Great Article

[Guest guest]

http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3748014

I read this article in the magazine sent home from my son's school. I

think it is interesting because they are recommending some of the

treatments that we are doing with our apraxic, and some of us autistic

kids.. they are recomending these treatments for all kids, for better

health. Thought that was interesting.. Seems as though public opinion

is really shifting.

Filling the Food Gap

How vitamins, supplements, and probiotics can improve your child's health

October , 2007

Collectively, adults spend billions of dollars a year on vitamins,

herbs, and other dietary supplements. But the question is, should we

give them to our kids? If you ask pediatrician and author

Sears, M.D., the answer is a qualified yes. While it would be ideal if

children got all the vitamins and minerals they need from their diets,

realistically, very few kids have anywhere near perfect diets †"

despite parents' best efforts.

Multivitamins, then, according to Dr. Sears, are necessary gap-fillers

for most kids. But there's another dietary supplement that he says is

even more essential: omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish oil). And then

there are probiotics †" good bacteria that can help keep a child's

intestines in good working order, keep bad bacteria at bay, and boost

overall health by pumping up the immune system. Read on to learn more

about the " little extras " that Dr. Sears says nearly every child

should have.

Parent & Child: Many adults pop a multivitamin daily. Should kids, too?

Sears, M.D.: Growing children need more vitamins, minerals,

and other nutrients per pound of body weight than adults, but

ironically, kids are less likely than adults to get what they need

from the food they eat. It's my feeling that most children over age 2

need a multivitamin as a nutritional insurance policy against the

standard American diet, which is often atrocious.

P & C: Can't parents simply give their kids a multivitamin to make up

for a poor diet?

Sears: You still need to make every effort to help your child get the

nutrients he needs from his food. One reason is that many nutrients

are absorbed better from food than from pills. A second reason is that

there are literally hundreds of substances in nutritious foods that

boost health in ways that we have yet to fully understand.

P & C: What are the main vitamins and minerals that kids tend to miss

out on that a kids' multivitamin can help replace?

Sears: Because kids today spend so much time indoors, they may not get

the vitamin D they need. Our bodies require sunlight in order to make

it. Most children in this country don't get enough vitamin C or E,

either. They're lacking in calcium, iron, and other minerals. Drinking

too many sugary beverages can rob their bodies of the limited amount

of calcium they do take in.

P & C: Should kids take any dietary supplements besides a multivitamin?

Sears: If I had to choose one supplement that all young kids should

take, it would be an omega-3 supplement. Omega-3s are important fatty

acids that promote brain growth, and when you consider how rapidly the

brain grows during the first 5 years of life, you realize how vital

this is. Yet most American children are deficient in omega-3 fats,

because they are primarily found in cold-water fish like salmon, and

not a lot of kids †" or families! †" eat salmon frequently enough. As a

supplement, then, parents should buy mercury-free fish oil capsules or

liquids made for kids. If your child won't or can't swallow it, open

it up and mix the contents with food.

P & C: Probiotics have been popular in Europe for decades, but they're

fairly new in this country. What are they?Sears: Probiotics are

healthy bacteria that normally reside in our intestines, right

alongside unhealthy bacteria. Basically, our intestinal health relies

on a favorable balance between good and bad bacteria †" or, as I like

to say, the right balance of bugs. Probiotics, in return for the nice,

warm place to live and food to eat, do nice things for your gut. The

more of them there are, the fewer bad guys there are †" they literally

crowd out harmful bacteria.

P & C: In terms of specifics, what can probiotics do for your child's

health?

Sears: Let's say I prescribe an antibiotic for your child for an ear

infection. The drug will kill the infection-causing bacteria, but

it'll also kill off the good bacteria in the body, which is why a

child on antibiotics often suffers stomach upset, irregularity, or

constipation. So I'll tell the parent to give the child a probiotic

supplement along with the antibiotic, to replenish the good germs that

have been destroyed and to restore intestinal health. In addition,

probiotics can help hasten the recovery from intestinal illnesses,

which are common among kids. It's also been proven that probiotics can

lessen the chance your child will get allergic illnesses like asthma

or eczema. Finally, giving your child a probiotic supplement when

she's healthy can keep her that way. People are surprised to learn

that 70 percent of your immune health is based in the intestinal tract.