Probiotics to the rescue for back to school
When children start daycare or school – if you have children of your own – you probably know the drill. Whether you’ve experienced it yourself or heard about it, you probably know how challenging the first few years of daycare or school can be, not to mention … viruses, microbes, and illnesses. Dealing with your children's symptoms and shortened nights is undoubtedly challenging for the whole family. Why are children sick so often? Is it possible to have a positive influence on their immunity and prevent this from happening again and again? A deep dive into Kids’ immunity!
When it comes to the immune system, the first thing that comes to mind is certainly the infamous intestinal microbiota. In fact, no less than 80% of children's immune cells reside in their intestines! This is why a balanced flora is so important to the development of a healthy immune system. It’s important to remember that the development of the microbiota will be influenced by various factors, such as diet, childbirth method, breastfeeding, environment, contact with the outside world and with animals, and so on.
Hygiene and lifestyle habits play a role too. If your child is frequently sick, their immune system may be more fragile. Moreover, children spend a lot of time playing together and sharing toys without paying much attention to hygiene rules.
While this situation is probably normal, it's not necessarily easy to handle! Are there any solutions? Right from the start, adopting healthy lifestyle habits from a young age will certainly have a positive impact on the development of the immune system. Therefore, if we briefly summarize, diet influences the microbiota, and the microbiota, in turn, influences the immune system. Let's focus on nutrition!
Promoting microbial health through diet often involves eating plants. We could talk at length about the kind of diet that promotes the development of a good microbiota, but if you’d like to know more, I invite you to read the article. In the meantime, let’s keep in mind that as much fiber as possible will positively stimulate the development of the intestinal microbiota. Whenever possible, we try to include the following in your child’s menu:
- Whole grains
- Fruits and vegetables
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes;
- Etc.
In addition to these, we can also put the odds in our favor by incorporating the daily intake of probiotics designed for children from the age of 4. In fact, Bio-K's Original Strawberry Drinkable Probiotic is particularly loved by younger ones. These drinkable probiotics contains three strains of bacteria known for their positive impact on the immune system. Here they are…
- Lactobacillus acidophilus CL1285®: the Offense! This strain of bacteria helps fight off “bad” bacteria.
- Lactobacillus casei LBC80R®: the Defense! This strain helps strengthen the intestinal barrier, optimizing immunity by preventing pathogens from making their way into the digestive system.
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus CLR2®: the Nurse! While the other two strains act preventively, Lactobacillus rhamnosus CLR2® helps to repair the damage caused by pathogens, so that the balance is restored as quickly as possible.
As you can see, choosing the right probiotic is key to achieving favorable results. The synergy between the different strains is optimal. For this reason, if you choose to take a probiotic supplement to give yourself a boost, be sure to examine its composition. That way, you’ll know you’re doing the best you can to make your child’s life – and your everyday life – easier!
