Table of contents:
- The function of the intestinal microbiota in the human body
- The role of the balance of the intestinal microbiota in
- Maintain the balance of the intestinal microbiota to prevent allergies in children
The intestinal microbiota is a collection of bacteria that "lives" in the digestive system (gastrointestinal) of the human body. Although the presence of bacteria creates a bad impression on the body, the gut microbiota and the human body work hand in hand in creating a mutually beneficial relationship. This is because not all bacteria are bad things for the body. Come on, see about the balance of the intestinal microbiota in body health, such as preventing child allergies.
The function of the intestinal microbiota in the human body
The bacteria in the gut microbiota constitute a vast world. Harvard Health Publishing states, there are 100 trillion bacteria in the human digestive system. These bacteria consist of bad and good bacteria. Given the complexity of this microbiota, researchers are still struggling to find the specific bacteria that are most useful to the body. However, the gut microbiota has been recognized for its health benefits.
The gut microbiota helps in:
- Allergy prevention
- Processing nutrients from food and a number of drugs
- Protects the intestinal tract from infection
- Producing vitamin K which is useful for blood clotting proteins
Bacteria in the gut microbiota also function to produce energy from food, maintain the balance of good and bad bacteria in the body, and are involved in the function of the immune system. In addition, the balance of the gut microbiota also affects the prevention of children's allergies.
The role of the balance of the intestinal microbiota in
Not only the benefits of the gut microbiota in the previous point, the balance of the gut microbiota also helps children's health. The study entitled Nutrition, Gut Microbiota and Child Health Outcomes explained that a balanced microbiota helps children avoid allergies. For example, the number of bacteria Enterobacteriaceae or Bacteroidetes height makes children more prone to overreact to certain foods.
A balanced gut microbiota also assists the immune system's response, such as immune cells found in the gut. For example, the interaction of the good bacteria B. breve (Bifidobacterium breve) with the immune system effectively relieves sensitivity to cow's milk protein. A 2018 study also showed low levels of B. breve are associated with a baby's susceptibility to allergies.
In other words, B. breve helps the child's immune system fight allergies while maintaining a healthy stomach.
Next, the number of bacteria Ruminococcaceae which also makes children sensitive to certain types of food. In addition to food allergies, the researchers also found that the feces of babies affected by eczema (atopic dermatitis) tended to contain bacterial counts. Ruminococcaceae the little ones.
If the number of these bacteria is low, the researchers also concluded that this is related to an excessive immune system response. Lack of bacteria that regulate the immune system also increases the risk of developing allergies in the body.
Allergy problems in children are quite complicated. In addition to the balance of the gut microbiota influencing children's allergies, genetic factors can also be the trigger. Although children tend to be at risk of allergies due to heredity, parents should not be discouraged. Allergic diseases generally arise after exposure to environmental allergens and food or drink.
In addition, heredity only makes a person more susceptible to allergies. Allergies that are inherited also tend to be different and it does not mean that all children will have allergies if the parents have allergy problems.
Maintain the balance of the intestinal microbiota to prevent allergies in children
Maintaining the balance of the intestinal microbiota, such as the amount of B. breve in the body is one way to maintain health and prevent children's allergies. Here are ways you can try to keep the gut microbiota in balance:
- Eating fermented foods: good for bacteria that live in the intestines
- Avoid dependence on antibiotics: frequent use of antibiotics can reduce the number of good bacteria in the gut
- Nutrients that contain synbiotics, namely a combination of FOS: GOS prebiotics and B.breve prebiotics
- Eat foods rich in prebiotics, substances that help the growth of probiotics
In addition, it is equally important to maintain the balance of the intestinal microbiota with synbiotics. If probiotics are good bacteria, then prebiotics are food to maintain the survival of good bacteria in the stomach. The collaboration between prebiotics and probiotics will produce a synbiotic effect on the body, namely a good balance of the intestinal microbiota.
In other words, synergy is a term of synergy between the benefits of a mixture of prebiotics and probiotics. The combination of these two things can be beneficial for the health of the human body.
To choose a synbiotic intake for children, choose one that has been proven, namely the prebiotic combination FOS: GOS (fructo-oligosaccharide and galacto-oligosaccharides) with the probiotic B. breve (Bifidobacterium breve).
Why should you choose this synbiotic combination? Recent studies released in 2020 concluded that this combination is able to maintain the balance of microbiota in the digestive tract. In addition, the balance of the gut microbiota plays an important role in protecting children from the long-term consequences of health problems, namely the development of allergies.
Maintaining this balance also plays an important role in the health and immune system of children. The prebiotic FOS: GOS combination with the probiotic B. breve itself is also found in children's milk products. This milk is able to help children with a risk of sensitivity to avoid allergies as well as provide nutritional intake for their growth and development.
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