Breastfed babies get a nice dose of live cultures from mom’s milk.1 But once they stop breastfeeding, keeping those good bacteria coming can be a bit of a puzzle, especially with toddlers who turn their noses up at anything that’s not chicken nuggets.
So, if you’re wondering if giving them our Kids Live Cultures is a good idea, stick around! We’re about to dive into why these friendly bacteria are important for your little one’s development.
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What are the benefits of giving your toddler live cultures?
It might sound counterintuitive to feed live bacteria to your child. Live cultures are bacteria, yes, but they’re not the bad kind. In fact, they help control the bad bacteria, yeast, and fungi, and maintain balance in the gut microbiome. As you will see below, live cultures for kids offer several health benefits:
1) Live cultures support good gut health in children
Once the live cultures are ingested, they make their way to your child’s digestive tract, where they help break down food and extract the nutrients. They also help produce nutrients (like vitamin K and folic acid) and amino acids (like arginine and glutamine). 2
Moreover, live cultures help prevent infections like viral gastroenteritis, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and hospital-acquired diarrhea.3 4
For constipated children, live cultures may also help increase stool frequency.5
2) Live cultures may promote healthy skin in toddlers and young kids
Over 10% of children below 10 years have eczema (aka atopic dermatitis). It’s an itchy skin condition that irritants like soap, pollen, or food allergies may trigger. Some infants get it at just a few months old, though most kids typically start presenting symptoms at around 2 years old.6
The good news is that specific strains of Lactobacillus bacteria may significantly improve symptoms of eczema in children, with benefits persisting even after discontinuation of the supplement.7
3) Live cultures may boost your child’s immune health
Giving your child the best live cultures & fibre supplement may protect them against a wide range of harmful organisms. There is, after all, a strong connection between our digestive and immune systems, primarily because most immune cells are found in the gut.8
Live cultures activate certain immune cells in the gut, leading to the production of protective substances like antibodies and cytokines, which help protect your child against infection and disease.9
4) Live cultures may help fight inflammation and support weight management
Chronic inflammation is associated with many pediatric health issues, including childhood obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. The statistics on childhood obesity alone are shocking – nearly 41 million children under the age of 5 and over 340 million between 5 and 19 years old are either overweight or obese!10
Fortunately, taking high-quality live cultures may help lower inflammation. In a study of 206 children who were either overweight or obese, live cultures significantly reduced their inflammation, decreased bad cholesterol levels, and increased adiponectin levels. Low adiponectin levels are associated with obesity-linked illnesses.11
That said, starting early with the right food choices for your child is challenging but necessary. It helps ensure they grow healthy and reduces the risk of serious health issues as adults.
Related article: 7 Signs of Food Intolerance in Children
5) Live cultures may offer respiratory health benefits to children
Respiratory infections in young children shouldn’t be taken lightly. According to the WHO, acute respiratory infections are responsible for almost 20% of all deaths of children under 5.
Thankfully, there is evidence that live cultures may help prevent colds and other respiratory tract infections (RTI) in kids. One study, with over 5000 subjects between the ages of 3 months and 7 years, reported that Lactobacillus live cultures significantly reduced the duration of RTIs.12
Similarly, Zhao et al. reviewed 23 studies involving 6,950 participants, ranging from infants to seniors. They found that live cultures helped decrease the chances of catching an RTI. For those who did get sick, live cultures helped reduce the frequency and duration of the infection. Moreover, they also lessened the need for antibiotics to treat RTIs.13
Why choose our Intelligent Labs Kids Live Culures & Fibre?
Our Kids Live Cultures & Fibre is the best toddler supplement designed to meet children’s needs. It features the patented strains Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis. Both strains are backed by extensive research and offer various health benefits.
Each chewable tablet is packed with a guaranteed minimum of 6 Billion CFU, ensuring a potent dose that supports your child’s health.
We’ve also added 2 types of non-digestible fibres called ‘prebiotics’ to nourish the live cultures in case they wake up before use.
Also, no refrigeration is needed. Our innovative Active Packaging Technology helps optimize the live cultures’ survival from the warehouse to your home.
Lastly, to ensure your child will enjoy our supplement, we chose a sugar-free wildberry-licious flavor. It’s a hit among kids, and there’s basically no risk of them getting tooth decay from this product!
How much live cultures should you give your toddler?
Our Kids Live Cultures contain 6 Billion CFU per tablet. We suggest giving 1 tablet for daily maintenance. If your child needs to take more, please consult your pediatrician.
Also, we recommend giving our product to toddlers around 2-3 years old who already know how to chew. If they struggle chewing, crush the tablet and mix it into milk, water, or juice.
Can your toddler take live cultures with antibiotics?
Yes, it’s beneficial for your child to take live cultures alongside antibiotics, as research indicates this can speed up their recovery after completing the antibiotic treatment. However, it’s advised to space out the intake of live cultures and antibiotics by at least 2 hours to minimize the chance of the antibiotics killing the beneficial bacteria.
What are the possible side effects of giving toddlers live cultures?
The studies we referenced above have reported that live cultures have an excellent safety profile.14 But a little gas, bloating, or even diarrhea are common side effects, especially during the first few days. It is the body’s natural response while the gut microbiome is rebalancing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, giving your toddler our Kids Live Cultures & Fibre can be a healthy addition to their daily routine. It’s one of the best pediatric supplements you can give to your toddler (and even older children, too), supporting not only their digestive health but their overall well-being, too.
For a comprehensive overview of our live cultures, refer to our ultimate guide on live cultures supplements.
References:
- Łubiech, Katarzyna, and Magdalena Twarużek. “Lactobacillus Bacteria in Breast Milk.” Nutrients vol. 12,12 3783. 10 Dec. 2020, doi:10.3390/nu12123783 ↩︎
- Quigley, Eamonn M M. “Gut Bacteria in Health and Disease.” Gastroenterology & Hepatology, vol. 9, no. 9, 2013, pp. 560–9, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3983973/. ↩︎
- Thomas, D. W., and F. R. Greer. “Probiotics and Prebiotics in Pediatrics.” PEDIATRICS, vol. 126, no. 6, 2010, pp. 1217–31. Crossref, doi:10.1542/peds.2010-2548. ↩︎
- Hojsak, Iva et al. “Probiotics for the Prevention of Nosocomial Diarrhea in Children.” Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition vol. 66,1 (2018): 3-9. doi:10.1097/MPG.0000000000001637 ↩︎
- Huang, Ruixue, and Jianan Hu. “Positive Effect of Probiotics on Constipation in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Six Randomized Controlled Trials.” Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology vol. 7 153. 28 Apr. 2017, doi:10.3389/fcimb.2017.00153 ↩︎
- “Eczema.” Seattle Children’s Hospital, www.seattlechildrens.org/conditions/a-z/eczema/ ↩︎
- Wang, I-J, and J-Y Wang. “Children with atopic dermatitis show clinical improvement after Lactobacillus exposure.” Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology vol. 45,4 (2015): 779-87. doi:10.1111/cea.12489 ↩︎
- Belkaid, Yasmine, and Timothy W. Hand. “Role of the Microbiota in Immunity and Inflammation.” Cell, vol. 157, no. 1, Mar. 2014, pp. 121–141, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4056765/ ↩︎
- Mazziotta, Chiara, et al. “Probiotics Mechanism of Action on Immune Cells and Beneficial Effects on Human Health.” Cells, vol. 12, no. 1, 2 Jan. 2023, p. 184, https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12010184 ↩︎
- Calcaterra, Valeria, et al. “Inflammation in Obesity-Related Complications in Children: The Protective Effect of Diet and Its Potential Role as a Therapeutic Agent.” Biomolecules, vol. 10, no. 9, 16 Sept. 2020, p. 1324, https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10091324. ↩︎
- Li, Ya, et al. “Effects of Probiotic Administration on Overweight or Obese Children: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.” Journal of Translational Medicine, vol. 21, no. 1, 4 Aug. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-023-04319-9. ↩︎
- Laursen, Rikke Pilmann, and Iva Hojsak. “Probiotics for Respiratory Tract Infections in Children Attending Day Care Centers—a Systematic Review.” European Journal of Pediatrics, vol. 177, no. 7, 12 May 2018, pp. 979–994, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-018-3167-1 ↩︎
- Zhao, Yunli, et al. “Probiotics for Preventing Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infections.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, vol. 2022, no. 8, 24 Aug. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd006895.pub4. ↩︎
- Depoorter, Leontien, and Yvan Vandenplas. “Probiotics in Pediatrics. A Review and Practical Guide.” Nutrients, vol. 13, no. 7, 24 June 2021, p. 2176, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072176 ↩︎
