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LITTLE LEGENDS 61 history on the child and find out what they’ve been consuming, to help them with their gut issues, Mr Webster tells Retail Pharmacy Assistants. Overall, he says, it’s accepted that the good bacteria in a child’s gut must be fed on dietary fibre or complex carbohydrates found in plants. If a child ingests inadequate dietary fibre, the starving gut microbe resorts to the mucus that lines and protects the intestine’s inner walls for food. When the bacteria get near the walls, they can trigger inflammation, which can lead to autoimmune disorders such as irritable bowel disease, allergies and asthma. “The good bacteria flourish on wholegrain breakfast cereals, whole-wheat pasta, wholegrain bread, oats, barley, rye, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds and potatoes with skin,” Mr Webster said. “It’s also generally accepted that children should ingest live and active cultures, or good bacteria, as found in kefir or yoghurt, for improved digestion and avoidance of gastrointestinal infections. “As to the widespread insistence of the suggested high intakes of wholegrain breads and cereals, I’m not so sure about that,” Mr Webster said. He points to the work of Luise Light, formerly director of dietary guidance and nutrition education at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), who helped develop a new pyramid guide to healthy eating, with three to five servings of grain (as discretionary food) at the top of the pyramid, compared with the USDA’s previous pyramid’s nine to 11 servings at the bottom, as a foundational staple. Ms Light is perceived by some as one of the most authoritative people in the history of the Western diet. “The previous pyramid’s nine to 11 servings of grain at the bottom of the pyramid as a foundational staple were perceived by \[Ms\] Light as cause for obesity and heart disease in children, and I would add cancer as well,” Mr Webster said. “And yet we still have that model today. So, when we talk about wholegrains, we need to be mindful.” Dr Belobrajdic says that although many countries have developed updated versions of the healthy eating pyramid, wholegrain cereal products are still prominently featured, albeit in smaller amounts. In Australia, the federal government’s ‘Australian Guide to Healthy Eating’ suggests that one-third of the food consumed should come from grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high-cereal-fibre varieties. “It’s the increased consumption of grain products that are refined carbohydrates, like white flour, cakes and pastries, that are cause for concern, especially when they often contain high levels of fat and salt,” Dr Belobrajdic said. “Wholegrain foods are the most concentrated form of fibre in our diet, and when consumed daily with vegetables and fruit, they provide a diverse mix of dietary fibres that help children feel more full, and feed the good bacteria in their large bowel for optimal gut health.” Mr Webster adds that the “gut changes every year, so parents should be advised that they need to be mindful about what the child is given to eat”. “It’s all about ensuring the child is permitted to consume a number of foods and acquire a taste for them,” he said. “I hated pumpkin as a child, then grew to love it.” When it comes to antibiotics, Mr Webster says they wreak havoc on the gut and may have other effects, such as contributing to asthma, depression and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. “Parents and healthcare workers have to carefully consider whether a child really needs an antibiotic,” he said. “Look at ear infections, where over 90 per cent self resolve. “So, I say let children meld with the earth and animals, come into contact with good bacteria, and get in contact with good bugs. Importantly, don’t get hung up on sterilising everything and killing all bugs present – coronavirus times aside, when children really have to be educated about proper hand washing.” “The good bacteria flourish on wholegrain breakfast cereals, whole-wheat pasta, wholegrain bread, oats, barley, rye, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds and potatoes with skin.” RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • JUN 2020