A healthy digestive system starts with proper nutrition, writes Professor Dr Poh Bee Koon
WHEN was the last time your child visited the toilet? What did he eat or drink before that?
You may not realise it, but the food and fluids you feed your child can affect what comes out at the other end. The types of foods or liquids your child consumes will affect stool size, colour, consistency and frequency of bowel movements.
If you are concerned about your child’s bowel movement, there is one thing you should know: Everything starts in the gut.
The gut is where every child’s well-being begins. When he passes stools regularly and feels good inside, it shows on the outside.
The condition of your child’s gut may also affect his sleep, energy levels, behaviour, ability to concentrate and overall well-being.
Of course, parents hope they don’t have to cope with a child who is experiencing gut discomforts such as straining, hard stools or difficulty in moving bowels. So improve your child’s gut health by ensuring that he has a healthy and nutritious diet.
GOOD NUTRITION
Feeding a child may be one of your most important tasks as a parent.
Healthy and nutritious food will allow a child to meet the daily nutrient requirements needed for growth and development during the growing years and ensure good health later in life.
A balanced and nutritious diet should comprise a wide variety of food groups, such as rice, bread, cereals and tubers, fish, meat, poultry and legumes, fruit and vegetables as well as milk and dairy products.
For gut health and to prevent constipation, offer children foods that are rich in fibre, such as fruit and vegetables. Give fruit and vegetables daily — one cannot be substituted for the other as nutrient contents are different. Children below 7 years should be offered two servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit every day.
The gut plays an important role in other areas of a child’s health, such as ensuring the proper absorption of nutrients and supporting a healthy immune system. A poor immune system can make a child susceptible to diarrhoea and infections, which can lead to appetite loss, decrease in nutrients intake, malabsorption and eventually, under-nutrition. If a child is under-nourished, it can affect his cognitive development, behaviour and performance in school.
This is why a healthy gut is important to ensure nutrients from food are effectively absorbed.
GOOD BACTERIA
The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms. Research shows that the number of microbial cells in a human body is 10 times more than human cells.
There are two types of bacteria in the gut. Beneficial bacteria help the gut regulate immunity and protect your child from infections.
One way to ensure your child has more beneficial than harmful bacteria is to offer a diet rich in prebiotics.
Prebiotics is a special type of insoluble fibre that acts as food source for beneficial or good bacteria naturally present in the gut.
They help stimulate the growth and multiplying of good bacteria which will suppress the growth of harmful bacteria. The increased number of good bacteria also supports a healthy gut environment, which in turn helps soften stool and promote better bowel movement.
Prebiotics, including galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), can help promote children’s gut health. The prebiotic, long-chain fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) can be found naturally in many foods such as wheat, onion, banana and honey.
The unique mixture of GOS and FOS can increase the existing beneficial bacteria and subsequently reduce the harmful bacteria in the body. Other sources of prebiotics include apple, oatmeal, leek, asparagus, soya bean, tomato, garlic and onion.
START WITH THE GUT
When it comes overall health, taking care of a child’s gut health is just as important as maintaining the rest of the body.
A healthy gut will prevent stomach discomforts, ensuring a child’s overall well-being and happiness. For parent’s, that’s one less thing to worry about.
Don’t wait until your little one experiences gut discomfort. Take charge of his gut health today, starting with the food he eats. Ensure your child’s meal is healthy, nutritious and contains gut-friendly prebiotics.
The writer is a nutritionist and head of Nutritional Sciences
Programme at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia