Table of contents:
- Knowing how prebiotics work to increase the child's immune system
- Prebiotics can prevent constipation in children
Prebiotics, an important intake for maintaining digestive health and improving the child's immune system. Prebiotics are needed in the body and have a way of working in such a way as to affect body cells to increase endurance.
Like what is the role of prebiotics on a child's immune system, let's see the explanation below.
Knowing how prebiotics work to increase the child's immune system
In the human digestive system, there are many bacteria that live there. Among them are good and bad bacteria. Overall, the bacteria live in the intestines and form an environment known as the microbiota.
When the intestinal microbiota is well preserved, the child's health can be maintained. From the gut microbiota, it is closely related to the child's immune system. Then, how do you maintain the gut microbiota?
Intestinal health can be maintained through the food consumed by children. One of them, through prebiotics. Basically, prebiotics are the undigested fiber found in food. All prebiotics are fiber, but not all fibers are prebiotics.
Scientifically, prebiotics are found in foods that have oligosaccharide components. Oligosaccharides are carbohydrates consisting of 2-10 monosaccharides (carbohydrate compounds in the simplest form of sugar).
The way prebiotics work is very beneficial for intestinal health. When foods containing prebiotics enter the intestine, it stimulates the growth of good intestinal bacteria.
Prebiotics can withstand hydrolytic activity (enzymes that digest food) in the upper digestive tract. So that it triggers good bacteria to ferment food contained in the large intestine.
Prebiotics also stimulate the growth of bacteria in the intestines, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus.
When good bacteria grow with prebiotic stimulation, it can improve the health of the digestive system and strengthen immunity. Prebiotics can also increase the production of short chain fatty acids.
The way these prebiotics work produces short chain fatty acids, which are the end product of fermentation. These short chain fatty acids have a major role in regulating the immune system and responding to inflammation.
Here, short chain fatty acids will send signals when there is inflammation, so that the immune system can immediately respond to infection and inflammation. That's how prebiotics work in boosting a child's immune system.
Prebiotics can prevent constipation in children
Another advantage that children can feel when they consume prebiotics is that their digestive system becomes smooth. Maybe your little one has experienced constipation, so that his bowel movements are hard and not smooth.
Previously, it was said that consumption of prebiotics supports the growth of good bacteria in the intestines. The propagation of Bifidobacteria bacteria is one of the prebiotic ways to treat constipation.
In addition, short chain fatty acids can also support motility or more active bowel movements. This has an impact on the smooth running of children's bowel movements.
Prebiotic content can also be found in infant formula, which contains PDX GOS.
Based on a study in Nutrition Journal said, the content of PDX GOS, DHA, and beta glucan provides benefits for maintaining health in supporting the child's immune system, and keeping children from infection and disease.
Overall, the consumption of these three intakes can improve physical performance, cognitive, psychological, and social development.
Apart from milk, mothers can also provide other prebiotics which are rich in vitamins and minerals to protect children's optimal health. Prebiotic intake that can be given such as apples, bananas, seaweed, oats, asparagus, and others.
Now, you know that prebiotic work is so beneficial for children's health. Therefore, always include prebiotic intake so that children can always be healthy and maintain their immune system.
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