Kids’ Digestive Tracts

Hi Everybody,

FOOD AND OXYGEN- According to Chinese Medicine, babies are 99% digestion. The first thing a baby does when born is to draw breath, activating the lungs and respiratory system. The second thing is to start nursing or feeding, which activates the digestive system.

These two systems are how the body feeds itself and gains nourishment and energy for the rest of the body to grow. The digestive system extracts nutrients, the lungs extract oxygen, and both are carried by the blood stream to the rest of the body.

Every organ, tissue and cell in their little bodies must have this nourishment and oxygen in order to grow, thrive and be healthy. Improper levels of nourishment or oxygen leads to less than ideal health of the rest of their developing bodies, including their brains.

ALL STOMACH- Until the age of about one year, a baby is almost totally a stomach – a small, jolly, energetic eating machine. As the child grows beyond the first year, the rest of the body starts to bloom and they start manipulating things, exploring, walking and talking, indicating that other areas of the body and brain are developing. But all of these abilities grow out of the ability of the digestive system to nourish the body.

The digestive system of babies is so important for the rest of their development that the Chinese say that a baby is a stomach, out of which grows the rest of the body.

It is very, very important for a child’s digestive system to be protected. Artificial colors, flavors and even natural foods they are not ready for can cause digestive issues that can affect the rest of their being. The Chinese say that babies develop teeth when their digestive tract is ready for anything other than breast milk or formula. In fact, the Chinese believe the kind of tooth that emerges tells you the kind of food the stomach is ready for.

MODERN PROOF- Even modern science is starting to understand how important the digestive system is in babies.

Just as one example, autism and similar disorders are now thought by many in the scientific community to be caused by certain chemicals in vaccinations.  These chemicals kill off the healthy, normal bacteria in the child’s digestive tract, as well as erode some of the tissues of the digestive tract, making normal digestion and extraction of nutrients far less than ideal. As a result, the body is unable to get the nutritional level it needs and is therefore unable to develop properly, affecting the entire body, including the mind.

The autism-vaccination link is controversial, but is just one example out of many of how important the digestive tract of a baby is. Try to stick with natural, easily digestible foods for the first year of life. Avoid to the best of your ability artificial colors, flavors and other chemicals. Breast milk is always best.

Hope this helps,

Dr Matt and Dr Robin

mattandrobin@yahoo.com (email)

This week’s bit of Useless Information:  A baby has around 10,000 taste buds, far more than adults. They are not just on the tongue but also on the sides, back, and roof of the mouth. Eventually these extra taste buds disappear. 

This email is courtesy of Matthew Barnes, D.C. and Robin Barnes, D.C.  Neither this nor any of our emails are intended to be medical advice and should not be taken as such.  They are opinion and are for informational purposes only.  None of the nutrients discussed here are meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.

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