Mar 23 - Jhb North

The importance of gut health
Over the past decade, probiotics
have become one of the fastest
growing sectors of the natural health
market. But why do we actually
need them? And what benefits do
they have for children? The team
from Rawbiotics, one of SA’s leading
liquid probiotic range of products
who provide fermented, non-freezedried
probiotics to families, explains
why a healthy gut is arguably the
most important factor in your child’s
overall health.
The bacteria in your bowels
outnumber the cells in your body
by 10 to one. This gut flora has
incredible power over the immune
system, meaning that the health
of the body is largely tied into the
health of the gut. Beneficial bacteria
are responsible for the body’s ability
to use the nutrition in food. They are
responsible for the production of
vitamins and fatty acids. They stop the
build-up of disease-causing bacteria
and harmful yeasts - such as Candida.
And they produce natural antibiotics.
In fact, one could say that no matter
how good your diet is, or no matter
what supplements you take, the
ability of your body to use them is
firstly dependent on the health of the
bacteria in your gut.
When it comes to your children,
beneficial bacteria are vital in the
formative years of the body, ensuring
good nutrition, immunity and
growth. But another vital (and often
overlooked) factor is that the gut
plays a major role in one’s emotions,
concentration and judgement…so
much so that it has been nicknamed
the second brain. Emotional stress,
poor concentration, poor sleeping
habits and general unhappiness
are all factors which can very often
be linked to bacterial imbalances in
the digestive tract, and which can
often be resolved through fixing
that imbalance.
When choosing a probiotic for your
children there are two general types
of probiotic. Liquid (live fermented)
probiotics are produced using a wide
range of beneficial bacteria that are
grown together, and compete among
each other, to form the final product.
They are the most natural form of
bacteria since the conditions in which
they are grown mirror the conditions
inside the human body. Encapsulated
(freeze-dried) probiotics are much
easier to produce and store, however,
and so make up most of the probiotic
market. Encapsulated probiotics
will also typically have high counts
of Colony Forming Units (CFU’s) to
ensure that enough bacteria reach
the gut to be effective. With liquid
probiotics, however, very high counts
of CFU’s are usually not needed as
the microbes have been grown in
conditions similar to those in the
body and are not killed off on their
way through to the gut.
Whichever you prefer, the fact remains
that ensuring a balanced digestive
tract, along with a good diets, are the
first steps in ensuring that you have
healthy and happy children.
Details: www.rawbiotics.co.za
WIN ... To win a Rawbiotic Family
Hamper worth R600, pop over to
GetItJoburgNorth on Instagram or
Facebook before 25 March.
With a selection of herbal extracts specially chosen for children to promote good
health and growth - including peppermint, lemon balm, elderberry and
chamomile - Kids Balance is a daily probiotic that provides natural bacteria
needed for children’s health and growth. These essential bacteria improve the
body’s ability to use nutrition, assisting with healthy growth and increasing the
body’s ability to create natural vitamins and antibiotics. R93 from rawbiotics.co.za
March 23 Get It Magazine 29