Day 2: Nurture Your Baby's Gut Health

All About Gut Health: The Power of Prebiotics & Probiotics

26th Oct 2023

3 min

A healthy gut is the foundation for overall well-being and plays a significant role in your baby's development and immune system. Nurturing your baby's gut health is a vital aspect of their overall well-being!

Today, we’ll explore the importance of prebiotics (fiber) and probiotics (friendly bacteria or good bugs) for your baby and how you can incorporate them into their diet.

What Are Prebiotics and Probiotics?

Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that act as food for the beneficial bacteria in our gut. These non-digestible fibers, found in various foods, promote the growth and activity of the good bacteria.

On the other hand, probiotics are friendly bacteria (good bugs) that provide health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts. Probiotics help establish a diverse and balanced gut microbiota, which is crucial for digestion and overall health.

Simply put, probiotics are like the “good” bacteria in your gut, and prebiotics are the food that the “good” bacteria eat!

The Importance of Prebiotics and Probiotics for Babies

1) Promoting a healthy gut microbiota

Prebiotics and probiotics work in synergy to foster a diverse and balanced gut microbiota, essential for your baby's digestion and immune function.

2) Boosting immune function

Simply put, having good bacteria in the gut reduces your baby’s risk for infections. How? Probiotics (good bacteria) stimulate the production of immune cells, strengthen the gut barrier, and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.

Where Can Babies Get Prebiotics and Probiotics From?

Here are 3 ways your little one can get their prebiotic and probiotic intake.

1) Breast milk: It’s a natural source of both prebiotics and probiotics.

2) Infant formula: Some infant formulas are now enriched with prebiotics or probiotics to mimic the benefits of breast milk.

3) Through food

Prebiotic-rich foods: When your baby starts solid foods around 6 months of age, you can provide them with prebiotics through fiber-rich foods. Fiber-rich foods include Include bananas, oats, onions, garlic, beans, lentils, whole grains, berries, and a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Probiotic-rich foods:

You can feed your baby fermented foods that contain probiotics, such as yogurt, curd, buttermilk, and kefir.

Dosas and idlis are not good sources of probiotics. Here’s why. Although we ferment the batter, because we cook or steam them, the good bacteria is lost (bacteria die when they’re introduced to heat).

Another probiotic source is kanji (cooked rice, fermented overnight, and consumed the next day).

Did you know

Babies do not need prebiotic or probiotic supplements if they can get them naturally from a diet that includes breast milk, fiber-rich foods, and probiotic-rich fermented food.