Using This Before 6 years of Age Has Been Proven to Cause Asthma

I just got done reading a great research article reported by the American Journal of Epidemiology, and I believe that the information that they presented is something every parent MUST know. The title of the research article is, ‘Early Antibiotic Use Linked to Asthma and Allergies at 6 Years Old.’ The results of the research conducted showed that if your child uses just one antibiotic as a young child, their chances of developing asthma and allergies is 40 percent; and their chances are even higher if two are used.

“Early antibiotic exposure, especially to broad-spectrum antibiotics, may suppress the developing immune system and produce a reduced anti-allergic response,” said senior author Michael B. Bracken, professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut. [1]

So, not only does the antibiotic suppress the immune system, but it also interferes with the immune system’s proper response to allergens.

So, let me give you an example that most of you can relate to. Let’s say a person walks into a field full of beautiful wild flowers. Normally a person’s healthy immune response will effectively deal with the pollen. However, if their immune system is not functioning properly, that foreign agent will end up causing a cascade of symptoms for which most people will end up taking some form of medication. This happens all the time, yet the question, “Why do I have these allergies?” is never asked.

You see, in today’s society we accept allergies and asthma as normal. I’m sure you have heard people say or even said this yourself, “Oh, he got them from his (insert dad, mom, or grandpa here)”. The funny thing is that more and more research has come out to show that heredity is less of a factor, and it is actually more about what has happened to that child before, during and after birth. (Did you catch that…I said ‘before’ birth…how many moms actually PREPARE their bodies to have a child? That is a whole other topic…)

It’s no wonder that we, as a society, accept some chronic illness as ‘normal’… Nowadays to find a person who does not suffer from some sort of health issue is pretty rare. Just think of how many people out there who have had at least one antibiotic before the age of one. How many cases of allergies or asthma could we have avoided by simply supporting the child’s immune system as they fought off a virus naturally, instead of giving them an antibiotic, which may not have been necessary to begin with.

Now, I know that a lot of you may be thinking, “ Doc, are we never to use an antibiotic?” This is a great question with a complicated answer. You see, there can be times when antibiotics are needed, but you must know the effects of taking them – especially in those cases. Why? So you know how to properly build the immune system back up after suppressing or destroying it. Let me illustrate this by taking a look at how an antibiotic actually works. During the time of taking an antibiotic, the infection can be eliminated – which is the purpose of taking it in the first place – but so can our normal gut flora, and that is where the problems begin.

Our gut flora consists of beneficial bacteria that are a major factor in the immune response to any allergen.

A great way to add beneficial flora to your system is with MegaBiotic Formula, an allergen-free, therapy dose of over 100+ billion CFU’s of beneficial bacteria. A diet that includes fermented foods like kefir, kombucha and saurkraut are also great ways to increase this beneficial bacterial covering.[3]

Now, most people already understand the importance of normal gut flora, but did you know that there are flora that protect our lungs, skin, and brain? Taking antibiotics will compromise all of those systems, causing conditions like allergies and asthma (for example), and resulting in articles and research papers like the one I just read. They are reporting information which should be second nature, or even obvious to anyone who truly understands how the immune system functions. But it’s not second nature for many…and that’s why so many people are suffering right now from chronic conditions.

I know right about now you are thinking, “Doc, I suffer from allergies and asthma, and I know so many others that do too. Where do I start? How do I find out if my beneficial flora has been affected? How do I determine where the dysfunction has originated?”

Well, first and foremost I need everyone to understand that I look at health much differently than the average doctor. All of my results are based upon two main premises. The first is that every system interacts with every other system, which I refer to as my Swiss Watch Principle. Even the smallest gear can have a major affect on how the watch works. And the second is that no two people are exactly the same. This is why my motto is ‘WE DON’T GUESS, WE TEST!’ -Burn this into your memory – I believe that proper testing is the most essential step to getting the improved health results that you have always desired.

We Don’t Guess…We Test!

When dealing with allergies and asthma, there are several tests that work really well. One of my favorites is the CD4/CD8. This test can be done by any blood lab, but I do like Labcorp due to their wide range of testing and availability. Another test would be an intestinal barrier test.

Once you’ve been tested, your doctor will be able to determine the best care for your specific needs.

REFERENCES:

1. Risnes, K.R., et al., Antibiotic Exposure by 6 Months and Asthma and Allergy at 6 Years: Findings in a Cohort of 1,401 US Children. American Journal of Epidemiology, 2011. 173(3): p. 310-318.
2. Greer, J.B. and S.J. O’Keefe, Microbial induction of immunity, inflammation, and cancer. Front Physiol, 2011. 1: p. 168.
3. Wallace, T.C., et al., Human gut microbiota and its relationship to health and disease. Nutr Rev, 2011. 69(7): p. 392-403.