Can probiotics reduce incidence of kids' illness?
Date: 19/05/2010 / Category: School holidays and working parents
Probiotic yoghurt drinks may make children that regularly visit indoor soft play centres less susceptible to certain illnesses, new research suggests.
Common sickness such as ear infections, sinusitis and diarrhoea were reduced among daycare children that that consumed the probiotic DanActive, according to a study conducted by researchers at Georgetown University School of Medicine.
They found that there was a 19 per cent decrease in common infections among children that drank the yoghurt supplement, compared to those that did not.
However, lead author of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition study Daniel Merenstein noted: "We did find some differences in infection rates but this did not translate to fewer missed school days or change in daily activity."
Diet can have significant long-term health implications, with processed foods in particular linked to an increased risk of heart disease in later life, according to Takeheart Health Check.
Posted by Sarah Thomas
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