Probiotics are live bacteria that are ingested to improve health. Probiotics were introduced to the market in 1990 with the consumption of products such as yogurt. In the year 2001, they were introduced as a medicine by the World Health Organization, which defined the probiotics as: “live micro-organisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”.
Probiotics are used in the treatment of multiple diseases in which a microbiota is present. A microbiota is a set of microorganisms that inhabit the human being and are not harmful to their health. The human being has a lot of microbiota in his body, such as: intestinal microbiota, urinary microbiota, genital microbiota, microbiota of the oral cavity.
In the same way, probiotics are used in the treatment of many diseases related to the alteration of the normal microbiota of the body. Probiotics can be used in the treatment of antibiotic associated diarrhea and in the treatment of acute diarrhea, in the treatment for inflammatory bowel disease; also probiotics can be used in the treatment lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, necrotizing enterocolitis and in the same way can be used in the treatment bacterial vaginosis.
A lot of studies claim that probiotics can be used in the treatment for weight loss, since probiotics reduce cholesterol levels in a range lower than 8.25 mg / dl; however this function is mainly performed by probiotics that contain live bacteria called lactobacillus.
Currently, the pharmaceutical market due to the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of different pathologies has developed new probiotics, which have a greater efficacy in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and even these new probiotics help the immune system because some strains of lactobacillus can affect pathogens through competitive inhibition.
Also, the pharmaceutical companies have innovated the probiotics used for children. They have created new probiotics that are used as supplements in the diet of children to prevent any disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Some of the new probiotics made as supplements in children’s diet are:
Align Junior Daily Probiotic Supplement: This new probiotic helps regulate intestinal microbiota in children over 6 years. It comes in cherry flavor and contains 24 chewable tablets. This new probiotic cannot be administered to children less than 6 years since it can alter the formation of the microbiota.
Culturelle Kids Probiotics: This probiotic is one of the most recommended by pediatricians in the United States. Because it contains strains of lactobacillus bacteria in its composition, these strains are safest in relation to probiotics. They can be administered in children from 3 years of age; this makes it one of the most preferred probiotics by pediatricians, because its composition does not alter the formation of the intestinal microbiota. Its route of administration is orally in the form of chewable tablets flavored with red fruits.
Digestive Advantage Kids Daily Probiotics: This probiotic is characterized by having in its composition a unique formula that is only found in this probiotic, this formula is called B30. In the same way it is one of the safest probiotics in the market, it can be administered in children older than 3 years and it comes in fruit flavored chewable tablets.
Dr Mercola Premium Probiotics Supplements: This probiotic has a powder presentation so that it can be mixed in the children’s food or drink without the children noticing it. This supplement is administered to children from 4 years old and up.
Flora Tummys Probiotic Sprinkles Kids: This probiotic has a powder presentation that can be mixed in food and drinks; it can even be administered with milk drinks to the child. Its presentation in powder does not have any flavor so that it does not alter the flavor of the food. It is one of the safest probiotics in the market, since it allows administration from the first year of age of the child
Dr Formulated Organic Kids Probiotics: This probiotic contains 14 strains of lactobacillus in its composition; it is administered by chewable tablets with grape flavor. It can be administered from 4 years of age, in the same way it contains Vitamin C and D added to its composition.
Garden of Life Primal Defense Kids Probiotics Formula: This probiotic comes in a banana-flavored powder presentation that allows the father to administer it with meals; however its banana flavor can alter the taste of the food, so it is recommended to administer it with fruits juices. It can be administered to children from 4 years of age.
Lil Critters Probiotic Supplement: This probiotic is administered after two years, comes in soft chewable tablets with vanilla flavor, children to consume the probiotic think they are eating candy. It contains two strains of lactobacillus in its composition.
Primadophilus Probiotic Supplement: This probiotic contains two strains of bacteria, one called Lactobacillus and another is the bifidobacterias. This probiotic is one of the most used by pediatricians in the United States, since it helps the formation of intestinal microbiota, for this reason it can be administered from 2 years of age. Comes in cherry flavored chewable tablets.
Be Live Gummies Probiotic: This probiotic can be administered to children over 4 years of age. This probiotic contains 5 million colony-forming strains (CFU) of lactobacillus, also contains two vitamins in its composition as well. This probiotic comes in the form of gummies without sugar fruit flavored so that the child can eat without difficulty.
Renew Life Ultimate Flora Kids Probiotic: This probiotic contains 2 different strains of lactobacillus; it can be administered to children from two years old onwards. It comes in grape and raspberry flavored chewable tablets. This probiotic helps restore children intestinal microbiotas and also helps the development of their immune systems
All these probiotics produce the same functions, which are to help the formation of the intestinal microbiota, to restore the intestinal microbiota after a disease that affected the gastrointestinal tract, to help the child’s immune system. As parents we must make the decision of which probiotic best suits our children and consult their pediatrician.