With the days getting shorter, the breeze getting progressively cooler and the media announcing back-to-school specials, the collective clock is ticking for back-to-school.
With the start of the new school year, sometimes dreaded, sometimes long-awaited, comes a mountain of logistics. Buying school supplies and setting up routines are just some of the concerns. Many parents also feel the anticipation of germs returning to the household, from runny noses to gastro epidemics. Schools and daycare centers are incubators for germs, to which children are exposed for several months of the year and which, unfortunately, trigger a number of illnesses and ailments in the little ones.
This year, rather than suffer the effects of these microbes, be prepared to face them. And you can do this right now, by strengthening your children's intestinal flora.
Back to school: Understanding the importance of children's intestinal flora
Although it's important to be wary of germs that can make children sick, over the last few decades science has demonstrated that the vast majority of bacteria are beneficial to human beings. In fact, not only are they beneficial, they are vital, providing a defense against harmful organisms known as pathogens (viruses, opportunistic bacteria, parasites, etc.). These beneficial bacteria protect the body by providing a defense system, both inside and outside the body. In the digestive tract lies one of the body's greatest defense systems, the intestinal flora.
Healthy intestinal flora plays a number of important roles, including digesting fibers, detoxifying certain toxic substances, producing neurotransmitters, and building and maintaining the immune system. 1,2,3,4
As we head back to school, it's best to ensure that our intestinal flora is well-balanced, so that our immune system is strong and solid enough to face the germs that our children will encounter in abundance. Those 100,000 billion bacteria in the intestines will soon be put to the test, and they deserve a little help! 5
Back to school : Taking probiotics for immune health
To fortify children's intestinal flora and thus maintain and strengthen their immunity, taking probiotics is highly recommended.
According to a systematic analysis carried out by the most recent Cochrane review, probiotic supplementation reduces the frequency, intensity and duration of respiratory tract infections in children. Taking probiotics also reduces the need for antibiotics, and lowers absenteeism by promoting better healing. 6
What's more, a balanced intestinal flora supported by probiotics reduces the risk of gastroenteritis. This gastrointestinal ailment, so dreaded by parents, is widespread in schools and day-care centers, which are high-risk environments for the spread of rotavirus, often responsible for epidemic viral gastroenteritis in children. 7
To ensure your child has a healthy start to the new school year, add a probiotic supplement to his or her diet now. Ready-to-drink formats Bio-Kidz ready-to-drink formulas containing 12.5 billion bacteria per serving are very popular with children - and their intestinal flora! In fact, the effectiveness of Bio-K+'s patented bacterial strains has been clinically proven time and time again. 8,9
Each cup Bio-Kidz cup appeals to children who enjoy consuming probiotics in a form, texture and taste reminiscent of ready-to-drink yogurt. Visit fermented milk-based formula has a strawberry taste is just as appealing to children as the vegan version, in which the pea base is enhanced by a succulent raspberry flavor.
Children's immune health : Should I always supplement with probiotics?
While probiotic supplementation fortifies the human intestinal flora, a balanced diet helps maintain its integrity in a healthy individual.
With back-to-school season upon us, when immune defenses will be put to the test and children will be experiencing immunity-weakening adaptive stress, it's best to supplement. 10
Other life circumstances may also call for supplementation. Probiotics are recommended if your child :
- has a skin condition such as eczema;
- has an autism spectrum disorder;
- has a frequent stomach ache;
- has abnormal bowel movements (diarrhea, constipation or a mixture of both).
- has allergies;
- is being treated with antibiotics;
- is going through a period of stress (physical or psychological);
- rubs shoulders with contagious people/peers
To maintain healthy intestinal flora through diet and lifestyle, encourage your child to :
- play outdoors (organisms present in the soil are beneficial to human flora) ;
- eat an abundance of fruits, vegetables and whole grains;
- avoid sugary and highly processed foods;
- consume lacto-fermented products;
- maintain good sleep hygiene;
- manage stress
Don't wait for the cold, flu or gastro to knock on your door! Stock up on Bio-Kidz now and encourage your child to adopt healthy lifestyle habits while incorporating probiotics.
Happy back-to-school!
About the author
Naturopaths of La Boite à Grains
Team of licensed and certified naturopaths (ND) in Gatineau, Outaouais.
Original article written by Véronique Cousineau, Naturopath
Sources
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- P.J. Turnbaugh, V.K. Ridaura, J.J. Faith, F.E. Rey, R. Knight, J.I. Gordon. The effect of diet on the human gut microbiome: a metagenomic analysis in humanized gnotobiotic mice. Sci Trans Med, 1 (2009), p. 6ra14
- S.P. Claus, H. Guillou, S. Ellero-Simatos. The gut microbiota: a major player in the toxicity of environmental pollutants? NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes, 2 (2016), p. 16003
- I. Sakamoto, M. Igarashi, K. Kimura, Takagi, T. Miwa, Y. Koga. Suppressive effect of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL 2716 (LG21) on Helicobacter pylori infection in humans. J Antimicrob Chemother, 47 (2001), pp. 709-710
- Hooper and Macpherson, 2010. Immune adaptation that maintains homeostasis with the intestinal microbiota. Nat rev Immunol. 10(3):159-169.
- Probiotics for preventing acute upper respiratory tract infections. Qiukui Hao, Bi Rong Dong, Taixiang Wu. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Review. 2015; (2): CD006895. 2015 Feb 3.
- Huang, Yung-Feng MD, Liu, Po-Yen MD, Chen, Ying-Yao MD. Three-Combination Probiotics Therapy in Children With Salmonella and Rotavirus Gastroenteritis. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology: January 2014 - Volume 48 - Issue 1 - p 37-42
- Millette, M., F.M. Luquet, M.T. Ruiz, M. Lacroix. 2008. Characterization of probiotic properties of Lactobacillus strains. Dairy Science and Technology, 88: 695-708.
- Millette, M., F.M. Luquet, M. Lacroix. 2007. In vitro control of selected pathogens by a Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. casei-fermented milk. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 44:314-319.
- Segerstrom, Suzanne C.,Miller, Gregory E. Psychological Stress and the Human Immune System: A Meta-Analytic Study of 30 Years of Inquiry. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 130(4), Jul 2004, 601-630
