Is there a reason you don’t give your son Evivo? Isn’t this the one with clinical evidence? What is pomegranate husk powder for, please? Also, have you tested his gut to see that he is low on biffido’s that you supplement? I know in the US Tiny health always seem to suggest smidge I guess from anecdotal evidence as they don’t list their strains which I find odd! Thanks
Evivo does have some clinical evidence for reducing gut inflammation (albeit at massive doses for an infant). I did try a few moderate doses with my son when he was an infant, but he unfortunately didn't tolerate it well.
In recent years, many practitioners (including my sister who is an IBCLC) have noted that Smidge seems to yield better real-world outcomes for babies in their practice. I actually reached out to Smidge directly to ask about their strains; they do use standard, commercial GRAS strains, some of which have good standalone data for immunity and gut barrier support. I completely share your frustration that they don't just print them on the label, though!
I have done some gut testing with my son over the years, and infant probiotics are a massive, nuanced topic. I am planning a full, deep-dive write-up on this subject in the future, where I'll break down the specific strains, the data behind them, and how to look at different probiotic strategies.
To answer your other question: pomegranate husk powder is a potent prebiotic rich in polyphenols (like ellagitannins). It acts as a selective antimicrobial, essentially helping to weed out opportunistic pathogens while feeding and encouraging the growth of beneficial native species like Akkermansia and Bifidobacteria.
Thanks, Lucy. Unfortunately, Smidge isn’t available in the UK. My son is now 6, so is there a more suitable probiotic strain? Also, do you have any updates on the use of Anaerostipes caccae from Prof. Kathy Nagler’s company? I was thinking that a person would need enough bifidobacteria to support its growth, although they do say it only works while you’re taking it, so it doesn’t seem to colonise. I wonder if having enough bifidobacteria would help
I might try Seeking Health Probiota Bifido then, if you're just going for a Bifidobacterium-only probiotic - it's also not great strain transparency-wise, but I've found it very effective in practice. I'm hoping to publish a writeup of A. caccae soon; like most probiotics, it is not likely to colonize in kids >3 years old unless taken just after antibiotics, or possibly if you introduce and continue to take a novel prebiotic like lactulose that would feed it and give it a unique niche.
Thanks, Lucy. Yes, I would adminster with lactulose as per their study. However, just waiting for his SIBO test results. Evivo actually colonised and he started that at age 4, I did pair it with HMO. But now he only has B infantis and no other bifido's, hence me wanting to try others. He also has 0 akkermansia and very low diversity as per Alba health test (Prof De Vos).
One of the most difficult challenges new parents are facing is the question of the recommended childhood vaccine schedule. Can you talk about your decisions in this regard? I have 2 grandchildren less than a year old and another due in September. My kids, their parents, are facing these decisions.
Definitely something I researched heavily for my own son and difficult to do it justice in the comment section, but I’ll do my best here..
I don’t think there is a clear-cut right answer for everyone.
The current schedule is incredibly dense, and I think there is reason to believe that the cumulative load might be contributing to the rise in chronic disease.
I also think each vaccine needs to be weighed individually with a cost/benefit analysis.
In my practice, I have sat with a number of parents who have shared deeply concerning stories of health or developmental regressions immediately following a routine visit. These parents were not "anti-vax" but were facing the reality of what happened to their child.
I think most kids would do better with fewer vaccines, or at the very least an alternate, delayed schedule to give the developing immune system more breathing room.
Sadly, our mainstream scientific institutions rarely leave space for this kind of nuance, and a lack of total transparency around adverse events makes it very difficult for parents to find unbiased data to inform their decisions.
My best recommendation would be to educate yourself and read a lot on the subject from multiple angles. I found the book Vaccines: A Reappraisal by Dr. Richard Moskowitz to be an excellent, thoughtful overview of the science behind each vaccine without being prescriptive, and would highly recommend that as a good starting place.
Thank you for your response. I didn’t see the notification and am just seeing it now. I’ve done a fair bit of reading on the subject and have come to the conclusion that the vast majority of the current schedule is impossible to justify after risk/gain analysis is done. Both of my grandkid’s parents have chosen not to vaccinate them at all…at least at this point. I can tell you that when they informed me of their decisions it felt like a huge weight was lifted off me.
Hi Lucy,
Which brand of pomegranate husk powder are you using these days?
Is there a reason you don’t give your son Evivo? Isn’t this the one with clinical evidence? What is pomegranate husk powder for, please? Also, have you tested his gut to see that he is low on biffido’s that you supplement? I know in the US Tiny health always seem to suggest smidge I guess from anecdotal evidence as they don’t list their strains which I find odd! Thanks
Evivo does have some clinical evidence for reducing gut inflammation (albeit at massive doses for an infant). I did try a few moderate doses with my son when he was an infant, but he unfortunately didn't tolerate it well.
In recent years, many practitioners (including my sister who is an IBCLC) have noted that Smidge seems to yield better real-world outcomes for babies in their practice. I actually reached out to Smidge directly to ask about their strains; they do use standard, commercial GRAS strains, some of which have good standalone data for immunity and gut barrier support. I completely share your frustration that they don't just print them on the label, though!
I have done some gut testing with my son over the years, and infant probiotics are a massive, nuanced topic. I am planning a full, deep-dive write-up on this subject in the future, where I'll break down the specific strains, the data behind them, and how to look at different probiotic strategies.
To answer your other question: pomegranate husk powder is a potent prebiotic rich in polyphenols (like ellagitannins). It acts as a selective antimicrobial, essentially helping to weed out opportunistic pathogens while feeding and encouraging the growth of beneficial native species like Akkermansia and Bifidobacteria.
Thanks, Lucy. Unfortunately, Smidge isn’t available in the UK. My son is now 6, so is there a more suitable probiotic strain? Also, do you have any updates on the use of Anaerostipes caccae from Prof. Kathy Nagler’s company? I was thinking that a person would need enough bifidobacteria to support its growth, although they do say it only works while you’re taking it, so it doesn’t seem to colonise. I wonder if having enough bifidobacteria would help
I might try Seeking Health Probiota Bifido then, if you're just going for a Bifidobacterium-only probiotic - it's also not great strain transparency-wise, but I've found it very effective in practice. I'm hoping to publish a writeup of A. caccae soon; like most probiotics, it is not likely to colonize in kids >3 years old unless taken just after antibiotics, or possibly if you introduce and continue to take a novel prebiotic like lactulose that would feed it and give it a unique niche.
Thanks, Lucy. Yes, I would adminster with lactulose as per their study. However, just waiting for his SIBO test results. Evivo actually colonised and he started that at age 4, I did pair it with HMO. But now he only has B infantis and no other bifido's, hence me wanting to try others. He also has 0 akkermansia and very low diversity as per Alba health test (Prof De Vos).
One of the most difficult challenges new parents are facing is the question of the recommended childhood vaccine schedule. Can you talk about your decisions in this regard? I have 2 grandchildren less than a year old and another due in September. My kids, their parents, are facing these decisions.
Glad to see your son is healthy and thriving!
Definitely something I researched heavily for my own son and difficult to do it justice in the comment section, but I’ll do my best here..
I don’t think there is a clear-cut right answer for everyone.
The current schedule is incredibly dense, and I think there is reason to believe that the cumulative load might be contributing to the rise in chronic disease.
I also think each vaccine needs to be weighed individually with a cost/benefit analysis.
In my practice, I have sat with a number of parents who have shared deeply concerning stories of health or developmental regressions immediately following a routine visit. These parents were not "anti-vax" but were facing the reality of what happened to their child.
I think most kids would do better with fewer vaccines, or at the very least an alternate, delayed schedule to give the developing immune system more breathing room.
Sadly, our mainstream scientific institutions rarely leave space for this kind of nuance, and a lack of total transparency around adverse events makes it very difficult for parents to find unbiased data to inform their decisions.
My best recommendation would be to educate yourself and read a lot on the subject from multiple angles. I found the book Vaccines: A Reappraisal by Dr. Richard Moskowitz to be an excellent, thoughtful overview of the science behind each vaccine without being prescriptive, and would highly recommend that as a good starting place.
Hope that helps, and congrats on the grandkids!
Thank you for your response. I didn’t see the notification and am just seeing it now. I’ve done a fair bit of reading on the subject and have come to the conclusion that the vast majority of the current schedule is impossible to justify after risk/gain analysis is done. Both of my grandkid’s parents have chosen not to vaccinate them at all…at least at this point. I can tell you that when they informed me of their decisions it felt like a huge weight was lifted off me.
Continued good health to you and your family.