Health Communication & Probiotics

This story was pitched to the ABC affiliate by our current BU Health Communication student, Zipporah Dvash, who is the assistant vice president of public affairs and development at the Long Island College Hospital, directly applying the concepts learned in her coursework with her professional work.

Probiotics Reported to Reduce Cold and Flu Symptoms in Children

A new study recently published found that children who included probiotics, a live culture found in foods such as yogurt, in their daily diets experienced reduced cold and flu symptoms.  These “friendly bacteria” are similar to the naturally occurring culture in people’s intestines, which helps digestion and fights disease.

The study is not conclusive, however, since the probiotics were not helpful in reducing all side effects, such as diarrhea.  Other results showed no real benefit in some children in the study.  However, most parents felt that the benefits far outweigh the negative side effects considering that probiotics are natural, without chemicals, and were a healthy dietary choice for children over 9 months old.