Health Watch: Enhancing nutrition may help avoid asthma and allergies

New research suggests that babies’ in America are more at risk for developing allergies and asthma because their gut microbiome has changed remarkably from our grandparents’ generation. Because of modernized western practices in medicine such as antibiotics and C-sections, babies are now missing B. infantis – the good bacteria which protect baby’s gut from potentially harmful bacteria.

Many studies link these potentially harmful bacteria to higher risk of allergies and asthma. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), more than 6 million children under the age of 18 have asthma and more than 50 million Americans have environmental and/or food allergies. The Hype magazine wanted to know more.

Leading pediatrician and best-selling author Dr. Tanya Altmann expertise lies in baby nutrition and gut health, but she took the time to discuss with The Hype magazine everyday parenting issues. She also shared tips on how to make sure your baby is getting B. infantis

Why are we seeing an increase of allergies and asthma among children today?

Many factors come into play when we talk about why we are seeing such a dramatic increase in allergies and asthma in kids. Recent research points to disruption of the infant gut microbiome as playing a significant role. Historically babies received some good gut bacteria called B infantis during the birthing process and we have good data now to show that in nine out of 10 babies, this transfer no longer occurs due to things like antibiotics and C-sections. So, when babies aren’t born with this good Bifidobacterium infantis to help protect their gut, you can see an overgrowth in bad gut bacteria. It’s this overgrowth in bad unhealthy gut bacteria that is linked to asthma and allergies later on a life.

How can we make sure our babies have this beneficial gut bacteria?

In addition to good nutrition, breastfeeding and supplementing with healthy solids, I recommend that “all of my moms” introduce a probiotic, this B infantis, called Evivo every day, starting when the baby’s born. You simply mix it with a little bit of breast milk and feed it to your baby every day. This can help colonize their gut with a good healthy gut bacterium. We know that this can decrease the overgrowth of bad gut bacteria by 80 percent.

What else can we do to keep our babies healthy as they grow?

In today’s busy lifestyle, I feel like everyone’s just running around all the time. So, I like to remind my parents to really take time to spend with your baby. Get down on the floor and play with your baby, read them books every day, sing them songs, take them outdoors to breathe in the fresh air, and of course, make sure that you see your pediatrician for all of your well-child checkups. This is the best way for us to make sure that they’re growing and developing properly.

What foods can I give my toddler to promote a healthy gut?

Once Evivo sets the stage for a good healthy gut microbiome, you want to make sure that you feed your older infants and toddlers a lot of healthy high fiber food as this is what promotes a diverse range of healthy gut bacteria in everybody’s intestines. So, we’re talking about fresh fruit and vegetables every day, beans and legumes and whole grains. These are things that everybody of all ages should be eating on a regular basis as it’s good for digestion and a good gut microbiome.

Where can we go for more information?

On how to give your baby a healthy foundation in life visit evivo.com.

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About the Author

David Morales is the Executive Editor of The Hype magazine. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, David has a background as an artist manager, writer, blogger, drummer, and in the human services industry. He is passionate about helping others, learning and has a deep empathy for the creative process. You can follow his social media @dcypherstudios