As parents, we often place great emphasis on the right nutrition to feed our children, yet we seldom talk about the gut. We take for granted that the food we feed them will be digested and absorbed through the gut to provide the key nutrients needed for their growing bodies.

In young children, however, particularly those in the first few years of life, the gut’s microflora ecosystem is just beginning to develop. Similar to the development of their brain, skeletal structure, muscles and sinews, their gut and digestive system also need time to develop. Generally speaking, the microflora building event begins when the child is around four months of age and does not finish until he is about five years old.

What is the Gut and its relation to the Immune System

The gut[1] ─ which refers to the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract that runs all the way from the mouth to the anus and which includes all the major organs such as the esophagus, stomach and intestines ─ is the system responsible for breaking down food to absorb the nutrients to provide energy, balance hormones, repair and grow cells, regulate sleep, as well as eliminate toxins and waste products from the body.

In other words, the gut performs four important primary functions. They are digestion, absorption, excretion and protection.

But how does the gut protect the body, you might ask? The gut protects the body through its microbiota (or gut bacteria) which comprises roughly 100 trillion microorganisms including bacteria, yeast and viruses. They line the GI tract and work hand-in-hand with the immune system ─ a large network of organs, white blood cells, platelets, proteins (antibodies) and chemicals ─ to protect and eliminate harmful germs, viruses, fungi and pathogens that the body may come into contact with on an everyday basis.

The thing is, 70% to 80% of the body’s immune system also resides in the GI tract. The rest are in the bone marrow where the immune system cells are created. This means the immune system and gut bacteria are interconnected where a healthy gut equals a strong and effective immune system[2].

An unbalanced gut compromises the effectiveness of the immune system and could be the reason for the child’s allergies or infections, eczema and other skin issues, as well as asthma, anxiety, sleep problems, attention difficulties, lack of appetite, weight loss, weight gain, listlessness, depression and so on.

Most parents would think that an unhealthy gut would cause troubles immediately related to the digestive system such as diarrhoea, constipation, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). While that may be true, sometimes these symptoms go beyond stomach troubles and may manifest as mental issues.

The Gut-Brain Connection

In fact, new research has even gone on to say that there is a direct correlation between the gut and the mind and their link may be a predictor of the child’s future mental health.

For instance, one study[3] that did research on children aged between three and 18 found that people suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) were five times more likely to also be suffering from psycho-social issues such as anxiety and depression. This means that stress in the mind at an early age, caused perhaps by trauma, fear, deprivation and so on, can also cause stress for the gut and vice versa.

If the microbiota in the gut are friendly, confirms another article[4], they can change mood and the child’s behaviour to be calm and composed whereas alterations in the gut microbiome at an early age, have been linked to depression, anxiety and even hyperactivity in children.

It has been found that the gastrointestinal tract especially the intestines, produces 95% of serotonin[5] in our body. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter critical for central nervous system development which influences both mood, learning, memory as well as GI activity. Therefore young people, including very young children below the age of five, with chronic gastrointestinal diseases, such as IBS, celiac disease or others, have a much higher rate of depression, anxiety, and are at risk of increased stress and poorer quality of life later on.

Gut-Brain-Immune Axis

This means that the gut affects the brain while the brain can change the release of certain hormones in the body that can impact the types of bacteria in the gut. At the same time, the bacteria also work alongside the immune system, and communicate with the brain via the vagus nerve. If one is imbalanced, it affects the other two.

Why is Gut Health Important to a Child?

This is why gut health is so important to a growing child. No parent wants to see their child go through the distress of diarrhoea, vomiting, indigestion and constipation, not to mention other issues that may arise from an unhealthy gut such as coming down with constant infections, picky eating, crankiness, and so on.

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8 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Gut Health

There are many ways you can boost your child’s gut microflora and improve his overall immunity, mood and mental development. Cultivating good eating habits that include eating a balanced diet that includes the five food groups, namely fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy, is the number one factor in achieving good gut health. Here are eight additional ways to achieve good gut health in children.

1: Feed more Fibre

Fruits and vegetables are high in fibre, and promote beneficial bacteria growth in the gut as they are prebiotics ─ foods that cannot be digested but promotes the growth of certain bacteria that use them for fuel. The bulk that forms from the indigestible fibre also helps in the elimination of stools, preventing constipation. Apart from fruits and vegetables, other high fibre foods include oats, lentils, wholemeal breads, pasta and noodles, brown rice and beans.

2: Drink more Water

Water is necessary for the digestive tract to make digestive juices, break down food, absorb nutrients and move waste along for elimination. Lack of water can lead to constipation and other digestive issues especially when more fibre is introduced.

3: Eat more fermented foods and Probiotics:

Yoghurt and yoghurt and probiotic drinks is one of the best fermented foods around. Not only does it give your child his needed calcium, yoghurt (and probiotic) consumption improves intestinal bacteria. Do check though that it is low sugar and that it really contains live cultures. Natural yoghurt is always best. Other fermented foods rich in lactobacilli ─ a type of bacteria that is beneficial to health ─ include tempeh, shrimp paste, rice vinegar, fermented beancurd, kimchi, miso, appam and many more.

4: Eat less Processed and Fatty Foods

Fast food, fries, chips and all those savoury, crunchy snacks otherwise known as junk food are unfortunately very attractive to children, and to their parents too. Researchers say that those who consume too much of these foods have a greater level of destructive bacteria that produce toxins that harm the gut. The same can be said about eating too much of animal-derived fatty foods. However, not all fat is bad. Polyunsaturated fats, particularly Omega-3 fatty acids, can even reverse gut inflammation and help prevent heart disease, eczema and other conditions.

5: Consume Protein in the form of Lean Meat

Feed children easily digestible protein such as chicken and fish. Easily digestible protein helps the gut break it down faster, absorb the nutrients and keeps the intestinal tract fresh and healthy.

6: Feed Small but Frequent Meals

Eating small but frequent meals helps in promoting digestion as it simplifies the work of the gut to digest and absorb vitamins and minerals. Moreover, these small but frequent meals provide energy to the body throughout the day, satisfies appetite and stabilises blood sugar levels. It has been said that small meals prevent obesity and trains the body not to overeat, due to being too hungry from long intervals of having no food.

7: Avoid unnecessary Antibiotics

Avoid the use of antibiotics for mild ailments especially when they can be healed without them. Antibiotics can impact gut microbiota negatively reducing the diversity of species, alter metabolic activity and the selection of antibiotic-resistant organisms, resulting in gas, bloating, constipation and the growth of dangerous bacteria in the gut. Do check with your child’s paediatrician or doctor first.

8: Encourage Outdoor Activity and Exercise

One of the best ways of to strengthen gut and immunity is to increase your child’s exposure to germs. It will toughen him up and he won’t fall sick so easily. Outdoor activity and exercise is also good for his digestive health as frequent activity stimulates the digestive system and helps him move waste from the body regularly.

Morinaga Chil-kid for Gut Health

Morinaga Chil-kid ─ the Japanese formulation specially designed for Asian children aged 1 to 7 ─ contains AA+DHA, Galacto-oligosaccharide, Nucleotides and 27 key nutrients.

Nucleotides are organic molecules that are the building blocks of nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) that regulate chemicals in the body. They play an immunomodalatory role in enhancing the immune system as well as the growth and repair of the gut.

Galactic-oligosaccharide (GOS) are prebiotics that act as food to promote growth of “good” bacteria in the intestine.

These two additions ensure that your child develops a healthy gut, a strong immune system and also aids in mood and mental development.

In addition, Morinaga Chil-kid comprises a balanced ratio of 45 essential nutrients including Protein, Vitamins and Minerals for all round development.

These nutrients further fortify the milk that comes from happy, contented cows bred in the Netherlands’ natural pastures where they receive sunshine as they graze on open meadows. All 100% of the milk is produced from these cattle where it is formulated by Morinaga’s Research & Development institute in Japan which has a history of over 100 years on innovation.

All of Morinaga’s products undergo stringent product examination and double inspections in the Netherlands and Japan before they are exported to Malaysia.

In addition to its subtle taste which children love, Morinaga Chil-kid is formulated with less sugar too. You can thus rest assured that your child is receiving the best of the best in cutting edge Japanese innovation. Find out more about Morinaga Chil-kid on this site!

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