If the rotavirus bug has ever infected you or your kids, you know how terrible its symptoms can get…
- Gut-wrenching watery diarrhea
- Severe vomiting
- Fever
- Dehydration
- Extreme abdominal pain
Every year, more than 130 million people are stricken by rotavirus. Around 25 million cases involve a trip to the doctor… and about 2 million end up in the hospital. The others – 111 million more cases – get treated at home.
Once the highly contagious rotavirus hits your household, it can spread quickly to everyone. So one sick child can turn into a house full of sick kids… and you could end up a sick mom or dad with a house full of sick kids.
Keep in mind that your kids can be contagious before they show a single symptom and even after all of their symptoms have cleared up. That makes you vulnerable from the first day of exposure to a few days after they’re cured.
And – yes – everyone in the house can get rotavirus multiple times… even if they’ve been vaccinated. On top of that, there are no pharmaceutical medicines to treat or cure it – the virus just has to run its course.
Now that rotavirus season (winter-spring) is about to kick in, it’s time to take steps to protect yourself and your family from this nasty infection.
And the best way to do that is get your gut microbiome – the trillions of bacteria that live in your gut – into fighting shape.
Your Immune System And Your Gut
Your gut microbiome plays an oversized role in your immune system. It teaches your immune system how to function, how to tell the difference between threats (like rotavirus) and non-threats (like strawberries), and how to respond to threats the right way.
When your gut microbiome is in balance, and good bacteria (probiotics) outnumber bad bacteria (pathogens), this training helps build a healthy immune response.
But when your gut microbiome is out of balance – a condition called dysbiosis – your immune system learns the wrong lessons. It overreacts to non-threats, causing allergies and autoimmune conditions (when your immune system attacks organs in your body). It causes runaway inflammation that can encourage discomfort and disease.
So your microbiome holds almost all the cards when it comes to your immune system. And for your best chance of fighting off infections before they take hold, or clearing them up quickly when they do strike, you need a well-balanced gut microbiome full of beneficial bacteria.
And that’s especially true for gut-related infections like rotavirus.
What About the Rotavirus Vaccines?
According to most research, rotavirus vaccines work… but only up to a point
The biggest study tracked rotavirus cases and vaccinations for ten years, and included 10,813 children under five years old. Here’s what the researchers found. Of the children who did get at least one dose of the rotavirus vaccine:
- 18% were hospitalized with rotavirus
- 25% ended up in the emergency room because of rotavirus
- 35% got milder versions of rotavirus
- 19% got moderate infections
- 9% got severe infections
- older kids were more likely to get sick than younger kids
Vaccinated children seem less likely to experience severe rotavirus symptoms, but that doesn’t mean they won’t get sick at all. And even people – adults or children – who’ve had the virus before can get it again (the same way you can get colds and flu multiple times).
And even a mild case of rotavirus means having a sick child for 3 to 8 days (the normal course)… the chance for you and the rest of your family to get sick… and a lot of lost work and school days.
That’s why a rock-solid immune system and a healthy, balanced gut microbiome provide your best defenses against rotavirus.
Probiotics Speed Things Up
Some studies have shown that giving probiotics to children with rotavirus can shorten the duration of their symptoms – especially diarrhea. That means fewer days of super sick kids… and fewer chances for you to get infected.
A recent review and meta-analysis examined 14 clinical studies involving 1,149 children aged one month to six years old. In each trial, the children got either some form of probiotic or placebo. And across the studies, diarrhea due to rotavirus cleared up (on average) a full day faster for the children in the probiotics groups.
Now, these studies were all different. Some lasted 3 days, others 5 or 7 days. They used different forms of probiotics and different placebos. But the overall results were consistent.
Probiotic supplements helped rotavirus symptoms clear up faster.
That makes sense, because probiotics can help restore healthy balance in the gut microbiome… especially true with high-quality spore probiotics.
Weird But True: A Spore Probiotic Vaccine for Rotavirus
Scientists are working on a Bacillus subtilis-based vaccine for rotavirus, and preliminary tests look promising. Researchers gave the spore probiotic vaccine to mice, and then infected them with a mouse version of rotavirus. The mice that got the Bacillus subtilis spore-based vaccines were able to shed (get rid of) the virus much faster – thanks to improved immune system protection from the spore probiotic.
Spore Probiotic Bacillus Clausii Helps Reduce Symptoms
When it comes to supporting a strong immune response, spore probiotics lead the way. These tough probiotics survive all the hazards of digestion (body heat, stomach acid, digestive enzymes) and make it all the way to the gut microbiome.
Once there, spore probiotics get to work:
· colonizing the gut to set the stage for a well-balanced microbiome
· helping other good bacteria survive and thrive
· seeking out and eliminating bad bacteria in the gut
· restoring healthy immune system function
And that includes helping the immune system fight enemies like rotavirus.
A new 2019 study found that giving Bacillus clausii spore probiotics to children with rotavirus helped reduce their symptoms. The spore probiotic also helped increase the number of antibodies (called immunoglobulins) on hand to fight off the infection. These positive effects were only seen in children treated with Bacillus clausii.
Balance Your Microbiome with Spore Probiotics
Adding high-quality spore probiotics to your daily routine helps balance your gut microbiome and improve your immune system.
Just Thrive Probiotic contains a clinically studied blend of four proven spore probiotics that work even better together.
Bacillus clausii stimulates immunoglobulin (antibody) production to help your immune system fight off threats.
Bacillus subtilis HU38 produces natural antibiotics that help kill off pathogenic bacteria.
Bacillus indicus HU36 produces essential nutrients and healing antioxidants including beta-carotene, lycopene, astaxanthin, and CoQ10.
Bacillus coagulans supports gastrointestinal (GI) health and helps with occasional bouts of upset, like gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
Get your gut microbiome balanced and ready by trying Just Thrive today.
