According to the CDC approximately 4.5 million children in the United States have been diagnosed with a behavior problem. Another 4.4 million have been diagnosed with anxiety and 6.1 million with ADHD. A troubling number of these children may have underlying health concerns that go unnoticed are being prescribed medication for the symptoms. One government report demonstrated that 75% of children with ADHD were on medication. What if part or all of the answer to resolving a child’s behavior problems relied not upon treating the symptoms, but instead upon balancing their gut microbiome? As strange as it might sound, studies have shown that an imbalanced gut microbiome play a role in conditions such as autism, asthma and allergies, diabetes, and more. In one remarkable story detailed by Discover magazine, a mom enrolled her autistic son in an Arizona State University study to resolve his digestive issues only to see incredible improvements in her son’s behavior – his troubled speech patterns and outbursts seemed to disappear just a few weeks into the trial. Similarly, Pamela Wirth’s experience to revitalize her young son’s health led her to a greater understanding about the connection between the gut, brain and immune system which she shares in her book, hello, health, and Hello Health’s natural, holistic supplements to help children reach their full potential.
Ms. Wirth’s son’s behavior changed seemingly overnight. Ryan, who was six at the time developed tics, anxiety, lethargy and unusual vocalizations and began to developmentally regress. Doctors were perplexed and painted Ms. Wirth a dismal picture of the future. Unwilling to settle for a life changing diagnosis, Ms. Wirth went on a search for the root of Ryan’s condition.
As detailed in her book hello, health, Ms. Wirth spent years navigating doctors, diagnoses, specialists, and self- research. Eventually, she found a blend of traditional and holistic therapies that resolved her son’s condition, what they learned to be an autoimmune disorder, autoimmune encephalitis. His rare autoimmune disease was triggered by a hard-to-spot underlying infection. Ms. Wirth was shocked to learn that only 30% of autoimmune diseases are thought to stem from genetic reasons, the rest are triggered by toxic chemicals, dietary components, gut dysbiosis, and infections. That meant that in addition to innovative therapeutics, Ryan’s diet would change to increase his vegetable intake and decrease consumption of inflammatory foods. Ms. Wirth also payed close attention to the chemicals used in her home and learned a great deal about balancing the gut microbiome.
In fact, a healthy digestive system was a major component of Ryan’s revitalization. Digestive health may seem unrelated to autoimmune disease, but the digestive system and brain are proven to be linked through what is called the gut-brain axis. This connection means that what is happening inside the digestive system can influence mood, cognition, and mental health. Ms. Wirth found that a daily prebiotic and probiotic blend helped Ryan overcome several cognitive challenges.
This was just one revelation that led to tremendous improvements in Ryan’s overall health and well-being. Inspired to take all that she learned on her journey and give other parents tools to help their children reach their full potential, Ms. Wirth founded Hello Health. Hello Health encourages wellness by providing nutritional formulas, scientific education, and support for courageous families. Their innovative formulas focus on boosting the immune system, brain health and digestive balance to help children’s bodies protect them.
One of Hello Health’s formulations, Belly Great supports both digestive and brain health with a unique blend of nourishing prebiotic and probiotic formula (15 carefully selected strains), vitamin D3 and methylfolate, which is a crucial nutrient for the brain throughout life, supporting development in the womb and preventing cognitive decline into old age. After the root of Ryan’s condition had been identified, they still had a long road towards rebuilding his immune system. Once they did, Ms. Wirth noticed that Ryan wasn’t coming down with the same illnesses as his classmates, meaning they were on to something that truly worked. The immune system is a complex network of bodily functions that protect our cells from disease. A healthy immune system is not simple to cultivate. Hello Health’s other innovative blend, Mighty Might contains ingredients that are scientifically proven to support immune function and brain health. Mighty Might’s star ingredients include zinc, which has long been known as a nutrient that supports immune function, turmeric which acts as an anti-inflammatory, and organic olive leaf extract, which boasts potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties and frankincense, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-cancer properties.
Pamela joins Mark Alyn for a lively conversation. You can listen here:
