Are your kids
getting sick too often?
Week 1: Probiotics
My heart aches when I see a small child looking miserable in hospital.
And reading Facebook recently, I saw not one or two, but four different friends’ precious children in hospital gowns! Even more alarming was the fact that they are all typical, healthy kids suffering from common infections that took a turn for the worse. It goes to show how easy it is to succumb to illness, which too often places kids on an antibiotic merry-go-round.
This is the first of 5 weekly articles featuring my top Naturopathic recommendations to help your kids get sick less often and get better quicker when they do get sick.
Probiotics
Children taking probiotics had a 32% reduction in days absent from child care and use of antibiotics was reduced by 68% in a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial(1).
How do they work?
Our gut is said to contain 70% of our immune system. Our beneficial gut flora (the good bugs) are like the gatekeepers: if you have a good team working here, the pathogens (the bad bugs) are much less likely to get in and take hold.
Our gut is said to contain
70% of our immune system.
Probiotics strengthen the intestinal barrier as well as produce anti-microbial substances that can kill off potentially pathogenic bugs and fungi. They also have the ability to bind to viruses such a rotavirus(2).
Who should take them?
Natural food-source probiotics such as yoghurt with active cultures, kefir or sauerkraut are a beneficial addition to the everyday diet.
For children who need an extra immune boost — this includes anyone who has taken antibiotics or gets colds or “tummy bugs” often — I recommend taking a probiotic supplement daily for at least a month.
What do I take?
There are hundreds of strains of probiotics on the market and the actions of the various probiotic strains are specific. A good overall supplement that is widely available in many health food stores and pharmacies is Ethical Nutrients “Inner Health for Kids” powder. Keep it in the fridge and give your child 1 to 2 teaspoons daily (from 3 months of age). It is mild tasting and can be mixed in with food or drinks as long as they are not too hot.
Probiotics are easy to take and my clients comment on tangible improvements to their gastrointestinal and immune health.
Next week, in my five-part series on boosting children’s health: Prebiotics. Follow me here on Medium, or on Facebook.
Larn Lau Bland is an independent Naturopath, and is not paid to endorse any brand or product. Larn’s practice, Natural Balance, is located Melbourne, Australia.
Header photo by Albert Comper Photography.
References
- Leyer, G.J., et al., ‘Probiotic effects on cold and influenza-like symptom incidence and duration in children’. Pediatrics, 2009. 124: p. e172-e179.
- Salminen, S., S. Nybom, et al. (2010). ‘Interaction of probiotics and pathogens — benefits to human health?’ Current Opinion in Biotechnology 21(2): 157–167.
- Saveedra et al., ‘Human Studies with probiotics and prebiotics: Clinical Implications’, Br J Nutr, 2002 May; 87 Suppl 2:S241–6.
