Mothers should pay attention to your gut bacteria & that of your child
How you are born affects your gut, and the health of your gut sets the tone for your overall well-being. The third in our science video series focuses on what happens to your gut microbes from the day you are born and what you can do to keep your digestive system healthy.
When do not have enough “good” gut microbes, children and adult may experience leaky gut, constipation, blood sugar regulation, wheezing & allergy, and even obesity.
Gut bacteria play an important role in human health, such as supplying essential nutrients, synthesizing vitamin K, aiding in the digestion of cellulose, and promoting angiogenesis* and enteric nerve function. [A]
* Angiogenesis literally means creation of new blood vessels to support cellular growth or organ repair. The word “angio” means blood vessels while “genesis” means creation.
Do you know where you original microbes come from?
The way you were born affects your gut microbe. Environmental microbes start growing in the GI tract of newborns right after birth.
Gastrointestinal tract (or GI)
It is an organ system responsible for transporting and digesting foodstuffs, absorbing nutrients, and expelling waste. The tract consists of the stomach and intestines, and is divided into the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts. Maintaining this means we have to have the right amount of good bacteria (probiotics and prebiotics).
The microbes initially comes from the mother and are at the same origin as her vaginal as her intestinal microbes, if the delivery is normal.
Infants through normal delivery & are breast fed have the advantage
During vaginal delivery, the contact with the maternal vaginal and intestinal flora is an important source for the start of the infant’s colonization. During CD, this direct contact is absent, and non-maternally derived environmental bacteria play an important role for infants’ intestinal colonization. Some authors have suggested that the composition of the very first human microbiota could have long lasting effects on the intestine in breast fed infants. [B]
There is accumulating evidence that intestinal bacteria play an important role in the postnatal development of the immune system. Thus, if the intestinal flora develops differently depending on the mode of delivery, the postnatal development of the immune system might also be different. [B]
What if the infant is born through C-Section?
Babies delivered through C-Section or cesarean have delayed microbial growth. An acquired bacterial membranes that resembles those of the skin.
These variations in microbes associated with delivery mode has been detected in children up to seven years of age. While all mothers would prefer a normal delivery, C-Section babies are in an increase risk for the development of immune disorders. [B]
C-Section babies are in an increase risk for the development of immune disorders.
Likewise, there are some autoimmune conditions related to the gut, which are influenced by a C-Section delivery. Scientist have theorized that the first contact with pioneer bacteria could influence gut maturation, metabolic, and immunologic programming.
This affects short and long term health status. Maternal factors are responsible for establishing an infant’s gut microbiota in infants. This include the following:
1. Time and mode of delivery
2. Mother’s age
3. Smoking status
4. Breast feeding
5. Antibiotic use
6. Other external factors
Intestinal Microbiota
A microbiota is “the ecological community of commensal, symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms that literally share our body space”. Early exposure has impact in the infant’s intestinal microbiota, which is associated with the development of certain childhood disease that may persist in to adulthood. This may include the following:
1. Asthma and allergic disorders such as itchy skin or runny nose.
2. Chronic immune mediated inflammatory disorders
3. Blood sugar irregularity
4. Obesity
How you are born affects your guts – LifePharm Digestive +++
Gut bacteria plays an important daily role in our health
The human gut microbiome* contains more than 10 trillion bacteria. Which is 10 times the number of cells in the human body.
Gut bacteria does the following:
1. Promote intestinal homeostasis (balance)
2. They stimulate the development and maturation of the immune system.
3. Protect against pathogens
4. Help digest fibrous fruits and harvest nutrients.
* The Human Microbiome. Micro-Interactions. Microbes interact in communities, and they respond to their surroundings. Just like organisms in Earth’s ecosystems, our microbial populations shift when their environment changes. (Source: Learn Genetics)
Several studies published in the journal of immunology in recent years shows that children exposed to different condition before, during, and soon after birth are different composition. When we do not have enough beneficial gut bacteria or have too many bad bacteria, we’re at risk for a range of issues. This include the following:
1. Inflammation of the bowel and or leaky gut
2. Bowel disorders (diarrhea and or constipation)
3. Obesity
4. Blood sugar regulation
5. Respiratory difficulties, wheezing and allergies.
How to take in more beneficial gut microbes:
Eat fermented food such as the following:
1. Fermented vegetables such as pickles, kimchi, and sauerkraut
2. Fermented milk and soy products such as cheese, yogurt, tofu, miso
How LifePharm DIGESTIVE+++ can help
To truly do more, we need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and the easiest way to maintain a healthy gut is to take DIGESTIVE+++. It contains probiotics and prebiotics which are provide the right nutrition for beneficial microbes in the colon.
DIGESTIVE+++ contains the full range of enzymes needed to break down proteins, carbohydrates and fats for assimilation and absorption. It is the sensible and cost effective way to maintain GI and overall health.
→ Know how DIGESTIVE+++ may help with weight and metabolic responses
→ Benefits of taking DIGESTIVE+++
Reference:
[A] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425030
[B] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3110651
[C] CHF Hansen, Anderson LSF, Krych L, Metzdorff SB, Hasselby JP. et al. Mode of Delivery Shapes Gut Colonization Pattern and Modulates Regulatroy Immunity in Mice. The Journal of Immunology, 2014, 193 1213-1222
