GI-Tract Health and the Young-Mind…
Background and Rationale: There are many holistic practitioners who are looking more-closely at the effect of GI-Tract ecology (MicroBiome) on the mind, mood, immunity and many other aspects of general health. The more that is uncovered about the health and imbalances in this important ecology, the more we realize that keeping the GI-Tract ecology healthy is of utmost importance for general health. We don’t often think of our children having GI-related issues nor issues of thought or mood. Yet so many more of our children and young-adults are being diagnosed with mood-related disorders, depression and anxiety, to name a few. There are 10X as many cells in a healthy GITract as there are cells in our bodies! And, more and more research is showing that the balance of this ecology has profound effects on our health. Emerging research is showing that imbalances in this area may be an underlying cause affecting neurological imbalances such as autistic-spectrum disorder, anxiety and depression.
How do we assure that our children’s MicroBiome is as healthy as possible?
Try starting with diet and simple supplement approaches!
- Minimize simple carbs and sugars and junk-food in the diet! Simple carbs, starches and sugars can feed pathogenic bacteria and yeast. Complex carbs like those found in vegetables are used by friendly flora to keep us healthy.
- Eating more bitter greens daily helps stimulate proper digestion! There is emerging research on bitter taste receptors and their role in digestive health. Bitter herbs and greens have traditionally been used by many cultures to aid digestion and health. Some of these are dandelion greens, arugula, kale, endive, broccoli-rabe, mustard-greens, radicchio, turnip-greens, watercress, and the brassica family including broccoli, cauliflower, and others… use these daily in your meals.
- Use a comprehensive Probiotic Supplement: There are a number of studies showing that specific bacterial and yeast types are helpful in creating a healthy GI-Tract MicroBiome, help keep out unfriendly bacteria, parasites and yeast, and help keep the GITract lining healthy! Pathogenic bacteria can create inflammation, toxins, and create intestinal-permeability (AKA-Leaky-Gut) which can lead to many health conditions, brain-fog, lack of energy, etc.
- Use a high-DHA Omega-3 Essential Fatty-acid supplement: YES! You get a doublebenefit from the use of high-DHA essential fatty-acids. First, the brain is made up of 40% essential fatty-acids by dry-weight, much of which is DHA. High-DHA essential fatty-acids can help replenish the brain fats with a supply of fresh fats for healing and repair. Many people have noticed that their thought process, sharpness and over-all memory is better when taking high-DHA essential fatty-acids regularly. There are recent studies that show regular use of Omega-3 fatty-acids rich in DHA help support a healthy GI-ecology and friendly bacteria.
I want my children and I to be sharper, improve memory and help reduce the risk to brain-fog and mood imbalances. What should I and my children use for a probiotic and high-DHA Omega-3 supplement?
ProSynbiotic: Probiotic Supplement; take one capsule with each meal for 30 days. Then 1capsule/day on-going. It helps provide friendly bacteria which may help normalize the GI flora and GI health. Make sure you’re getting plenty of dietary fiber. Fiber helps to keep the GI tract healthy by helping to maintain a healthy flora balance, provides pH balance in the GI tract, may help promote regularity as well as other health benefits too numerous to mention here. Thirty grams of fiber should be the minimum required every day. If you find it difficult to get this daily, you should add in a fiber supplement. If you tend to be constipated, use Whole-Food Fiber instead of Gastro-Fiber.
Gastro-Fiber: Take 2 to 4 capsules twice daily between meals with an 8 oz. glass of water.
OR…
Whole-Food Fiber: Take 1 well-rounded tablespoon in 8-oz. of water twice daily.
Calamari Oil: This is a high-DHA Omega-3 essential fatty-acid supplement that provides these key fats for brain and GI-Ecology health. It is a liquid preparation that is a pleasant citrus flavor. Take 1-2 teaspoons per day with meals.
If you are not already a patient, don’t’ delay call our office make an appointment to start taking control of your health.
PLEASE NOTE! The dietary supplement products mentioned in this document are not intended to “diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease,” because only a drug can legally make such a claim.
