Probiotics Treatments for Kids

Answer 1

Probiotics Treatments for Kids

Mention bacteria and you'll likely conjure up visions of sickness and disease, not of health and well-being. But that's exactly what probiotics do! From the Greek, meaning for life, probiotics assist in numerous physiological and biochemical functions. They also help form the population of nearly 100 trillion good bacteria cells that are found in the adult intestine. It is important that children are exposed to these microscopic helpers to assist in the development of the immune system and general gastrointestinal health.

The most common ways in which probiotics are delivered to the body are through cultured dairy products like yogurt and kefir. These items are rich in the bacteria lactobacillus which may assist in alleviating the pains of diarrhea as well as keeping the stomach regular. Both yogurt and kefir are sold in kid friendly flavors and should be an easy way to introduce probiotics into the diets of children.

An alternative to probiotic delivery through dairy is by supplement. Some of the supplements currently available for kids are Culturelle, Florastor and VSL #3. These options may be attractive for children who are lactose intolerant, as it delivers the probiotic goods without the unpleasant side effects. By building up a healthy culture with these supplements, digestion of food should improve thereby reducing the frequency of stomach troubles.