How To Keep Your Kids Well This Winter

As Old Man Winter blows into our lives, we begin to worry about the health of our children. An important ingredient to the "recipe of wellness" for children and adults alike is a strong and healthy immune system. Our immune system fights our battles for us, immobilizing the enemy (bacteria and viruses), keeping them from entering allied territory (the body) and taking control (cold, flu or ear infection). Keeping the soldiers of the immune system strong and well fed will result in wellness all year long.

The immune system of a child requires close attention for several reasons. First, because of their age they have not been exposed to as many organisms as adults have. Therefore, their bodies are less able to recognize and launch an attack against harmful bacteria and viruses. This makes a child more susceptible. Secondly, actual exposure is often higher in children, especially for those returning to school or going to daycare.

Promoting a healthy immune system involves giving the body nutritious food and meeting additional individual needs with a basic supplement program.

For an individual trying to achieve optimal wellness, a varied whole foods diet is vital. Focus on getting back to the basics by consuming fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean animal protein (chicken, turkey, fish, cottage cheese, skim milk, eggs, yogurt), vegetable protein (legumes), olive oil, nuts and seeds. Keep to a minimum any processed food found in a box, can, jar, bag, the freezer, or drive through. The ultimate goal is to eat food loaded with the vitamins and minerals needed to keep the immune system strong and to minimize those that make the immune system weak such as white sugar, white flour, and processed food.(1,2)

Supplement recommendations for children depend on the child's age. Consult with a health care practitioner or product labels for dosage. Most natural medicine doctors recommend at least a multiple vitamin and mineral be taken. If a child does not eat many green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes, additional calcium and magnesium should be included. Be sure to include essentially fatty acids in your child's diet to keep the immune system strong. Good food sources include fatty cold-water fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel), ground flax seeds, and fish oils, which can be found in supplement form. During the winter months a parent should have echinacea drops on hand. The effectiveness of this herb for treatment of colds and flu is backed by numerous studies.(3,4,5) Recent findings have suggested that echinacea should be reserved for use at the onset of these conditions and not taken on an on going basis for prevention.(6) Research shows that this herb increases white blood cells which act as pac-men in the blood stream, gobbling up bacteria and viruses before a full blown sickness can take hold. Taking additional vitamin C and garlic during the winter months may also help ward off illness. It is also good to emphasize garlic in cooking as well as vitamin C rich foods. Foods high in vitamin C include peppers (red and green), broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, tomatoes, cantaloupe, grapefruit, kiwi, and strawberries.

Beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, are called probiotics. Probiotic bacteria favorably alter the intestinal microflora balance, inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, promote good digestion, boost immune function, and increase resistance to infection.(7, 8) Individuals with flourishing intestinal colonies of beneficial bacteria are better equipped to fight the growth of disease-causing bacteria.(9,10) Yogurt is the traditional source of beneficial bacteria; however, different brands of yogurt can vary greatly in their bacteria strain and potency. Some (particularly frozen) yogurts do not contain any live bacteria. It might be a good idea to supplement with probiotics and encourage proliferation by consuming fermented foods like quality yogurt, miso, kefir, and tempeh. Also, avoid foods that are not probiotic friendly, particularly sugars and refined foods. Chemicals found in our food and water supply, such as pesticides and chlorine, as well as antibiotics found in commercial meats and prescriptions can also have a negative impact on our resident microflora.(11,12)

Regular moderate physical activity has positive effects on immunity and has been shown to reduce risk of upper respiratory infection.(13,14) Therefore, it is important to make sure children are spending less time in front of the TV and videos games and spending more time being active.

The purpose of these foods and supplements is to prevent the onset of a cold, flu or ear infection as well as lessen the severity if an illness does arise. Use them when a child starts sniffling, sneezing, coughing; however, guidance from a knowledgeable health care practitioner is recommended for treating an acute illness. Adding the above remedies and dietary suggestions to an illness prevention regime will help promote better health all year round!

References:

1 Sanchez A, et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. Am J Clin Nutr 1973;26:1180.

2 Ringsdorf WM, et al. Sucrose, neutrophilic phagocytosis and resistance to disease. Dental Survey 1976;52(12):46.

3 Melchart D, Linde K, et al. Immunomodulation with Echinacea—a systematic review of controlled clinical trials. Phytomed 1994;1:245–54.

4 Dorn M, Knick E, Lewith G. Placebo-controlled, double-blind study of Echinacea pallida redix in upper respiratory tract infections. Comp Ther Med 1997;5:40–42.

5 Hoheizel O, Sandberg M, Bertram S, et al. Echinacea shortens the course of the common cold: a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Eur J Clin Res 1997;9:261–68.

6 Melchort D, Walther E, Linde K, et al. Echinacea root extracts for the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections: A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial. Arch Fam Med 1998;7:541–45.

7 Smirnov VV, Reznik SR, V'iunitskaia VA, et al. The current concepts of the mechanisms of the therapeuticprophylactic action of probiotics from bacteria in the genus bacillus. Mikrobiolohichnyi Zhurnal 1993;55(4):92–112.

8 Mel'nikova VM, Gracheva NM, Belikov GP, et al. The chemoprophylaxis and chemotherapy of opportunistic infections. Antibiotiki i Khimioterapiia 1993;38:44–48.

9 De Simone C, Vesely R, Bianchi SB, et al. The role of probiotics in modulation of the immune system in man and in animals. Int J Immunother 1993;9:23–28.

10 Veldman A. Probiotics. Tijdschrift voor Diergeneeskunde 1992;117(12):345–48.

11 Hobbs, Christopher, Pro-life Therapy with Probiotics, The Use of Acidophilus and other Beneficial Bacteria as Dietary Supplements. 1996. Found on www.healthy.net.

12 Trenev, Natasha, Probiotics: Nature's Internal Healers. 1998. Avery Publishing Group. New York.

13 Nieman DC. Exercise immunology: practical applications. Int J Sports Med 1997;18:S91–100 .

14 Nieman DC. Exercise and resistance to infection. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 1998;76:573–80 .