healthyfamily
Beneficial Bacteria
Newborn Exposure to Good Bacteria,
Probiotics Can Protect Against
Health Issues Later in Life
by Dr. Lawrence Hoberman
N
ewborns and gut bacteria are
rarely part of the same conversation. In my decades of medical
experience and research focused on
beneficial gut bacteria, I’ve learned
how important newborn exposure to
bacteria can be to health issues and
conditions later in life.
32
NaturalAwakeningsSanAntonio
Whether a baby’s delivery is
natural or by Caesarian section,
both mother and baby benefit from
maintaining a healthy balance of
beneficial gut bacteria. However,
for C-section deliveries that can be a
big problem as key bacteria may be
missing.
Importance of Gut Health
Research is showing more and
more that “gut health” impacts
overall physical and mental health.
An imbalance of bacteria in the
digestive tract appears to be a cause
of depression and other psychiatric
disorders, as well as physical ailments
such as colic, obesity, allergies, diabetes
and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Baby’s first introduction to the
environment is through the vaginal
canal, and the mother’s intestinal
bacteria are very important for a
newborn baby. It’s a different situation
with a C-section. There, the bacteria
in the environment can be strep,
staph and some of the other bugs in
the delivery room. This gut health
challenge puts those babies at a
higher risk for many health problems
due to a lack of diversity in their gut
microbiomes.
A recent Swiss two-year study
compared the health of 24 babies
delivered vaginally and by C-section.
Babies birthed by C-section had less
gut diversity—a lower range of good
gut bacteria—during the first two years
of their lives compared to babies born
vaginally. Also, C-section babies had
a chemical imbalance in their blood
that made them more vulnerable to
developing allergies.
A 2010 study published in the
Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences found infants who
were born via C-section had a gut
microbiome resembling the mother’s
skin (less rich in bacteria) rather than
the gut.
Probiotics
One way to address this bacteria
imbalance is with probiotics. The
scientific definition of probiotics is,
“live microorganisms which, when
administered in adequate amounts,
confer health benefits on the host.” In
everyday speech, they are supplements,
containing beneficial bacteria or yeast
that are primarily found in human
digestive tract and that promote healthy
intestinal function and general
well-being.
Probiotics have been shown to
strengthen the immune system. They
are a safe, simple, non-drug solution
that protects and enhances the bacterial
diversity in the baby’s gut. Probiotics
also can help quiet the prolonged
crying and discomfort due to colic and
other digestive problems.
For children who are prone to ear
infections, the overuse of antibiotics
can further deplete beneficial bacteria,
creating unintended digestion problems
later in life.
Probiotics from Food
Fermented food such as yogurt, kefir,
sourdough bread, miso, sauerkraut and
even dark chocolate can add probiotics
to the diet. However, the processing of
many of those foods takes away their
effectiveness.
Yogurt is the most popular,
but consumers should be sure that
the yogurt contains beneficial, live
cultures. Also, part of the process in
making commercial yogurt includes
pasteurization to kill any harmful
bacteria, followed by adding bacteria
in amounts that may or may not make
a difference to health. Many yogurts
contain dairy fat, sugar and/or artificial
sweeteners, which can create their own
health problems.
Receiving bacterial benefits from
foods, in most cases, requires preparing
them at home. Also, making a dent in
gut bacteria through food consumption
alone requires most people to change
their diet substantially.
Supplement Solution
One of the most effective ways to
build up beneficial bacteria in the gut
is to take a daily probiotic made from
multiple strains of beneficial bacteria.
It’s a method that I’ve been advocating
and making available for decades. It’s
a far more effective way to treat a wide
range of health problems, from irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS) to colic, than
from eating foods that contain only
limited amounts of beneficial bacteria.
Fortunately, there are probiotic
supplements that even babies can take.
It’s a good option for any newborn,
especially those born by C-section, to
help him or her get on the right track
with a viable, healthy balance of gut
bacteria.
Lawrence Hoberman,
M.D., has spent more than
40 years practicing
medicine and is board
certified in both Internal
Medicine and Gastroenterology. He is
currently in practice at Health by
Design, 13409 George Rd. in San
Antonio (www.healthbydesign.com). Dr.
Hoberman also developed the probiotic
supplements EndoMune Advanced
Probiotic and EndoMune Junior
Advanced Probiotic. For more
information on the benefits of
probiotics, visit www.endomune.com.
Sessions include time for consultation and
dressing. New clients only. May not be
combined with any other offers or discounts.
Limited time offer."Best" claim based on Net
Promoter scores from 2013 via Listen360.com.
The best
Mother's Day gift
San Antonio ME 2642
210.541.4050
10003 NW Military Hwy
Alon Town Centre
elementsmassage.com/sanantonio
ME 2642
NaturalAwakeningsSA.com
studio name
phone
- license#
May 2015
33