Can My Child Overdose On Probiotics
It isn’t possible to overdose on probiotics to the point where they would make your child seriously ill, but if your child is fed too much probiotic, it may lead to them feeling sick, or experiencing excess bloating, gas and diarrhoea. This is because there are already trillions of bacteria living in a person’s gut, and too much probiotic can upset its natural balance of bacteria.
Which Are Best For Older Children
Many childrens probiotics are suitable for up to 12 years.
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Digestive Advantage is a probiotic for children aged 3-12 years containing a bacteria called BC30. There isnt a great deal of published research to support its use and so it cant be recommended.
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Optibac Probiotics for Babies and Children may aid constipation in children up to 12 years.
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Culturelle Kids daily chewable tablets are suitable for 3-12 years and may help both constipation and diarrhoea.
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Alflorex chewable tablets are suitable for children over 3 years and also could help aid constipation.
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Symprove is primarily aimed at adults but their website states it can be used with children at the discretion of the parent. Its friendly bacteria are associated with improving diarrhoea, constipation and colic.
There are many other brands available and parents should decide which is best for their child. Seek the help of a Registered Dietitian if you are unsure.
Have you tried probiotics with your children and have they helped?
If you would like to see the full reference list for this blog, please contact me.
Floratummys Probiotic Sprinkles 2699 For 30 Sachets Best For Those With Food Allergies
Suitable for: 1+
Type: Powder
These probiotics for kids contains five billion live bacteria cultures in two probiotic strains, as well as a prebiotic to help nourish the beneficial bacteria in your childrens gut.
Its suitable for non-dairy kids, free from major food allergens and suitable for vegans. As a powder, it can also be easily mixed into drinks, added to yoghurt or sprinkled on top of cereals and porridge.
It may not contain a huge diverse number of bacterial strains, but the brand promotes the formula as being able to naturally help with a range of issues including diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, belly pain and colic, too.
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Keeping Kids Immune Systems Strong
While occasional colds and flus are inevitable, there are several ways to strengthen a childs immune system.
Eating a varied diet that is low in fat but rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains will keep the body and immune system healthy. A high-fibre diet will also feed the gut microbiota. Additionally, getting adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals ensures that the immune system can produce the cells, antibodies and other molecules needed to fight disease.
Two In Natren’s Three
Bifido Factor® is step two in Natren’s three-step custom probiotic system. This Bifidobacterium bifidum probiotic product provides support for the large intestine. The large intestine serves as the body’s waste management and disposal system. It needs specific flora to help it maintain a healthy balance, which the Bifidobacterium bifidum bacteria strain provides. Bifidobacteria prefer to reside along the walls of the large intestine. Bifido bacteria are the second most prolific group of bacteria found in a healthy human being. Japanese researchers claim that bifido bacteria are the most beneficial bacteria to human health. Natren founder and probiotic expert Natasha Trevev has spent over a decade studying bifido bacteria and lactobacilli and their applications to human health with the internationally acclaimed researcher and author Dr. Jeremija Lj. Resic, Ph.D.
Natren’s Bifidobacterium bifidum Malyoth super strain is one of the most beneficial probiotics of the Bifidobacterium genus, and has been available as a probiotic supplement in the marketplace for almost three decades, since Natren was the first probiotic company to introduce a single strain bifido bacteria product to the U.S.
- Production of lactic and acetic acids, which can lower the pH of the large intestine and aid digestion *
- Colon function*
- Large intestine health*
- Repopulation of the colon with beneficial bacteria essential for good health*
Natren Healthy Start System®
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How Taking A Daily Probiotic Helps Keep Your Kids At Their Best
There are many things that can throw off the bacterial balance in your childs gastrointestinal microbiome like environment, diet and certain medications. This imbalance can lead to occasional digestive upset and impact overall wellness. Culturelle® Kids Purely Probiotics® Chewables balance your little ones digestive tract naturally with the power of good bacteria to support their overall health.* And, because probiotics are most effective when taken every day to keep restocking good bacteria in your childs microbiome, be sure to make Culturelle® probiotics part of your childs daily routine.
How Can I Promote Probiotics Naturally In My Child
If your child is a newborn or infant, breastfeeding is the best way to provide probiotics. Breastmilk contains probiotics and prebiotics from the mother as well as human milk oligosaccharides . These specialized carbohydrates only appear in human breast milk and act as “prebiotic,” encouraging healthy bacteria growth. If you don’t breastfeed, some formulas are now including probiotics and HMOs to help build a baby’s microbiome.
If your child is older, encourage a diet of healthy, unprocessed foods. Fresh fruits, vegetables and yogurt all help promote better gut health and health in general. Your child should avoid fatty foods or sugary beverages that not only hurt gut health but overall health. See more probiotic foods to promote gut health.
Additionally, make an effort to limit your child’s exposure to oral antibiotics, which can kill off good bacteria in your child’s gut. Before asking for antibiotics always make sure your child has a bacterial infection, not a viral infection. A pediatrician will help make this decision for you.
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The Role Of Probiotics In Infants And Children
Given the important role that our gut microbiome plays in regulating our immune system, the routine use of probiotics has become increasingly popular today especially for conjunctive use with antibiotic treatments.
A big challenge, however, when looking at the role of probiotics is defining a normal microbiota profile. As mentioned earlier, our microbiomes are constantly changing based on our environment and have been found to vary greatly between gender, ages and geographical areas.
So, is the routine use of probiotics really necessary in children? And what role do probiotic supplements really play?
In a large 2017 review focusing on the use of probiotics in children, it was concluded that only certain probiotic strains may be effective in reducing the incidence of infection in children .
These findings were further supported by a large meta-analysis whereby the use of probiotics was also found to reduce the risk of infection in children.
However, a big limitation of the metaanalysis was that there was no strainspecific use of probiotics. Therefore, no recommendation can be convincingly made on the specific type of probiotic to use on a routine basis.
Which Probiotics Are Best For Wind And Bloating
Probiotics may not be helpful for wind and bloating, as this can be a side effect of taking probiotics for some children.
However, for children with Irritable Bowel Syndrome , there is some evidence that probiotics could help with general IBS symptoms such as stomach pain but more research needs to be done.
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Conditions Related To Allergy
Allergic Rhinitis
- A review of 23 studies in which probiotics were tested for treating allergic rhinitis found some evidence that they may be helpful for improving symptoms and quality of life. However, because the studies tested different probiotics and measured different effects, no recommendations about the use of probiotics could be made. Few side effects of probiotics were reported in these studies.
Asthma
- A review of 11 studies of probiotics for asthma in children had inconclusive results.
Atopic Dermatitis
- Atopic dermatitis is an itchy chronic skin disorder thatâs associated with allergies but not caused by them. Itâs most common in infants and may start as early as age 2 to 6 months. Many people outgrow it by early adulthood. Atopic dermatitis is one of several types of eczema.
- A 2017 review of 13 studies of probiotics for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in infants and children did not find consistent evidence of a beneficial effect. A review of 9 studies in adults provided preliminary evidence that some strains of probiotics might be beneficial for symptoms of atopic dermatitis.
Prevention of Allergies
Cancer: Prevention And Treatment
Results of published studies have demonstrated the positive benefits of functional foods, such as yogurt, and the administration of probiotics to prevent carcinogenic processes in animal models. As yet, no published RCTs warrant recommendation of routine administration of probiotics to either treat or prevent cancer in adults or children.
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Can I Use Probiotics To Help With Medical Conditions
There is currently a large amount of research happening around the idea of what probiotics can do for your body. Even though there are a lot of possibly positive outcomes, researchers are still working to find definitive answers about how probiotics can help with various conditions.
However, there are some medical conditions where probiotics may help. This can vary between people meaning that what works for one person may not work for another. These can also vary based on the certain probiotic that is taken.
Some of the conditions that might be helped by increasing the amount of probiotics in your body include:
- Upper respiratory infections .
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What Are The Most Common Types Of Probiotic Bacteria
Though there are many types of bacteria that can be considered probiotics, there are two specific types of bacteria that are common probiotics found in stores. These include:
- Lactobacillus.
- Bifidobacterium.
Probiotics are also made up of good yeast. The most common type of yeast found in probiotics is:
- Saccharomyces boulardii.
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How Might Probiotics Work
Probiotics may have a variety of effects in the body, and different probiotics may act in different ways.
Probiotics might:
- Help your body maintain a healthy community of microorganisms or help your bodyâs community of microorganisms return to a healthy condition after being disturbed
- Produce substances that have desirable effects
- Influence your bodyâs immune response.
What Do Probiotics Help With
While probiotics may help infants with numerous different gut related issues, here are some of the main ones. Keep in mind that there is very little research on probiotics and infants but some clinical trials and anecdotal evidence has shown that they may be helpful for:
- easing colic
- improving mood, motivation, and cognitive health
- repairing damaged tissue from injuries
Even if your baby or toddler isnt experiencing any of these symptoms, chances are they still could benefit from a probiotic.
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Boost Your Childs Immune System
Do your children seem to catch more than their fair share of illnesses? Here are some ways you can boost their immune system and keep them in school. Take as many of these supplements as you feel is appropriate every day:
- Echinacea – this natural herb will enhance your own immune system. Many research studies have proven its effectiveness. Learn more about dosing information for you and your kids.
- Vitamin C – this simple vitamin can fight off invading germs. Younger kids up to age 6 will benefit from around 250 mg per day. Older kids and adults can take 500 mg per day. Available as a powder, chewable, or capsule. See our article on Vitamin Supplements to read more about it.
- Fruits and vegetable supplement – the immune-boosting properties of nature’s food is remarkable. If your kids won’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, I recommend Juice Plus fruit and veggie supplements.
- Zinc – this mineral is a safe and effective way to boost the immune system. Children up to age 6 years can take 10 to 20 mg per day. Older kids and adults can take 20 to 40 mg per day.
- Probiotics – the common name used for this is Acidophillus. These are healthy bacteria that live in our intestines and help with our immune system. The best species of probiotics are lactobacillus and bifidobacteria. Available as liquid, powder, and capsules, children and adults can take as directed.
Treatment Of Chronic Ulcerative Colitis
Data from RCTs of probiotics for the treatment of adults with CUC are encouraging.,, The administration of probiotics to adults with mild-to-moderate CUC disease activity has comparable efficacy when compared with treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat CUC, such as mesalamine, as reported in a recently published Cochrane review. The same is true in adult patients with ileoanal pouchitis after colectomy surgery for CUC. Most of these studies use the probiotic mixture VSL#3 , which is a combination of S thermophilus, Bifidobacterium species, and Lactobacillus species. The probiotic E coli Nissle 1917 has also been used successfully to treat mild-to-moderate pouchitis or CUC in adults. One RCT in which 29 children with newly diagnosed CUC were randomly assigned to receive either VSL#3 or a placebo for 1 year had promising results. All study patients were also given standard corticosteroid induction therapy combined with mesalamine maintenance therapy. Remission occurred in 13 patients in the VSL#3 group and 4 patients in the placebo group . Relapse occurred in 3 of 13 patients in the VSL#3 group versus 11 of 15 in the placebo group within the 1-year study period . Although these results are promising, more studies are needed in larger numbers of children to substantiate the benefit of probiotics in managing children with mild-to-moderate CUC. Thus, probiotics for CUC cannot be generally recommended at this time without further confirmatory research.
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How Does My Child Take Probiotics
Gummies or chews are usually taken once or twice daily. Powdered probiotics are normally taken as 1-2 sachets daily, mixed into cool food or drinks. Liquid drops are usually taken on a teaspoon or mixed into cool food or drinks, once daily. Heating probiotics by adding them to warm foods or drinks may reduce how effective they are. Always follow the directions given.
A Healthy Start That Lasts A Lifetime
The infant gut microbiota has been shown to play an important role in shaping the human immune system. The majority of the microbiota in the human gastrointestinal tract develops during the first three years of life and is affected by the childs exposure to different types of bacteria, for example during birth , and feeding .
Because most immune functions originate in the GI tract, the microbes to which children are exposed play a significant role in the development of their immune systems and future risk of disease. A healthy gut environment promotes the development and maturation of the immune system, and a balanced, diverse microbiota may lead to more efficient uptake of nutrients and less gastrointestinal discomfort.
An unbalanced gut microbiota, however, is considered an underlying cause of childhood immune and GI disorders. Treatment with antibiotics early in life changes the composition of the microbiota and may have a negative long-term effect on health. An underactive immune system may result in frequent infections, while a hyper-reactive system may result in allergies or even autoimmune disease.
Children are more prone to catch various infections compared to adults. For example, young children get 6-8 common cold episodes per year, compared to around 2-3 episodes in adults. Children also more often experience gastrointestinal issues, such as diarrhea and constipation.
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Best Powder: Culturelle Kids Daily Probiotic Packets
If youre familiar with adult probiotics, you likely know the brand Culturelle. The popular probiotic brand makes a fantastic probiotic powder for kids. For those children who dont like to chew gummies or tablets, powder is an easy way to add probiotics to their favorite cool beverage or food. In fact, Culturelle probiotic packets are tasteless, so your child shouldnt even notice them.
The convenient single-serve packets are free of gluten, dairy, peanuts, added colors, preservatives, yeast, and soy, so theyre ideal for kids with allergies or sensitivities. They’re best for toddlers and children over the age of 12 months.
Hints For Healthy Kids
In addition to probiotics, the following dietary and lifestyle recommendations can help keep your kids healthy this winter:
Avoid sugar: The refined sugars found in chocolates, cakes and other types of junk food can weaken the immune system and encourage the growth of bad bugs in the digestive tract.
Have heaps of healthy food: Healthy nutritious foods are important for your childrens growth and immunity. Reduce fatty, refined and processed foods, increase fresh fruit and vegetables, high quality protein, whole grains and foods containing essential fats to ensure they are eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Less screen time and more green time: Play time promotes general wellness and health and is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. Make sure your child has 30 minutes of play time every day and limits the hours of watching TV.
Sleep: Children need adequate sleep to ensure optimal body and mind development. Ensure your kids get 8-10 hours sleep every night for optimal health.
Probiotic superstars
1 Vighi G, et al. Allergy and the gastrointestinal system, 2008 Clin Exp Immunol. Sep 150 suppl 1:3-6
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Garden Of Life Organic Kids+
This probiotic has 14 different probiotic strains. It also contains vitamin D and organic amla, which offers a dose of vitamin C.
The company claim this product contains no pesticides, antibiotics, or hormones.
This probiotic is free of dairy, soy, and gluten and contains no added sugar.
Dissolvable probiotics are an alternative for kids unwilling to take any new medication. A caregiver can mix this type of probiotics into water, yogurt, or juice.
