
Healthy microbiome depends on the immune system. Boost the immune system in children is possible through supervision of lifestyle in early age. The microbiome is a bunch of microbes in the intestines weighing about 3 pounds. It is the same weight as for the brain. Humans have nearly ten thousand microbial species. There are at least one hundred microbes for one human gene. Bacteria are responsible for biochemical activities such as digesting carbohydrates from the food of making vitamins.
How Are Kids And Microbiome Connected?
The period from birth to three years is busy for children’s microbiome. For three years, the child’s microbiome has been continuously changing. By age three, the microbiome will have the same behavior pattern as adults.
Adults have stability and bounce back after challenging the microbiome. The first three years are essential in the toddler’s life — all interactions with food, people, and the environment influence the quality and behavior of the microbiome.
More Dirt In Child’s Life, More Health For Microbiome and Immune System
Children who play outside, interact with animals and have many siblings or friends around develop a robust microbiome and immune system. How does it happen?
It is the same as the training. The child is exposed to various unharmful bacteria, which train the immune system to adjust and deal with multiple intruders.
Our ancestors did not wash hands with sanitizer or dishes in machines. They hunted, planted, cultivated soil touching it whenever it was needed.
Good And Bad Bacteria
Good and bad bacteria are the expressions of lifestyle. Bacteria can change behavior according to the environment, food, and immune system. Usually, the healthy immune system keeps bacteria in the right places. Authors of book Dirt Is Good told that
some of the bacteria that are considered to be beneficial to your gut when stressed, turn to the dark side and infect your body’s tissues.
Bacteria behave in an excellent or harmful way depending on circumstances. For example, E.Coli usually sits quietly in the gut, but when food changes, stress, or toxins bother us, E. Coli can cause diarrhea or urinary tract infections.
It is fascinating how a robust immune system keeps things in check. Meningitis bacteria reside in the back of the throat and nose. However, just one in a thousand can be infected thanks to close contact with the carrier.
Everything Is Connected
Parents can boost children’s immune system by introducing them to new things such as dirt, animals, friends, or various objects. The well trained immune system would keep microbiome in good shape, not letting them rebel. Nutritious food, fresh air, plenty of play, and moves around will keep microbiome and immune system in balance. Microbiome and immune system correlate. The immune system is healthy, microbiome flourishes.
Here is an interesting video about a connection between gut microbe and the brain. Unfortunately, we forgot many beneficial things. Slowly, we return to the unique and unharmful lifestyle.
Do you have any thoughts about the importance of food to our wellbeing? It would be great to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.