If your child has a bacterial infection (eg whooping cough or a skin infection) he or she will likely be prescribed antibiotics. These wipe out all of the body’s bacteria, both good and bad. Unfortunately (and I think of this as a catch-22 situation) the body is particularly susceptible to illness after a round of antibiotics.
A probiotic is a type of good bacteria which competes with bad bacteria inside the body. They help to minimise bad bacteria by eating the food supply and taking up space in the body. Children suffering from diarrhoea, constipation or IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) could definitely benefit from daily use of probiotics.
Probiotics are available at supermarkets but the most highly regarded (and arguably most effective) brands are generally sold in chemists or by nutritionists, and must be kept in the fridge so they are not exposed to heat, light and air. Probiotics come in a variety of forms: yoghurt, drinks, capsules, lozenges or powder form. It is best to consult a professional in order to determine the best probiotic for your family. In an article in The Press newspaper, nutritionist and dietician Clarice Hebblethwaite – who specialises in digestive problems, states: ‘You can’t just try one thing and expect it to do everything.’ She sees probiotics as an addition to a healthy diet, but not as a one-stop shop, and recommends seeing a nutritionist to make sure you have the correct strain and diet combination (pg 5, The Press, Thursday November 29, 2012, Abbie Napier). For example, too strong a dose of ‘good bacteria’ all at once can create uncomfortable die-off effects for days or weeks.
Here is a general outline that I use for choosing a good probiotic:
- A good probiotic should have as many different species of good bacteria as possible
- A mixture of strains of bacteria is more beneficial than just one strain
- Beneficial probiotics should have a concentrated amount of bacteria, approximately 8 billion organisms or more
