Probiotics for kids come in an assortment of formats, including foods for which the marketing is targeted at children. There are a number of beverages that contain probiotic organisms with kid-oriented packaging. In general, giving children probiotic foods or supplements is supported by the medical community, although it’s important to avoid products that may cause an allergic reaction such as those that contain gluten.
Children are susceptible to respiratory and ear infections that require antibiotics and when those medications are administered, the probiotic bacteria in the digestive system are wiped out along with the pathogens, or disease-causing bacteria. Providing a probiotic vitamin supplement, acidophilus or some other probiotic enhanced food can help balance the mix of organisms in the digestive tract and can also minimize the diarrhea often brought on by a round of antibiotic medication.
One of the easiest methods of getting probiotics into your children is with yogurt. Kids usually like the stuff, it’s sweet and flavored and easy to eat. It’s important to read labels however when you’re looking for probiotic foods for your children. Many yogurt products have long since lost any living organisms to preservatives and additives by the time they reach the grocery shelf.
There are some tricks to reading the labels as well. There are several strains of the most important bacterium, Lactobacillus; a little research will tell you that Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is the element you’d like to see included. Some companies will make up marketing names for live cultures, such as Dannon’s “Bifidus Regularis” for its Activia product. That’s a marketing name for the Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010 included in the product, a bacterium that hastens digestion.
There is also the option of probiotic diet supplements, which often come in the form of powder and can be blended into a smoothie or mixed into an entrée. For infants there are probiotic formula products on the market that can help with diarrhea and strengthen the immune system, but consult with a pediatrician before using one