Toxic Children

By Marcia Zimmerman, M.Ed., C.N.

Toxic Kids - Part 2

Lately parents have been hit with alarming information about potential dangers to their children. First it was lead contamination from toys manufactured by our most trusted companies.  This was the topic of Toxic Kids Part I. Next it was super antibiotic resistant bugs that might lurk in day care centers and in schools. The latest, and of greatest concern, is that every study performed in recent years has found that children’s cough and cold remedies are ineffective and potentially dangerous.¹ The American Academy of Pediatrics subsequently recommended against use of multi-symptom OTC cold medicines in children under the age of three unless parents are advised by a physician.²

What are concerned parents to do?

Runny noses, coughs and sleep disruption are the reasons parents have depended on these medicines for years. However our kids are not the first generation to suffer from frequent respiratory troubles. Herbal and dietary remedies have been the first line of defense for centuries.

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) syrup (#4853) is rich in flavonoids, essential oils, vitamin C and organic acids. It reduces mucous secretions, helps ease breathing, and soothes irritated nose and throat.³ NOW’s formula contains Echinacea purpurea extract and zinc citrate to help activate immunity.

Does Your Child Have Hidden Allergies?

If your child is frequently plagued with a runny nose, earaches, and sinus infections, he or she may have hidden food intolerances. Doris Rapp, M.D. describes in her book Is This Your Child the various ways you can recognize “hidden” childhood allergies.⁴ A classic symptom is the “allergic salute” in which the child is constantly rubbing his or her hand across the end of a runny nose. Food allergies are difficult to determine with standard allergy testing, but avoiding common allergic provoking foods such as dairy, wheat, corn, and tree nuts can often bring relief.

Changing the family diet as described in my new book 7-Color Cuisine- A Cookbook and Nutrition Guide, Square One Publishers (#8620), is the best way to eliminate offending foods. Replace all forms of sugar and other refined carbohydrates because they slow down bowel transit time and increase exposure to toxic bowel contents.  NOW has a great selection of natural sweeteners, many of them organic (org) that can be used. The newest sweetener – a sure child pleaser – is organic agave nectar (#6908). Whole grains and seeds available from NOW include amaranth (org), bulgur, couscous (org), flax seeds (org), oats (org), popcorn (org), quinoa (org), and brown rice. Bulgur and couscous are forms of wheat and should be avoided during an elimination diet.

Dairy products top the list of provoking foods. These should be replaced as much as possible with other beverages. Inspect labels very carefully to determine if they contain casein, which is the milk protein that causes problems. It is a good idea to supplement your child with a tasty liquid calcium supplement such as NOW’s Cal/Mag Citrate (#1268) or chewable Kid Cal (#1233).

Toxic Bowel

Allergic children are prone to digestive problems, a condition referred to as intestinal dysbiosis. Antibiotic use disturbs the gut microflora by killing helpful as well as pathogenic bacteria.⁵ Psychological stress can also impact microflora. Stress alters digestion and as Sherry Rogers M.D. points out, “The intestinal lining houses not only half of the immune system for the whole body, but also half of the detoxification system.”⁶ This begs the question. If stress has a negative impact on children’s health, might stress reduction techniques increase resistance to infection?

Ninety children aged 8 to 12 years, half of whom had a history of recurrent colds and flu, were divided into three groups, two of which were enrolled in stress relieving programs. The third group of children didn’t have stress management intervention. The treated groups of children increased their levels of the secretory IgA, which gives them greater ability to resist colds.^7,8

Bowel function is often disturbed in allergic children.⁹ They may be constipated; frequently pass gas, be bloated, and have foul smelling or hard stools. A low fiber diet is one cause of constipation. Another is imbalance in microflora in the gut, which results in toxins entering circulation.¹⁰ Several studies have shown that supplementation with Bifidobacteria and other helpful probiotics restore normal gut function, alleviate allergic symptoms, restore immune competence, and reduce allied bowel problems.^11,12 Supplementation with Bifidus and other probiotic species is enhanced when the formula contains fructooligosaccharides (FOS) a complex carbohydrate that increases the implantation and longevity of friendly microflora.¹³

BerryDophilus (#2936) is a tasty children’s chewable probiotic formula enhanced with FOS that should be included in a daily regimen to protect children from infection and enhance their natural resistance.

Copyright©, 2001 by The Zimmerman Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

No part of this article may be used for the promotion of product or services without the express written consent of the author. The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the advice of a health care provider. Nor is it to be used to diagnose, treat or cure any condition.