The Secret of Probiotics...

 Awareness surrounding the use and benefits of probiotics has exploded in recent years. If people aren’t seeking an oral probiotic at their local health foods store, then they are reading the back of yogurt labels in search of active cultures. Further, fermented foods such as pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi (kimchee) have seen their popularity increase due to the bacterial cultures inherent in the fermentation processes they go through. Are these little bugs that beneficial to our health and at what age can they begin to be beneficial?

Benefits

The average human body is composed of ten times more cells from bacteria and fungus than human cells. It seems to follow that what we put into our bodies has a direct impact on the composition of this flora and we are rapidly finding more research-supported reasons for people to take interest in their microbiome with benefits ranging from improved gastrointestinal function to decreases in anxiety and improved overall mood. But at what age do we need to start thinking about how we impact our flora?

How they Impact us

When treating the common cold and influenza-like symptoms such as runny nose, fever, and coughing, rest and stress relief are paramount in any treatment plan. Beyond that, there are countless over-the-counter remedies that can help suppress symptoms or aide in stimulating our body’s immune system, but how often do we consider probiotics among those ranks? A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded, “Daily dietary supplementation for six months (of probiotics) was a safe effective way to reduce fever, rhinorrhea (runny nose), and cough incidence and duration and antibiotic prescription incidence”. If probiotics can be helpful in reducing cold and flu symptoms, then at what point is it best to begin supplementing? The answer is as soon as we begin to develop our flora.

Supplementing

It had been thought that both the placenta and the intestines of newborn babies were sterile. What we are now finding is that this remarkable organ, the placenta – the only organ grown and then discarded in adulthood – has a microbiome unto itself. Further, studies suggest that the wrong composition of bacteria within the placenta during pregnancy may contribute to premature births.

Another commonly believed bit of scientific dogma is that unborn babies are born sterile, or bacteria-free. Infection is a common cause of premature pregnancy, and unfortunately, this belief stemmed from studies performed on premature babies. Studies looking at the first bowel movements of newborns, prior to their first meal, showed healthy bacterial cultures despite whether the baby was born full-term or prematurely. This suggests babies are not born sterile but are already developing their symbiotic relationship with probiotics, or good bacteria, before birth.

Probiotics change the bacterial balance in the human body and adding them to a child’s diet has numerous potential health benefits. In addition to the benefits mentioned above, I have seen great results with resolving diarrhea, eczema, colic, and allergies to name a few. You may want to consider using probiotics before resorting to more invasive options, such as stomach acid reducers and allergy medication. Before investing in probiotic supplements for yourself or your child, consider consulting with your pediatric practitioner to determine safety, the ideal strains to use, and the appropriate dosage. 

For more information:

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1. Mshvildadze, M., Neu, J., Shuster, J., Theriaque, D., Li, N., Mai, V. (2010). Intestinal Microbial Ecology in Premature Infants Assessed Using Non-Culture Based Techniques. The Journal of Pediatrics, 156(1), 20-25. doi:  10.1016/j.jpeds.2009.06.063

2. Aagaard, K., Ma, J., Antony, K.M., Ganu, R., Petrosino, J., Versalovic, J. (2014). The Placenta Harbors a Unique Microbiome. Science Translational Medicine, 6(237), 237-65. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3008599

3. Leyer, G.J., Li, S., Mubasher, M.E., Reifer, C., Ouwehand, A.C. (2009) Probiotic Effects on Cold and Influenza-Like Symptom Incidence and Duration in Children. Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, 124(2), 172-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.2008-2666

10 Signs Your Child Has A Food Sensitivity

If your child has a food allergy, chances are you already know about it – hives after eating strawberries or difficulty breathing around peanuts. These types of reactions tend to be easier to determine because of the immediate immune system response. They are called anaphylactic reactions.

Food sensitivities can be harder to tease out, however, because they can take up to 72 hours to develop, and sometimes even longer. Food sensitivities may present over time in response to over-consumption of a particular food or an imbalance in the gut microbiome. The consequence of continuing to eat foods one is sensitive to is inflammation and potentially chronic illnesses. Symptoms of food sensitivities often tend to be vague and seemingly unrelated.

The following are 10 signs of food sensitivities in your child:

1. Unexplained weight gain or loss

2. Stomach aches

3. Constipation and diarrhea

4. Frequent bed wetting

5. Fatigue, joint pain, and muscle pain

6. Frequent infections, especially of the ears and throat

7. Skin irritations and rashes

8. Behavioral issues

9. ADD/ADHD or other concentration issues

10. Autism Spectrum Disorder

Luckily there’s plenty you can do to help your child resolve these issues and continue to grow happily and healthfully. The first thing you can do is empower your child by allowing them to be a detective and try to figure out which foods cause problems. This can be eased with tests I discussed a couple of months ago, and either way, discovering the correlation can be a great relief. Food sensitivities may change over time and, with diligence and corrective action, may resolve.

Ideas for Raising Children with Healthy Habits

Summer is right around the corner and for many kids this means freedom. We can’t protect children from everything, nor is it a good idea to. Lessons learned from scraped knees or bruised egos can be vital to character development. But if we want children to have the best chance of living a happy, healthy life, we’ve got to equip them with the right mindset and habits to take with them into adulthood.

Here are six things you can do to influence your kids to form good habits and choose a healthy lifestyle:

1. Practice what you preach. The best leaders lead by example and, to your children, you are a leader. Your actions speak volumes and your kids are watching. If you want them to eat more vegetables, model that behavior and don’t ask them to do things you don’t do.

2. Make dinner time an opportunity to learn. If you aren’t already having dinner together with the TV off and the phones put away, now is the time to start. Dinner is an opportunity to connect as a family – to learn together and about each other. Talk about your days, what you like about the meal your having, or what you’ve looking forward to.

3. Be active as a family and make it fun. Go do things together – visit a museum, a park, or a fair. Go camping, hiking, ride a bike, play mini golf. These interactions stimulate learning and growth; they’ll bring your family closer together and foster vital communication skills.

4. Put yourself first. Sacrificing your needs for the sake of your kids can have the unnecessary effect of teaching kids we don’t value ourselves. Regularly take the time to prioritize your own health and they may learn to do the same. An added benefit is that you’ll be better equipped to take care of those you love.

5. Model good sleeping habits. Adequate, sound sleep equals a healthier, happier person. In addition to no TV during the weekdays, dim the lights inside around 7pm each night and put all electronic devices away within two hours of bedtime.

6. Get your kids involved in a sport. Whether a team sport or an individual sport, these are great opportunities to teach teamwork and sacrifice, encourage friendships, build camaraderie, and learn to believe in their bodies.

 When children see us happily and consistently modeling a healthy lifestyle, they just might follow in our footsteps.

The CDC Says This Season’s Flu Vaccine Won’t Work. Now What?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced that this year’s flu vaccine is not effective against the current flu strain. While this may be cause for alarm for some as we approach the peak of flu season, I am confident using other flu prevention tools will be more effective than the flu vaccine. The influenza vaccine is recommended annually for everyone older than six months of age, but how effective is it?

The flu vaccine is comprised of the three or four strains of flu most likely to be seen in a given season. The flu vaccine tends to not work very well if the strains of flu in the vaccine do not match the strains of flu in the current environment. However, on the rare occasion that the matching strain is perfect, 1% of flu-vaccinated individuals still end up with an infection, compared to 4% of unvaccinated individuals. In the case of a partial strain match, 1% of individuals still end up with an infection versus 2% of unvaccinated individuals, leaving the true reduction in flu risk a mere 1%. So when the media reports that the risk of getting the flu is cut in half, technically, that’s true because the risk has dropped from 2% to 1%, but what’s really being said is the absolute risk has been reduced from 2 in 100 to 1 in 100 people. 

The flu strain H3N2 appears to be circulating widely this year with enough mutation that our body will view it as an entirely new flu virus. As such, we can expect the vaccine to be largely ineffective. The good news is our bodies are well equipped to tackle new viruses if given a little support. Here are a few suggestions:

• Rest is paramount with any viral infection and my top recommendation. Adequate sleep and stress reduction are vitally important to the proper functioning of our immune system and will have the most positive impact on your speedy recovery.

•  Probiotics, taken regularly for at least 6 months, are a safe effective way to reduce fever, runny nose, and cough incidence and duration in children 3 to 5 years of age.

•  Vitamin D3 is a powerful role-player in the regulation of our immune system. Low vitamin D levels are associated with greater risk of getting influenza than those with healthy levels. Further, higher levels of vitamin D have been shown to potentially shorten the duration of infection. In one study it was found that for each 4ng/ml increase in vitamin D levels in the body, there was a 7% lower chance of developing influenza.

•  Zinc supplementation in the form of tablets, lozenges, or syrup, if given at the onset of a viral infection, has been shown to reduce the duration and severity.

 So the next time you catch the flu, consider supporting your body’s own innate ability to heal instead of reaching for fever suppressors and antibiotics, which would not be helpful for a virus such as influenza anyway. Yours in health!

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2. Leyer G.J., Li S., Mubasher M.E., Reifer C., Ouwehand A.C. (2009) Probiotic Effects on Cold and Influenza-Like Symptom Incidence and Duration in Children. Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, 124(2), 172-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.2008-2666

3. Rao G, Rowland K. (2011). PURLs: Zinc for the common cold—not if, but when. The Journal of Family Practice. 2011 Nov;60(11):669-71.

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5. Aloia J & Li-Ng M. Re: epidemic influenza and vitamin D. Epidemiology 2007;135(7)1095-6.

6. Urashima M, Segawa T, Okazaki M, et al. Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2010;91:1255-60.

7. Berry D, Hesketh K, Power C, et al. Vitamin D status has a linear association with seasonal infections and lung function in British adults. British Journal of Nutrition 2011;106:1433-1440.

8. Hulisz D. (2003) Efficacy of Zinc Against Common Cold Viruses: An Overview. Journal of American Pharmacist Association. 44(5):594-603