Like a superhero movie, probiotics are all about helping our gut create the perfect balance of ‘goodies’ and baddies.’
And, just like a Marvel creation, it’s not always a simple story of good versus evil, with eradication of the bad guys being the ultimate end game.
What are we on about? The human digestive system is home to more than 100 trillion bacteria (of which there are over 100 different types) and needs the right balance of both good and bad bacteria to function well.
While a healthy diet, rich in a variety of fibre-rich foods including fruit and vegetables, dried beans and lentils and wholegrain breads and cereals will help achieve this, it isn’t the whole picture (and reality is, we don’t always consume the perfect diet.)
Diet aside, this balance of bacterium is also influenced by a range of lifestyle factors – for example, it’s believed sleep, stress, and regular exercise also play a role. Considering pregnancy and early motherhood can mean high stress, lack of sleep and intermittent exercise, sometimes our system needs extra support.
Probiotics to your rescue!
Probiotic products contain live bacteria, some of which survive digestion and can have a beneficial effect on the friendly bacteria living in the digestive system.
Faulding Probiotics Mum & Bub contains three probiotic strains specially selected for their benefits during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Even better – they don’t require refrigeration, meaning you can carry them with you if out and about, or keep them handy on the kitchen bench so you don’t forget to take them. Not breastfeeding? Because you can open the capsule and the product inside is a powder, it’s easy to add to your baby’s formula.
Here are six ways a probiotic can help you and your baby from pregnancy through toddlerhood.
#1: Boosts your immune system – meaning less downtime from illnesses
Your gut wall houses 70 percent of the cells that make up your immune system, and nutritionist Lindi Stein says our gut flora (or bacterium) acts like a gatekeeper to keep foreign invaders from penetrating the boundaries. Bad bacteria can attack the body’s cells, or produce toxins that cause us to get sick. But, while it sounds like you’d want to get rid of all the bad bacteria and keep only good, Lindi says it is actually a balance between the good bacteria and bad bacteria that is considered the healthiest and makes for a well-functioning immune system, better able to fight off illness and disease.
Bifidobacterium lactis, found in Faulding Probiotic Mum & Bub, supports the health and function of the immune system, while all of the three probiotic strains included in their formula assist in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, which supports wellbeing for both baby and mother to be.
#2: Strengthening bubs’s immune system
Babies who are born vaginally also inherit bacteria from their mother’s vaginal tract, and human milk contains a host of healthy bacteria, which provide all sorts of benefits to a baby, particularly for boosting their immune function. Not sure yours is in a share-worthy state? A probiotic can help you get yours in tip-top condition should your diet or other lifestyle factors be lacking. And if you’ve given birth via caesarean and are not breastfeeding, fear not - a probiotic supplement can be added to their bottle.
#3: May reduce the risk of eczema in babies
Research has shown pregnant women taking a daily dose of probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus from week 32 and then for six months when breastfeeding reduced the likelihood of the babies developing eczema and hayfever by 44 percent (the babies also received a daily dose of L. rhamnosus from six months to four years after birth.)
If you’re breastfeeding, they can continue to get the benefits for six months after birth through your breastmilk, or with probiotic supplementation in their formula.
#4: May reduce the risk of diarrhoea for infants and toddlers
Clinical research has found Lactobacillus GG, a type of gut bacteria, can shorten the course of infectious diarrhoea in infants and children.
The research is in its infancy (excuse the pun), but Harvard Public Health reports two large reviews, taken together, suggest that probiotics reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhoea by 60 percent, when compared with a placebo.
Diarrhoea is especially dangerous for babies and young children as they can become dehydrated very quickly, and considering this isn’t the most fastidiously clean stage of their lives, reducing the risk is a big bonus.
This post was created by Kidspot for Fauldings Probiotics (and to help you get the lowdown on what probiotics can do for you).
