Happy gut, happy body, happy child!
Have you ever heard about gut health for your growing child before?
If you have not, read on as we address the importance of maintaining your child’s gut health – one thing that is often forgotten, but oh-so important!
First off, let’s begin with the gut. Gut, also known as gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is a long tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the back passage (anus). It has several functions for the body namely aids the process of digestion, supports the absorption of nutrients, communicates with the rest of the body, and influences the immune system.
Healthy gut ensures proper digestive system, produces certain vitamins (e.g. Vitamins B12 and K), breakdowns some food components that the body is not able to digest, such as dietary fibre; and blocks potentially toxic food or pathogenic compounds from entering the body – thus, helps to strengthen the immune system.
WHY PROBIOTICS ARE IMPORTANT FOR GROWING CHILD
Probiotics are live microorganisms, which have been proven to provide health benefits to the human body when consumed in adequate amounts. In layman’s terms, probiotics mean the friendly bacteria that make up the gut microbiome.
For most children, researches tend to highlight the positive outcomes of including probiotic consumptions into their daily diets.
1. Good for digestion and relieve constipation in children
Constipation in children is a common problem with symptoms that include infrequent bowel movements or hard, dry stools. It is often caused by early toilet training and changes in diet.
Certain probiotics have been shown to be able to help improve GI disorders symptoms, such as abdominal discomfort, bloating, and bowel movements. Also, probiotics have been reported to help relieve chronic constipation symptoms and improve stool frequency and consistency.
2. Reduce the duration of diarrhoea
Probiotics have been found safe for treating diarrhoea. Some studies show that certain probiotics are effective in reducing the duration of diarrhoea and may also lower the risks of suffering from antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.
3. Reduce the incidence of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in children
RTIs represent one of the main health problems in children. A 2016 study found that probiotics are beneficial in reducing the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections – as well as the number of days absent from daycare or school.
4. Influence on brain function
Probiotics can do more than just improve your gut health as they may positively influence your brain’s function, too through the gut-brain axis, which translates that the gut and brain systems are connected.
5. Support your child’s growth
6. Improve Immune System
Studies have shown that some probiotics can form a barrier on intestinal walls that prevents ‘bad’ bacteria from entering your child’s body, helps modulate his immune system, and may play a protective role against certain allergies. Therefore, if you think that your child may have a low immune system, it is worth looking at ways of increasing the good bacteria in his body to improve his immune system. Are you aware that 70% of the immune system is actually housed in the gut?
On a side note, you should talk to your child’s paediatrician if you have any concerns about giving your child probiotics.
PROBIOTIC-RICH FOODS TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S GUT HEALTH
Probiotic foods help nourish the gut and keep it in balance to maintain good gut health. Some instances of common probiotics sources that are kid-friendly include naturally fermented vegetables, miso, tempeh, yoghurt with probiotics, and cultured milk drink.
Have a picky eater at home?
Here are a couple of exciting recipes to entice your little one to gobble healthy snacks with nutrients and probiotics infused in them. It is so yummy and super easy to make with your little budding chef at home using cultured milk drink and yoghurt!
1. FROZEN YOGHURT BARK
Have your children help dollop and spread the yoghurt, then sprinkle it with any topping they like – fruit bits, chocolate chips, cereals, granola, or even rainbow sprinkles! Once ready, let them enjoy these nutritious snacks for dessert or mid-day snacks or even as a reward treat for being a good boy or good girl!
Ingredients:
4 cups CalciYum Yoghurt
2 tbsp fresh or dried fruits (cut into bits)
1 tbsp chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions:
1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Pour CalciYum Yoghurt onto the baking sheet and spread into an even layer using a spoon or spatula. Depending on the size of the tray that you are using or the yoghurt bark thickness that you desire to make, you may double (or triple!) the above recipe if needed.
3. Top the yoghurt spread with fruit bits and/or chocolate bits.
4. Cover the baking sheet with a foil or plastic wrap and freeze until firm for about 4 hours or overnight.
5. Remove from the freezer and break (or slice) the frozen yoghurt bark into pieces.
6. Enjoy!
2. FRUITY FROZEN POPS
Cool and refreshing fruity pops (with probiotics too!) for little ones’ guilt-free and healthy desserts or snacks on a hot day! Involve your little ones in making these yummy fruity frozen pops by placing the fruit bits and pouring their favourite fruity milk drink onto the moulds!
Ingredients:
4–5 bottles CalciYum Cultured Milk Drink
2 tbsp fresh or dried fruits (cut into bits)
Instructions:
1. Place a little bit of fruit bits into silicone or plastic popsicle moulds.
2. Carefully pour the CalciYum Cultured Milk into the moulds.
3. Freeze the fruity pops. If your moulds have no cover, cover the moulds’ top with a strip of aluminium foil before freezing them. Once the pops are half frozen, poke a popsicle stick on the center of each pop.
4. Continue freezing the fruity pops for at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. Remove the frozen pops from the moulds.
6. Enjoy!
P/S: If your child does not fancy eating fruit bits, you can opt to blend fruits of your choice together with some CalciYum Cultured Milk until smooth. Pour the fruit mixture onto popsicle moulds and freeze them!
FERNLEAF CALCIYUM – KIDS’ CHOICE, MUMS APPROVE!
Whether in school or during playtime, your child needs a healthy body from the inside out. One way to support your child’s health and active daily needs is to start from the inside out – with his gut!
Loved by kids, Fernleaf CalciYum products are fortified with nutrients to help promote your child’s optimum growth and development, so you can focus on discovering and unleashing their unique talents!
Fernleaf CalciYum products only use natural colours and contain A-Force
CalciYum Cultured Milk Drink
Fernleaf CalciYum cultured milk drink comes in yummy Plain, Apple, Grape, and Orange flavours.
CalciYum Yoghurt
Is there such a thing as the perfect snack? CalciYum Yoghurt is a smart choice for sure!
Creamy goodness with live cultures and added with Zinc, Calcium, and Vitamin D for growing children.
Delicious in flavour and packed with nutrients, CalciYum Yoghurts are available in a variety of fruity flavours that children love, such as Strawberry Grape, Chocoberry, Strawberry Mango, and Vanilla Grape flavours.
Interested to know more about Fernleaf CalciYum? Check out their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for interesting updates, promotions, and fun dairy product recipes that you can whip up together with your tots! Or, you can also purchase Fernleaf CalciYum products online here!
References:
- Henderson, R. The Digestive System. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://patient.info/news-and-features/the-digestive-system
- Nutrition Society of Malaysia (NSM). Get to Know Your Gut Microbiota. Retrieved December 16, 2020, fromhttps://nutriweb.org.my/probiotics/3-1.html
- Mayo Clinic. Constipation in Children. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/constipation-in-children/symptoms-causes/syc-20354242
- Verna, C. et al (2010, September). Use of Probiotics in Gastrointestinal Disorders: What to Recommend? Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002586/
- Valdovinos, M.A. et al (2017, March 3). The Mexican Consensus on Probiotics in Gastroenterology. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2255534X17300130
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, S. National Library of Medicine (2016, May 4). Can Probiotics Help against Diarrhea? Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK373095/
- NZ Nutrition Foundation (2015 March), Probiotics and Health. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://nutritionfoundation.org.nz/sites/default/files/150903%20Probiotics%20and%20Health%20White%20Paper.pdf
- Wang, YZ. et al (2016, August 7). Probiotics for Prevention and Treatment of Respiratory Tract Infections in Children. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4979858/
- Cochrane Library Editor (2018, November 21). Probiotics for Treating Eczema. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6517242/
- Rapaport, L. (2018, March 15). Probiotics during Pregnancy Tied to Lower Eczema Risk for Kids. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-pregnancy-probiotics-eczema-idUSKCN1GR29S
- Chaiyasut, C. et al. (2018, April 17). Influence of Probiotic Supplementation on Brain Function: Involvement of Gut Microbiome, Inflammation and Stress Pathway. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.intechopen.com/books/gut-microbiota-brain-axis/influence-of-probiotic-supplementation-on-brain-function-involvement-of-gut-microbiome-inflammation-
- Onubi, O.J. et al. (2015, May 2). Effects of Probiotics on Child Growth: A Systematic Review. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://jhpn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41043-015-0010-4
- Yan, F. et al. (2014, May 2). Probiotics and Immune Health. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4006993/