We now know that antibiotics shouldn’t be taken regularly like sweets for the most unnecessary conditions such as a sore throat.
We also know that they affect our gut flora and, with continued use, can cause various types of gut conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or bloating symptoms.
Researchers have looked at the use of antibiotics in children. When children are given antibiotics, they are far more likely to suffer from an impaired immune system which, in turn, will leave them susceptible to disease as an adult. Antibiotics are the most common prescription drugs given to children and account for 25 per cent of all drugs taken.
However, they can cause dysbiosis, or changes in gut bacteria. This raises the risk of infectious diseases, allergies and other auto-immune disorders, including obesity. Gut bacteria help to maintain a healthy immune system.
Researchers from the University of Minnesota, US, reviewed hundreds of studies and discovered a strong link between antibiotic use in childhood with unbalanced gut bacteria and adult diseases (Cell Host & Microbe, 2015).
Teenagers have notoriously bad eating habits. It can be combated by a high-protein snack in the afternoon. This will regulate hunger and stop unhealthy snacking in the evening.
Researchers from the University of Missouri in Columbia, US, gave 31 healthy teenagers a high-protein snack, then monitored their food choices for the rest of the day and for a few days afterwards.
The high-protein snack regulated their eating, making them feel less hungry and even encouraging them to eat more protein and less fat during the following day (J. Nutr., 2015)
Children with aggressive and anti-social behaviour have often been labelled with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Unfortunately, instead of looking at other options, these children are often placed on medication, which remains with them for many years.
However, these aggressive mood swings can be helped with omega-3 fish oil. It is the ultimate brain food, which can have a huge impact in children, especially if their diet is poor and lacks fish, say researchers.
It is already known that fish oils can help adults who have criminal or aggressive behaviours. So lead researcher Adrian Raine, from the University of Pennsylvania, wanted to find out if the supplements would have the same effect on children who were showing aggressive behaviour.
They gave 100 children aged eight to 16 a drink containing 1g of omega-3 every day for six months. Another 100 children were given a drink without the fish oil as a placebo.
Researchers have discovered a strong link between antibiotic use in childhood and unbalanced gut bacteria
After six months, both groups reported fewer aggressive and anti-social behaviours, but only the omega-3 group continued to show such improvement after 12 months. There was a 42 per cent reduction in ‘external’ behavioural problems such as aggression and a 62 per cent drop in ‘internal’ behavioural problems such as depression, anxiety and withdrawal.
Raine said that in earlier research, he had discovered that children with a poor nutritional status at the age of three were more anti-social and aggressive by the time they were eight (J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry, 2015).
Insomnia is a dreadful condition and sleeping tablets are the easy option, but not really solving the true problem. The answer, however, could be a few sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The ‘talking therapy’ cured 73 per cent of recent insomniacs after just three months, a new study has found.
A 60- to 70-minute session of one-to-one CBT was given to 20 adults who reported having started to have problems sleeping or were waking up too early.
After a month, 60 per cent of them reported improvement in their sleeping patterns and quality. By three months, the figure had risen to 73 per cent.
In comparison, just 15 per cent of another group of 20 recent insomniacs, who weren’t given CBT, said their sleep had improved. The study was led by Jason Ellis at Northumbria University in the UK, who also carried out the CBT sessions.
Insomnia affects around one third of the adult population to some degree. Typical problems include having difficulty falling asleep, struggling to get back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night or waking up too early (Sleep, 2015).
Regarding medication for sleeping, researchers at the University of East Finland made an interesting connection with medication and mass killings. The culprits are painkillers and the benzodiazepines taken for anxiety or insomnia.
The highest risk was among people aged 26 or younger who were taking an opiate painkiller. They were four times more likely to become a killer and the risk almost doubled if they were taking an anti-inflammatory painkiller, some of which are available without prescription.
The researchers made the connection between drugs and homicidal activity after analysing the drug-taking history of 959 people convicted of murder. They looked at their drug-taking history before they committed the crime and then afterwards. Surprisingly, antipsychotics and antidepressants seemed only to have minimal effects.
However, the benzodiazepines, when prescribed at high doses for long periods, can weaken the ability to control impulses. Painkillers affect how our emotions are processed, said the researchers (World Psychiatry, 2015)
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