Childhood Antibiotic Use Linked With Obesity

February 3, 2017Big Pharma

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Last year, the American Gastroenterological Association published a study analyzing the effects of antibiotics taken before age 2 on obesity levels by age 4. They found that young children who had been exposed to antibiotics before age 2 had a 25 percent relative increase of being obese by age 4.

The risk is strongest with 3 or more repeated courses of antibiotics. Frank Irving Scott, MD, MSCE, assistant professor of medicine at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, and adjunct scholar, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, stated, “Antibiotics have been used to promote weight gain in livestock for several decades, and our research confirms that antibiotics have the same effect in humans. Our work supports the theory that antibiotics may progressively alter the composition and function of the gut microbiome, thereby predisposing children to obesity as is seen in livestock and animal models.”

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Since the 1970s, the percentage of American children who are obese has tripled. Currently, about 1 in 5 school-aged children is obese in the US. In Canada, WHO estimates one third of Canadian children are obese. The CDC lists several ways obesity impacts a child’s well-being:

Children with obesity are at higher risk for having other chronic health conditions and diseases that impact physical health, such as asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, type 2 diabetes, and risk factors for heart disease.
Children with obesity are bullied and teased more than their normal weight peers, and are more likely to suffer from social isolation, depression, and lower self-esteem.
In the long term, childhood obesity also is associated with having obesity as an adult, which is linked to serious conditions and diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and several types of cancer.

Overuse of antibiotics is already a huge problem, and avoiding them as much as possible is important for preserving your gut flora. Antibiotics indiscriminately neutralize gut bacteria, which is why, if an antibiotic must be taken, it should always be followed by a probiotic to restore proper gut balance.
Even allergic responses are caused by lack of diversity of intestinal flora, and that is why, in Laktokhan probiotic complex, 4 of the main strains the body requires are used: Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, and Bifidobacterium longum. In one 2011 study, researchers found that ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulated emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse–meaning the strain could prove valuable in treating anxiety and depression.Laktokhan probiotic complex is not only helpful for digestion, but also immunity. Many trust Laktokhan for a healthy gut.