You may think that obesity comes about as a result of poor diet and lifestyle choices. But it could also be hereditary. Parents may actually be able to pass down obesity and related developmental issues to their children.

 

Obesity Could Lead to Developmental Issues in Children

A recent study discovered that children of obese parents were at a higher risk for developmental issues. These issues ranged from difficulty using small muscles like in fingers, to personal activities like feeding or dressing themselves, to difficulty problem solving. (1)

While the authors of this study didn’t come up with a specific cause for these developmental issues, it’s not like we don’t have the information necessary to make a few links.

We’ve seen in the past how conditions like obesity and diabetes really do run in families. It’s not that these conditions are somehow hard-coded into our genes. Something else with the formula for obesity and diabetes gets passed down instead: bacteria and yeast.

 

The Importance of Bacteria

Another recent study found that the composition of bacteria in our gut seems to be inherited, giving credence to the observation that conditions like diabetes and obesity run in families. (2) These bacteria and yeast are passed down from mother to child when the child is delivered naturally. When a woman gives birth, her child is exposed to gut bacteria and yeast in the birth canal.

This includes good and bad bacteria and yeast.

Too much bad bacteria and not enough good bacteria in the gut could result in a host of problems down the road. 70% of our immune system is located in our gut, so an imbalance of bacteria could lead to immune system problems like allergies and illness. According to another study, an imbalance of gut bacteria could also influence conditions like anxiety, mood disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder or behaviors associated with autism. (3)

If gut bacteria could influence all of that, why couldn’t it influence a child’s development?

 

Support Your Child by Supporting Yourself

If developmental issues related to obesity do come down to the mother’s gut bacteria, then the solution is a simple one: balance your gut microflora before getting pregnant. It may be easier said than done, but it’s not as complicated as you might think.

In general, if you want to give birth to a healthy child, you must ensure your own health before becoming pregnant. When it comes to your gut flora, all you need is a test to make sure you know the status of your gut and the steps you could take to support it.

In order to know the makeup of your gut flora, come in for Dr. Sergey Kalitenko, MD’s digestive tract test. This digestive tract test analyzes:

Digestion and absorption
Enzymes
Gut immunology as related to allergies, inflammation, gastrointestinal disorders, etc.
Metabolic issues
The microbiology of your gut, including any bacterial overgrowth, parasites, probiotics, and yeast
After understanding these facets of your gut microflora, Dr. Kalitenko will use this information to determine your gut’s weakest points and how it could best be supported.

But it’s not just about your gut flora. If you want to have a healthy child, you yourself need to be entirely healthy as well. This includes getting rid of any unfavorable substances in your body like toxins and heavy metals.

When it comes to detoxifying, you want to have everything checked out by a medical expert so you can detoxify safely and properly.

Our detoxification process works by determining your heavy metal burden before and after a provocation agent is used. Some heavy metals can stay hidden in the body, such as in bones where they can’t be easily detected. A provocation agent will draw them out to allow for a fuller understanding of your true heavy metal burden. After we determine your heavy metal burden, we will work with you to come up with a program designed to naturally eliminate those toxins from your body.

 

Keep Your Gut Balanced

Once you’ve balanced your gut flora and ensured that your digestive system is working optimally, it’s all about keeping things balanced. The only tools you’ll really need at your disposal are your diet and probiotics.

Your diet may be one of the best ways to keep your digestive system working at peak condition. If you want to keep your digestive system healthy, try following these dietary guidelines:

Cut sugars and processed foods out of your diet. Sugar throws off your gut flora by promoting the growth of bad bacteria.
Eat only raw, organic foods whenever possible.
Opt for organic, grass-fed beef and dairy.
Eat fermented foods like kimchee, lassi, miso, pickles, raw kefir, or sauerkraut. Fermented raw milk and other fermented vegetables and soy are also options. Fermented foods are high in probiotics and would introduce plenty of good bacteria to your gut.
Three probiotic strains you’ll want to have in your food are Lactobacillus, E. coli, and Bifidobacteria. These strains could strengthen your gut lining, potentially supporting your immune system and overall health as a result.

Another excellent option for maintaining your gut flora is a high-quality, medical-grade probiotic like Probiotic Synergy™ to supplement your dietary intake of probiotics.

It may be as they say. You are what you eat. Children may be what their parents eat, too. So if you’re planning on getting pregnant, take the steps necessary to ensure your child’s health. Get your digestive tract tested, detoxify, and keep your gut balanced and supported!

 

Sources:

http://wwlp.com/2017/01/05/obese-parents-child-development/
http://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-016-1052-7
http://www.kavlifoundation.org/science-spotlights/mind-bending-power-bacteria#.WHwRkvkrLIV