A healthy gut is vital for healthy children

The gut as being central to the treatment of illness, was a topic highlighted by the recent Mindd (Metabolic, Immunologic, Neurologic, Digestive Disorders) International Forum on children in Sydney.

Queensland based Nutritionist Cyndi O'Meara says the difference between treating a child's (or any person's) illness, versus treating the cause, can be likened to a 'mechanistic' rather than 'vitalistic' approach to the body. According to Cyndi, the body has an innate intuitiveness and intelligence and if you provide it with the right resources it will look after itself.

But how helpful is this approach to parents of children with chronic health issues?

A keynote speaker at the Mindd conference, Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride, a UK based neurologist, believes that 85% of immunity comes from the gut and that gut problems are responsible for the current epidemics in children of autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), asthma, allergies, dyslexia, dyspraxia, learning disorders and social problems. According to recently released figures, the rate of ADHD in our nation's children is 7% and one in every 120 child suffers from autism. The huge growth in both cases has led doctors to describing them as epidemic proportions.

Dr Campbell McBride says that the gut is the underlying common problem to a host of disorders, from austism to multiple sclerosis. This can start with gut dysbiosis in the mother and includes up to 60% of women having children as a result of over-use of antibiotics, use of the oral contraceptive and too many over-refined carbohydrates in the diet. The result is insufficient beneficial microbes with an over-abundance of pathogenic microbes in the gut which is passed onto their baby. When the gut flora is out of balance, large proteins such as gluten in wheat become difficult to digest and these substances are absorbed as chemical structure which causes significant behavioural and attention issues.

In all cases (for both mother and child) quality of food is of paramount importance. Once the cells are fed adequately through diet (including supplementation as individually required), with particular emphasis on promoting healthy gut flora, toxic load is reduced so organ systems can begin to work at optimum level. This consequently reduces oxidative stress and inflammation which are key contributing factors to disease.

While chronic illness in children is not necessarily a quick-fix scenario, these discussions offer insight for parents in regards to 'where to start' for a vitalistic treatment of their child's health. As the centre of our body, playing a crucial part in absorption of nutrients, influencing immunity, hormones and many other biological processes, the role of a 'good gut' cannot be underestimated.