When babies are born, their gut is populated with trillions of microorganisms. This is the gut microbiome. The foods children eat affect how well their microbiome thrives. Parents want their children to be healthy but don't always understand how diet affects their growth and development.
By the time a child reaches age three, they have an established gut microbiome: good or bad. This critical ecosystem will affect their digestion, nutrient absorption, weight, and overall health for the rest of their lives. The gut is home to 70 per cent of the body's immune system, and a healthy microbiome helps to support and protect it.
The good news is it just takes a few simple dietary changes to nurture this delicate ecosystem.
And synbiotics can play a decisive role in your child's diet.
What Are Synbiotics?
As a parent, you may know a little about probiotics. These foods contain live cultures that add to the diversity of the gut microbiome. This "good" bacteria helps to support the digestive tract and immune system. At the same time, they keep "bad" bacteria at bay, helping to improve overall health.
You may not know that while probiotics tend to get all the attention, it is just part of a triad of nutritional elements that help fuel the gut, which includes prebiotics and postbiotics.
Probiotics are the live microorganisms that can balance and diversity the gut. Prebiotics act as a food source for microorganisms in the intestinal tract.
When microorganisms metabolize prebiotics, a fermentation process creates byproducts the body can use, such as short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids aid in mucus production which decreases inflammation and aids immune and metabolic functions.
Those short-term fatty acids are postbiotics, or materials left after the gut bacteria digests prebiotics. Other examples of postbiotics include vitamins B and K.
The Impact Synbiotics Can Have on a Child's Diet
The tricky part for parents is to find foods that provide all three: pre, pro, and postbiotics. Foods that can perform this magic trick are synbiotics. Synbiotics support gut health by providing the right mix of pre and probiotics to get the desired postbiotics to support gut health.
A balanced gut can mean fewer digestive problems, less infections, and better nutrient absorption. Both prebiotics and probiotics on their own are beneficial, but to get the most health advantages, you need them both.
Synbiotic Nutrition
It is hard to tell kids that they should eat certain foods that are good for their gut. Children want foods that taste good. Unfortunately, most synbiotic foods are more appealing to adults.
Kimchi
Kimchi is a Korean superfood that contains healthy bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis. It consists mainly of fermented vegetables along with salted foods and spices. Although there are several types of kimchi, the traditional recipe consists of:
- Napa cabbage
- Salt
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Scallions
- Fish sauce (optional)
- Gochugaru
The result is a fermented, acidic, and salty dish. It's hardly the meal kids ask for often.
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is also an acquired taste for many people. It is, however, a food rich in pre and probiotic properties. Sauerkraut has been a staple food in China for more than two millennia. The ancient Chinese used fermentation to help preserve foods that might otherwise spoil quickly, like cabbage.
Sauerkraut is a simple dish made up of fermented cabbage. The fermentation process enhances the existing nutritional benefits of the cabbage and adds to them.
Sauerkraut is a low-calorie food that many adults love. Kids, however, are less likely to eat it. Given the choice between pasta or sauerkraut, pasta will likely win.
Miso
If you think kimchi and sauerkraut are a tough sell to kids, imagine how difficult it is to get them to eat a paste made from the fermentation of soybeans and grains.
Miso is often served as a soup made with dashi stock. It is a rich source of prebiotics and probiotics but not a taste kids will likely love.
While synbiotic foods exist, getting children to eat them voluntarily is difficult. Parents need a synbiotic source that tastes good and has child appeal.
What About Yoghurt?
Yoghurt is a tasty food that many kids like. It also has active live cultures, making it suitable for the gut microbiome. Although yoghurt may seem like the answer for your child, it has other problematic issues.
For instance, yoghurt isn't naturally sweet. Manufacturers add refined sugar to make yoghurt more palatable and appealing to kids and adults. Even yoghurt with fruit in it is not likely to be naturally sweet.
Another potential problem with yoghurt is its dairy.
Not all people can digest dairy foods. Cow milk allergy is especially prevalent in children. One in 13 children has a food allergy; milk is one of the most common, according to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).
Biotica Water
What parents need is a natural synbiotic product that tastes good and is easy for kids to enjoy.
Biotica Water is:
- dairy-free,
- plant-based,
- and free from refined sugar and artificial sweeteners.
- And it comes in flavours that kids will love, like pomegranate and lemon.
- There is also a plain version that has no flavour.
You are doing great as a parent if your kids already love foods that offer synbiotic nutrition. Still, Biotica can be an alternative option for the pre, pro, and postbiotic nutrition they need.
Biotica Water is easy to transport, so take them with you for a fast and easy treat while on holiday, spending a day at the park or beach, or just walking the dog to keep kids hydrated and healthy.
Each bottle is a sparkling drink, making Biotica a good substitute for sugary soda.
What kid doesn't like a drink with fizz?
Biotica has the health benefits of synbiotic foods, too, but in a form children will love. Each bottle contains the probiotic Bacillus subtilis which has numerous other health benefits.
Learn more about Biotica Water and what it can offer your kids by exploring our website today.