If the gut doesn’t function well, it can affect the rest of the body. Studies have found that the body’s immune system is in the stomach, with as much as 80% of immune cells found in the gut.
For babies, toddlers, and children, the right nutrition plays a key role in their growth and development. Babies are highly recommended to be breastfed from 0-6 months old, as breastmilk has all the necessary vitamins and minerals needed. At six months, your baby is slowly introduced to solid food outside of his or her mother’s milk, through single-grain cereals mixed with breastmilk, or water. This fortified cereal helps give babies iron. From there, a baby can also started on pureed or strained fruits and vegetables, yogurt, and tiny pea-sized cooked meats for protein. By 8-10 months, small amounts of dairy and pasturized cheese, egg yolks, and small bites of crackers or cooked pasta may be introduced to your baby’s diet. But as always, ask your doctor about food proportions and other nutritional concerns.
So relax, eat right, get the help of probiotics, and be good to your gut.
Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10564096 http://healthland.time.com/2010/11/29/study-some-benefits-of-probiotics-for-kids/ http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/baby-food-nutrition-9/baby-food-timeline http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/healthy_eating/toddler_food.html
