How do the digestive system and the brain affect each other?

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How are the digestive system and brain related?

1. The impact of the digestive system on the brain of the child

2. The impact of the brain on the child's digestive system

How to make the baby have a healthy digestive system?

1. Child period from 0-6 months old

2. Period from 6-12 months old

The digestive system and brain have an intimate relationship with each other and is called the brain-gut axis. The digestive system helps the brain to develop and function properly. On the contrary, the brain helps to protect the digestive system and control this organ effectively.

Between brain development and good digestive system, many parents often have to "compromise" choose one of the two because there is no solution to balance both of these benefits. But this is not recommended because the child's digestive system and brain are closely related. So how to ensure both of these in the first years of life? Marry Baby will work with her mother to explore the relationship between the digestive system - the baby's brain development, and find a solution to this problem.

How are the digestive system and brain related?

You know, the digestive system and the brain are closely related, and are called the brain-gut axis. The digestive system helps the brain to develop and function properly. On the contrary, the brain helps to protect the digestive system and control this organ effectively. Mom can find out more carefully right now.

1. The impact of the digestive system on the brain of the child

The digestive system not only affects the immune system but also has a great impact on the brain development in children in the first years of life for the following reasons.

a. The digestive system produces serotonin to help children develop brain

According to research, the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain works to help regulate sleep, induce appetite and speed up the connection of nerve xinap (conjugate). This connection enhances the brain's ability to receive and process information. This is the basis to help the baby develop the brain.

Meanwhile, the gut is the largest producer of serotonin. When healthy, the digestive system can produce 95% of the body's serotonin. This means that in order to have more serotonin neurotransmitters for brain development, the baby needs a good digestive system.

b. The digestive system helps to improve the immune system to protect the child's brain

In addition to serotonin production, the digestive system also helps to perfect the immune system to protect the baby's brain. This is because the payer plaques, also known as lymph nodes, are present on the intestinal wall to "train" immune cells to fight off pathogens.

The immune system is like a shield to help repel bacteria, viruses to protect the baby from disease. Meanwhile, the digestive system is the organ that is most involved in perfecting the baby's immune system.

During the first 12 months of life, due to the incomplete immune system, the baby's body, including the brain, is very vulnerable to environmental damage such as weather, dust or disease factors. disability. Therefore, building a healthy digestive system is the first foundation to strengthen the immune system, thereby helping to protect the baby's brain.

2. The impact of the brain on the child's digestive system

The brain controls the entire functioning of every organ in the body, including the digestive system through the nervous system . Therefore, when the brain is weakened, the nervous system receives wrong information, thereby causing the baby's digestive system to function incorrectly.

This can lead to poor nutritional absorption, intestinal diseases or diarrhea, flatulence, constipation.

A lot of research shows that under stress, children can also experience constipation, digestive disorders and stomach pain. Child stress can come from environmental impacts such as noise, inclement weather, or illness in the baby's body.

From these analyzes, mothers can understand that, to protect a healthy brain and help children develop the best brain, the first thing to do is to build a healthy digestive system for your baby.

The digestive system is the decisive factor for the development of the brain in the early years of life

How to make the baby have a healthy digestive system?

In the first 12 months, they will undergo a two-stage adaptive basic nutrition, which is sucking period and period food miles . Therefore, mothers need to develop a suitable diet for their child's digestive system to develop healthy, including:

1. Child period from 0-6 months old

Nutrition of the baby at this stage is completely with breast milk. Therefore, mothers need to focus on their own diet or supplement baby formula to support nutrition when mothers do not have milk, little milk or breast milk is not sufficient, specifically:

a. Mothers eat scientifically to have quality milk

Mothers need to eat scientifically and with adequate nutrients to have the best quality milk for babies. Breast milk has natural antagonists, so it will help strengthen the immune system to protect your baby's digestive system to function properly.

Mothers need to stay away from unhealthy foods and stimulants such as beer, alcohol, coffee, raw foods, green fruits, and acrid so as not to cause constipation, diarrhea or damage to the stomach.

b. Choosing milk is good for the digestive system and brain of the child

When choosing formula milk, mothers need to carefully look at the ingredients, so preferring milk that does not contain palm oil.The reason is that palm oil - a common ingredient in formula - contains palmitic acid that can cause apples. fertilization in young children. Instead, you should choose milk with other vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, soybean oil, coconut oil to be better for your baby's digestive system.

Choosing milk containing HMO is good milk for the digestive system of babies. HMOs help nourish the intestinal microflora, which in turn helps the baby's digestive system develop healthy.

DHA plays an important role in supporting kids' brain development. But DHA alone is not enough because DHA is easily oxidized. Formula milk containing DHA comes with natural vitamin E and lutein duo that help protect DHA better, thereby helping to develop the brain more optimally to be able to "direct" the child's digestive system to function effectively than.

Choose milk with DHA along with Vitamin E and Lutein to help children smarter

2. Period from 6-12 months old

From 6 months old, you start to switch to weaning diet, at this time, you need to pay attention to the following things to help you develop a healthy digestive system.

a. Feeding the baby properly

When you are 6 months old, you should give your child solid food

Follow the principle of feeding your baby thin to solid foods for each child's age

Do not give juice to your baby when he or she is under 1 year old

Do not force your baby to eat when he or she doesn't want to

Feed your child on time, each meal lasting no more than 30 minutes

Do not let your baby lie down right after eating a full meal

Do not let your baby eat while running, watch TV or phone

Do not wake up your baby to eat while he is sleeping well

Absolutely not eat food for children

Do not let your baby share eating utensils with others

Always follow the principle of eating well, drinking boiling

b. Add digestive enzymes

In addition, to support the healthy functioning of the baby's intestines, mothers can supplement digestive enzymes as directed by the pediatrician.

The formula is good for the digestive system with parents to help children develop to the maximum in the natural adaptation period. The newborn's digestive system is still young and in the process of adaptation. During this stage, a number of small "problems" can happen to your baby, such as a digestive disorder that is more commonly "constipation". As soon as you "think" your child is "constipated" - or rather, delayed for 1-2 days, ...

What is the digestive system that can strongly impact children's brain development in such early years ? This question is especially important for the scientific orientation that modern mothers should know. If you are struggling to find the secret door to open your child's intelligence, taking care of a healthy digestive system is the golden key to this problem.