Naturopath Lucinda Miller Shares Her Must-Have Supplements for Kids
New term, new germs. Kids are almost back to school, autumn is looming and soon they’ll be bringing home the bugs. Within days of being at school there’s the potential for fever, coughs and colds. Lucinda Miller is an eminent naturopath, functional medicine practitioner and author, and is hugely knowledgeable about children’s health. Leapfrog founder Stephanie Drax spoke to her about how we can help parents navigate cold and flu season and the top tips to keep kids well.
Stephanie: Nurseries and schools - even universities - are such a petri dish. They bring the germs home and then everybody goes down like dominoes. So, let's try and get ahead of it by starting with the basics. What are the foods that we should be swapping in to keep our immune systems supercharged this season?
Lucinda: I think the main one, which everyone's heard of, is vitamin C - it's so important for the immune system. It helps the body fight infections more easily and it protects the cells from being damaged. We've all heard of oranges and satsumas being high in vitamin C, but some kids don't like those, so it could be as simple as a big squeeze of lemon juice or lime juice in their water. It could be blueberries or strawberries, raspberries or kiwi fruit, but also parsley and crunchy red peppers are full of vitamin C. There are lots of foods that do contain vitamin C, and I'd say that is a critical one.
Stephanie: What other nutrients do you rate for children’s health?
The other nutrients that are vital for the immune system are zinc, iron, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Now these collectively, not totally, but collectively come from the same foods. So think eggs, oily fish - like salmon and sardines or shellfish - prawns, and then meat – such as steak, lamb and bolognese. Do try to get either outdoor reared meat or good quality: organic or free range. If those animals have been outside rather than living in a barn, they will have more vitamin D in their meat. If they've been eating grass, they'll have more Omega-3. And all will have quite good levels of zinc. Those are the foods that are so important for the immune system. A lot of parents freak out about their kids not eating veggies - and of course veggies have got lots of great antioxidants and things in there - but if you're going to have to win some battles, then you want the fruit and the protein. They are the things that will help the immune system the most because they collectively contain those four nutrients of vitamin C, zinc, iron and, omega 3. For fussy eaters, supplements can help to create diversity.
Stephanie: Which supplements do you think can help kids stay well at school?
Lucinda: Vitamin D is something that has been recommended by the NHS for a very long time between October and March. And that's because we only store vitamin D in our systems for up to three months. Even if your kids have been running around outside, feral in the sunshine all summer, most of the time they're wearing sun cream which may block that ability to absorb the vitamin D. So, I think vitamin D is a good thing to start at the beginning of the autumn season. You get a little bit in things like oily fish and organic milk, some mushrooms, but not that much, so I would recommend taking a supplement, and we do stock sprays at NatureDoc Shop. And then I do like elderberry syrup - I make my own and store it in the freezer.
Stephanie: What I love about Lactoferrin - over elderberry for example - is the fact that our bodies make this protein every day. It’s in your saliva and your tears, for example, to attack viruses and bacteria when they try to get in. It's also in colostrum and mother's milk, and we extract ours from cow's milk which is biologically similar. And when you supplement with lactoferrin, when you put an IMMUNE chewable tablet in your mouth, your mouth has receptors for the lactoferrin, and so it gets to work fast.
Lucinda: And in Leapfrog IMMUNE you've got the zinc and the vitamin C, and those are so important. They work to stop those viruses from really penetrating the cells, and they also help with the repair of the cells afterwards. Because yes you don't want to get sick, but the worst thing is the recovery. So often kids go off their food, they feel down, they're moody, they're tired for weeks afterwards, and then they catch another one. So, it's like a constant low-grade illness.
Iron is also something that so many kids really struggle with getting enough of. A lot of kids are plant-based and won't eat any red meat or greens so they look pale and pasty. And without enough iron, again, your immune system can be quite low. The great thing about lactoferrin in IMMUNE, is that lactoferrin helps the transport of iron and helps to really feed the immune system. It's incredibly clever at making sure that the iron they do have in their system - even if they don't have substantial amounts - gets into the right parts. It's almost like the 'Heineken effect': it gets to the parts that others can't reach, and I really like that.
With IMMUNE you've got everything in one: the lactoferrin, the vitamin C, and zinc all together. And they taste delicious so they're very easy for children to take because a lot of these more potent supplements are in capsule form. Very often we find kids want something chewable that tastes delicious.
Stephanie: Very often kids are given supplements when they don’t need them – as parents we can often think “more is more” when it comes to the immune system. How do we know if there’s a real deficiency that requires targeted supplementation?
Lucinda: At NatureDoc we do lab tests and look at things like the gut microbiome and nutrient deficiencies. We look at the whole immune system. We often find that kids who are always getting coughs and colds, are run-down and with runny tummies, they can have food intolerances and food sensitivities. They may have something called low secretory IGA. A secretory IGA is an antibody that lives along the gut lining, and it says whether something is a friend or a foe. So, if that's low then it gets confused and that can lead to food sensitivity. Suddenly you can't do eggs or strawberries, can't do avocado or milk for example.
And then when an infection comes in, it joins the party, and you have this dual effect of the child needing to be on a restricted diet and these infections causing havoc within the system. When you raise secretory IGA - and it can take a little bit of time - it can help to manage the coughs and colds. You are building up resistance and tolerance and suddenly these food 'no-nos' are fine. That’s great in terms of building tolerance to foods, but equally it's teaching the immune system who is the bad guy and when we need to get rid of them. And the nutrients that then come to the rescue are vitamin D, zinc, vitamin C, and lactoferrin.
Stephanie: What’s a myth you’d like to bust about colds and flu?
Lucinda: I would say that when you are spiking a fever or you have the symptoms, you think that's when you are ill. And then afterwards, very often people think “Oh, the fever's gone - I'm fine”. But they're not - and I think it's really important to note this. I'm a bit old fashioned, but I believe that recuperation - looking after yourself after cells have been damaged - is vital. So many people just try to bounce back and get back to work - or school. But to give yourself that little bit of space and time and to nourish yourself for longer, and take those nutrients for longer, will serve you much better. For example, people might think they only need to take IMMUNE during their illness, but actually I would take it for a good 10 days afterwards, if not longer, depending on how you're feeling.
Stephanie: It’s such a good reminder to rest and recuperate properly, rather than being brave and battling on. But with your suggestions - and the many nourishing recipes in your books and at NatureDoc - I think people will be much more prepared for what autumn brings.
Lucinda: Yes, let’s be optimistic about autumn and winter ahead. They’ve got Leapfrog in their armoury and they've got my recipes and other supplement recommendations! It doesn't need to be complicated - parents should feel really empowered and raring to go to help keep their kids and themselves well this season.
