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by totalhealth Editors
Probiotics For Kids
you’re probably aware of the benefits of taking probiotics to help support a healthy microbial balance in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. But did you know your kids can benefit as well? According to board-certified gastroenterologist Dr. Joseph Brasco, many people have digestive issues because of their food choices—including children. A prescription for bad digestion for anyone is a diet high in processed and refined foods; one that doesn’t provide adequate nutrients, fiber and water; and one that includes too much sugar and carbohydrates.
“Unfortunately, this is how many adults eat, and so their children are affected too,” says Dr. Brasco. “I see more and more kids who are constipated and are on reflux medicines.”
Stress can affect kids’ digestion, too. Events such as moving to a new school, divorce or social pressures, and exams all play a role. Others factors include the use and over use of antibiotics for illness. “Parents need to realize that you don’t automatically need an antibiotic when a child isn’t feeling well,” says Dr. Brasco. What also doesn’t help is that trace amounts of antibiotics are also found in the food supply, such as milk, eggs and meat, along with hand washes and scrubs. Environmental toxins such as pesticides and herbicides have also changed the bacterial balance in the soil and depleted our natural supply of probiotics.
critical to your child’s health
Digestive health is critical to the overall health of your child, especially when it comes to healthy immune system function. A child’s immune system is not fully developed before the age of 14, making kids under this age particularly susceptible to infection and sickness. What little immunity they do start life with is passed on from the mother via the placenta, and then in breast milk, but this passive immunity is fairly short-lived.
The majority of the immune system’s cells are located in the GI tract and “friendly,” or good, intestinal bacteria are vital to helping your child’s bodily defenses function properly. In a healthy bowel, good microorganisms aid digestion and nutrient absorption while keeping pathogens (harmful microorganisms) under control. When the good bacteria become depleted, an imbalance of microflora in the gut, called dysbiosis, occurs.
back in balance
Giving your child probiotic rich foods and supplements is a positive step that will help replenish levels of “good” bacteria in the gut. “Probiotics bring the intestinal bacteria back into balance,” says Dr. Brasco, who is also co-director of The Colon and Digestive Disease Center of Huntsville, Alabama. “They help digestion by maintaining healthy bowel function and reducing gas and bloating after meals.”
Probiotics (a word derived from Greek meaning “for life”) therapy also bolsters immunity and supports a healthy intestinal lining. When the lining is occupied by healthy beneficial flora, it leaves potentially harmful microorganisms deprived of both space and nutrients.
“When it comes to making healthy changes to your child’s diet,” says Dr. Brasco, “it’s not rocket science. It’s actually very simple. Lead by example.”
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