Summer is coming, babies can easily catch cold every three or five weeks. It is normal for new
moms to feel distressed under this situations, thus questions reading the efficacies of ‘lactoferrin’
and ‘probiotics’ came up, which one works better? Both lactoferrin and probiotics claim to
improve immunity. How should I choose for my baby? Who is a good choice for boosting
immunity?
Probiotics are a class of active microorganisms that are beneficial to the host. They are the
general term for active beneficial microorganisms that colonize the human intestine and
reproductive system and can produce definite health effects to improve the host's
micro-ecological balance and play a beneficial role.
Functions of probiotics?
1、Maintain gastrointestinal health
A sufficient amount of probiotics can inhibit the reproduction of harmful bacteria and maintain
the balance of intestinal microecology. Once the number of beneficial probiotics is reduced,
harmful bacteria will prevail, and various digestive tract diseases such as indigestion, acute and
chronic enteritis, and constipation are prone to occur. Infants and young children with imperfect
immune function are more vulnerable to the threat of harmful bacteria and need to pay
attention to the lack of probiotics.
2、Reduce the side effects of antibiotics
Antibiotics are like carpet bombers, killing harmful bacteria as well as good bacteria and
damaging the intestinal mucosa. The metabolites of probiotics can provide nutrients for intestinal
repair. When antibiotics are used in the treatment of infectious diarrhea and respiratory tract
infections, the use of probiotics can restore the balance of the flora as soon as possible.
Therefore, probiotics are mainly aimed at the following groups of people:
1、Gastrointestinal diseases: acute and chronic diarrhea, constipation, stomatitis (baby thrush,
bacterial oral ulcer);
2、Allergic: eczema, allergic enteritis, allergic cough, etc.
3、Malnutrition Absorption: Frequent non-infectious diarrhea, malnutrition, partial eclipse,
accumulation of food, abdominal distension;
4、Taking antibiotics: It should be noted that if the two need to be eaten together, they should be
separated by at least two hours, so as to ensure that probiotics can play a corresponding
physiological role in adjusting the imbalance and disorder of the flora;
5、Neonatal jaundice: Probiotics can promote intestinal peristalsis and accelerate the excretion of
bilirubin.
Lactoferrin
Lactoferrin (LF) is one of the main components of whey protein, an important non-heme iron
binding agent in milk, one of the important members of the non-specific immune system in the
mother, and the core immune system in breast milk. protein.
Functions of Lactoferrin?
Studies have found that lactoferrin not only participates in iron metabolism, promotes iron
absorption, improves iron-deficiency anemia, but also has antibacterial, microbial, antiviral and
immune regulation functions.
Therefore, lactoferrin is suitable for:
1.Babies who are not breastfed;
2. People with low immunity;
3. After the baby has undergone surgery or is recovering from a serious illness;
4. People with chronic diseases.
In summary, lactoferrin and probiotics interact with each other in the mechanisms of improving
and regulating immunity, but there are also differences, and parents can choose according to
their needs. Of course, the supplement is also very good.