Children’s Gut Health

If we can get our children’s gut right from a very early stage, we massively increase their chance of having a strong immune system, a well functioning brain and nervous system and general high level of health. It absolutely makes sense, therefore, to consider just how we can achieve this optimally healthy gut right from an early age.

The gastrointestinal system is home to trillions of micro-organisms, many of which are absolutely crucial to our health. While a foetus is still developing, the gut is totally sterile; i.e. no micro-organisms are present. It is only at birth that a baby’s gut is inoculated with bacteria from it’s mother as it passes through the birth canal. The first thing we can do to promote a healthy microbiota (total gut bacterial population), therefore, is to use quality probiotics during pregnancy to ensure a healthy blend of bacteria are passed to the baby. A vaginal delivery gives baby a far greater exposure to these important bugs than does a Caesarian section. Where a vaginal birth is not possible, immediate skin-to-skin contact is vital. The early colostrum provides beautiful, immune-rich proteins & fats, which perfectly nourishes baby’s gut in the first few days, followed- wherever possible- by exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months.

Everyone, both children and adults, need to constantly nourish the gut microbiota to ensure it remains strong and healthy. The best foods for this are:

• Polyphenol- rich foods: all the deep red and black fruits & vegetables (black currants, cherries, blueberries, red apples, red cabbage, red onion, etc.) and pecans, hazelnuts & flaxseed.

• Prebiotic-like foods: brown rice, carrots, almonds, cocoa, slippery elm powder.

• Whole plant foods: fruits, veges, nuts, legumes.

Put simply, our diet must be rich in plant material in order to adequately feed the beneficial gut bacteria.

Dysbiosis is the state of having an unhealthy (dysbiotic) gut environment, with large numbers of harmful bacteria and reduced numbers of beneficial bacteria. One of the major contributors to dysbiosis is the use of antibiotics. Whilst they absolutely have their place, their long-term negative impact on the gut microbiota is not entirely recognized.

It is now clear that some healthy gut bugs never recover from antibiotic use, while other species need more than just a dose of standard probiotics to recover. Indeed, consuming extra probiotics leads to a temporary increase in beneficial bug counts while they are being consumed, but this is secondary in importance to nourishing the existing natural colonies .

The consequences of dysbiosis can be enormous; it being associated with the following conditions: obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, ADHD, autism, allergies, depression, anxiety, eczema & allergies. In accordance with the fundamental principle of Natural Medicine when treating any health condition, correct the gut first!