Children learn importance of gut health

Children learned about gut health as part of this month’s China Healthy Lifestyle campaign. Kids in Jing’an District made soap and watched a video about the importance of gut flora.
Gut health is essential for the healthy development of children. The gut absorbs about 99 percent of the body's nutrients, eliminates 80 percent of its toxins and maintains 70 percent of its immunity. Yet diarrhea remains the third leading cause of death in children under the age of five worldwide, and many diarrheal diseases can be prevented through safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
The United Nations has set a target of reducing the incidence of severe pneumonia and diarrhea in children under the age five by 75 per cent from 2010 levels, and virtually eliminating deaths from both diseases in the same age group by 2025.