Advice From Our Doctors
Probiotics, An Effective Way to Prevent Colds In Your 3-5 Year Old
By Sareena Jaspal, MD
Probiotics are live organisms that have the potential to benefit our health and wellbeing. Taking oral probiotics can help to influence the balance of the 70 trillion bacteria that live in our gut, as well as, help support good digestion and optimal absorption of nutrients. The concept of probiotics has been around for over 100 years. Before refrigeration, cultures throughout the world ate fermented foods rich in probiotics such as yogurt, miso, kimchi and sauerkraut. Scientists continue to understand the role of probiotics in maintaining health, regulating the immune system and managing disease.
It is important to maintain a healthy gut since 70% of lymphoid tissue (that helps to support the immune system) resides in our intestines. Recent research has shown that taking daily probiotics can influence the condition of our gut and help us to defend against infections. An article published last year in Pediatrics (the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics) found that taking probiotics daily from November to May decreased the symptoms of fever, cough and runny nose in 3 to 5 year old children. In the study children were given placebo, a lactobacillus strain alone or a combination probiotic with lactobacillus and a bifidobacterium strain. Compared to placebo, the children who took the probiotic with lactobacillus alone had a 53% reduced incidence of fever, 41% reduced incidence of cough, and a 28% reduced incidence of runny nose. Those who took the combination probiotic had even better results - 73% less fever, 62% less cough and 59% less runny nose. In addition, the incidence of antibiotic prescriptions and the number of missed school days attributed to illness was also decreased. This study is compelling as it showed that daily consumption of probiotics significantly reduced the incidence and duration of respiratory tract infections in children.
There is also increasing evidence to show that when probiotics help decrease inflammation in the body and improve the barrier function of the intestines, it can be useful in controlling chronic diseases such as ezcema. In addition, probiotics can be used when kids are given an antibiotic course for an infection. Antibiotics kill bad bacteria that cause infections, as well as, good bacteria that reside in our gut. Probiotics can help to restore good gut organisms that can be disrupted when kids take a course of antibiotics.
There are many potential benefits of probiotics including support of the immune system and prevention of disease, improvement of barrier function, control of inflammation and also production of vitamins and antioxidants. To help with optimal gut health, some experts recommend eating a high fiber diet, consuming fermented foods (such as yogurt, miso, sauerkraut) and taking a probiotic supplement. Talk to your doctor to learn more about the benefits of probiotics.
Dr. Sareena Jaspal is board certified and a Fellow of the Academy of Pediatrics. She practices at Prima Medical Group’s Pediatric Practice (Prima Kids) in Mill Valley. She practices pediatrics using a holistic and integrative approach involving allopathic (western) and complementary medicine. She has a special interest in using nutrition to help address chronic disease and prevent acute illnesses. She incorporates natural remedies and functional approaches such as probiotics to help nuture the body.
