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When talking about the health of a child, it is important to note that approximately 70% of the immune system exists in the gut in the form of microbes. So it follows that one of the best ways to ensure the health of your kids is to take care of their gut with probiotic supplements.
When the balance between good and bad bacteria in the gut is maintained, your kids stand to gain much. Many studies have been preformed in relation to brain-gut interaction. In fact, the gut has been nicknamed the ‘second brain’. The gut brain communicates with the brain, and is known to pivotally affect overall health. Maintenance of gut flora balance provides support for brain health which is particularly important for a growing child.
Since maintaining balance between good and bad bacteria is vital for the proper functioning of the immune system, a number of health professionals recommend probiotics for kids. In this brief guide we cover the best probiotics for kids.
Best Probiotic Strains for Kids
Probiotics are defined as “live micro-organisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” as per the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. Fermented foods such as buttermilk and kefir naturally contain probiotics. Apart from these foods, you can also give your kids probiotic supplements. Some of the best strains of probiotics for kids are:
Lactobacillus Acidophilus
Belonging to the bacteria genus Lactobacillus, Acidophilus is a gut bacteria that can be found in fermented foods like yogurt. This gut microbe produces an enzyme known as lactase, which breaks down lactose into lactic acid. The different strains of L. acidophilus are known for their health benefits and each of them has different effects. Some of the health benefits include reducing cholesterol, treating gastroenteritis, alleviating symptoms of IBS, and it may also reduce allergy symptoms.
Bifidobacterium lactis
Perhaps one of the most powerful strains of probiotics for kids, Bifidobacterium lactis is present in raw milk. Some of the various benefits of this strain are improving digestion, enhancing the immune system, lowering cholesterol, and treating acute diarrhea.
Saccharomyces boulardii
One of the most commonly used probiotics for kids, Saccharomyces boulardii is a yeast. It is generally used to treat infectious diseases like rotaviral diarrhea, overgrowth of bad bacteria, and traveler’s diarrhea in kids. Research has shown that this probiotic strain is very effective in treating acute diarrhea in kids.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is regarded to be the most-widely clinically studied probiotic strain in the world. Extensive studies have been conducted to test the efficacy of this probiotic with children. Some of these studies have found that this strain may be useful in reducing allergy diseases and preventing eczema. This renowned strain is also effective in treating antibiotic associated diarrhea as well as acute gastroenteritis in kids.
While using these individual strains are beneficial to your kids, it is important to include foods and supplements that offer a wide range of probiotic strains in your kids’ diet.
Providing effective probiotic supplements for the young (right from infants) to the old is a motto of LoveBug Probiotics. LoveBug Probiotics have a strong research and scientific base – the team of doctors and scientists are continuously striving to figure out how each probiotic strain can be made even more effective. Their patented BIO-tract delivery technology is a testament to their intense research and dedication. It is because of this technology that the probiotics reach your digestive tract as soon as possible – making them 15 times more effective than the other supplements in the market.
Instead of containing just one strain of probiotics in the supplements, LoveBug offers you a specialized blend of different strains to ensure that the health benefit is maximized. The daily dose of LoveBug Probiotic delivers an approximate 3 billion good microbes to your kid’s gut. The best part about LoveBug products is that they do not contain any undesirable ingredients such as GMOs or gluten.
LoveBug’s Little Ones
Incorporating the patented BIO-tract technology, Little Ones from LoveBug Probiotics is ideal for any kid over the age of 4 years. Instead of chewable tablets, this supplement comes in the form of small-sized spheres, which can be easily swallowed. Each of these spheres is jam-packed with 3 billion live cultures that will populate the gut flora and enhance the immune system of kids. Little Ones contains five carefully selected strains as opposed to using just one or two.
Probiotic supplements will not cause any sugar cravings in kids because they do not contain sugar at all. Apart from sugar and gluten, this probiotic is also free of other allergenic ingredients like peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, shellfish, fish, tree nuts, crustacean, and wheat. LoveBug has taken care to create this specialized formula for kids and has ensured that children do not have any allergic reactions due to the consumption of this supplement.
The daily dose of Little Ones is one sphere before meals. This dosage may be increased to two spheres before meals only in cases where intense probiotic support is recommended.
Maintain the balance of the good and bad bacteria in your kids gut by opting for LoveBug Probiotics.
References
Bartlett AV, Jarvis BA, Ross V, et al. Diarrheal illness among infants and toddlers in day care centers: effects of active surveillance and staff training without subsequent monitoring. Am J Epidemiol 1988; 127:808–17.
Carabotti, M., Scirocco, A., Maselli, M. A., & Severi, C. (2015). The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems. Annals of Gastroenterology : Quarterly Publication of the Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology, 28(2), 203–209.
Glass RI, Lew JF, Gangarosa RE, et al. Estimates of morbidity and mortality rates for diarrheal diseases in American children. J Pediatr 1991; 118:S27–33.
Hojsak, I. (2017). Probiotics in Children: What Is the Evidence? Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, 20(3), 139–146. http://doi.org/10.5223/pghn.2017.20.3.139
Vighi, G., Marcucci, F., Sensi, L., Di Cara, G., & Frati, F. (2008). Allergy and the gastrointestinal system. Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 153(Suppl 1), 3–6. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2249.2008.03713.x
