prescribed by doctors. *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.Flintstones Complete Chewables
URL accessed on November 8, 2011. It is designed for children two 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.Mahan, K.L. & Escott-Stump, S. (Ed.). (2008). Krause's Nutrition Therapy. Missouri: Saunders Elsevier 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.

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 two years of age.

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. 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 diarrhea and kidney stones.

Notes and references

External links

Flintstones Vitamins website with nutrition informationFlintstones Vitamins Canadian website
{{The Flintstones Vitamins The Flintstones Bayer brands Products introduced in 1968