A recent study by JAMA Pediatrics indicate that there is a possiblility that probiotics prevent childhood obesity. The benefits of probiotics are not fully understood by many medical professionals. Probiotics have many, many benefits beyond constipation and diarrhea. In addition, you cannot just pick up any brand of probiotics and see benefit. The sad truth is the majority, if not all the probiotics on the shelf at grocery stores or at large, big box pharmacies are garbage. The good probiotics are certainly more expensive than the probiotics you can get from your grocery store. But if probiotics prevent childhood obesity, they are worth the investment.
Studies on Probiotics Preventing Childhood Obesity
Due to the expansion of functional medicine and a growing interest in preventative, natural medicine, there have been many studies showing the benefits of probiotics. Not just studies done by small universities or overseas universities but by JAMA Pediatrics! A report from JAMA Pediatrics found children who had had four or more courses of antibiotics by the age of two were at a 10% higher risk of being obese.
This was a fairly large study. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Bloomberg School of Public Health reviewed the health records of more than 64,500 American children between 2001 and 2013. These children were followed until the age of 5. Almost 70% of them had been prescribed two courses of antibiotics by the time they were 24 months old. The children who had four or more courses of antibiotics had a 10% higher risk of being obese by the age of 5. I believe there is great opportunity for parents to prevent childhood obesity.
Studies on Probiotics being done at Ivy League Schools
Professor Charles Bailey at the University of Pennsylvania, said: “We think after antibiotics some of the normal bacteria in our gut that are more efficient at nudging our weight in the right direction may be killed off and bacteria that nudge the metabolism in the wrong direction may be more active.” Common sense would tell us that probiotics could prevent childhood obesity by preventing this imbalance. Let’s get that gut moving in the right direction!
I Bet Your Children have been on Antibiotics Recently
So what should we do to help out our children? We certainly cannot stop all antibiotics; when our children have strep throat or chronic ear infections, they are miserable and need antibiotics. I think my firstborn has had 4 courses of broad spectrum antibiotics (Cefdinir ) before he was one! As I write this blog post, we are getting ready to take my son to the pediatrician to have ANOTHER ear infection looked at. All children should be on probiotics. Personally, I now have my 3 year old on probiotics as well as my 3 month old.
Is there a Link between Antibiotics and Childhood Obesity
If you think about it, the link between antibiotics and childhood obesity has been obvious for years. Childhood obesity has been on the rise for years and may be at an all-time high. The over prescribing of antibiotics has also been on the rise for years and may also be at an all-time high which is very alarming. Soon, very soon we are going to see infections that are resistant to all antibiotics and then what will we do?! Sorry, I digress…..But if probiotics prevent childhood obesity, the use of probiotics should be on the rise just like the use of antibiotics.
Give Your Children Probiotics to Prevent Childhood Obesity
Give your children probiotics. Call us to discuss what pediatric probiotics are on the market. Remember, not all probiotics will prevent childhood obesity. Give them in juice about 20-30 minutes before your child eats a meal. The scope of this blog post was simply the link between childhood obesity and antibiotics and what we can do about it. If you have heard that probiotics can help with psoriasis, migraine headaches, ADHD, behavior issues, adrenal fatigue and depression…..yeah, they can help with those issues as well.
Check out the following pages for more information
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1909801
