The next frontier of modern medicine and research is to study the 3 trillion bacteria that live in our bodies, co-existing with us and playing a large role in our continued existence. There is still a lot we don’t know about our gut and good bacteria, hence we don’t really understand the full consequences and effects of taking an antibiotic, especially with our kids.

The biggest news in science and the media these days (apart from US politics) is the microbiome - the 3 trillion or so bacteria that reside in our bodies and play an enormous role in our health. Of notable concern is how antibiotics effect these good bugs, thereby diminishing our immune system's resistance, especially with our kids.

Here's some key points to know:

Antibiotics impair a child's gut bacteria leading to dysbiosis (aka, leaky gut syndrome)
Most of your immune cells (above 70%) reside in your gut
Antibiotics can reduce our immune response (and contribute to diarrhea)
Antibiotics given in infancy has been linked to infections, allergies, and even adult-onset obesity
Probiotics taken during and after antibiotics may help offset the damage caused by antibiotics and also cut the incidence of diarrhea by up to 50%

How to help your gut after antibiotics

Antibiotics can be very necessary, and so it's worth noting some of the key diet and lifestyle measures we can take to help offset some of their damaging effects and ensure the health of our children.

Encourage your child to eat whole (real) foods

Children do not need their livers to be processing additives, preservatives, refined sugars or trans fats. These are not foods, in fact, a good rule of thumb is that anything with a label is not a real food. Try and limit packaged foods and focus on unadulterated nuts and seeds, quality fats such as coconut oil and olive oil for cooking. Emphasizes whole grains and a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as legumes.

Probiotics

Since antibiotics kill both the good and bad bacteria in our bodies, use probiotic rich foods and *quality* probiotic supplements to restore the balance of health good flora. Some food sources includes: yogurt, kefir, fermented vegetables.

Nurturing diets

If you have children with compromised immune systems - allergies, eczema, asthma - consider paying particular attention to optimizing their diets with anti-inflammatory foods to help offer further intestinal healing. Remember the immune system resides in the gut lining. Foods like bone broth may be a good addition to your child's diet.

Joyous good bacteria building!