While the protocol cannot prevent you from contacting germs and viruses, there is some evidence that SIBO can suppress immune function. Therefore, being on the protocol can improve your immune response when you come into contact with seasonal germs and viruses.

I generally recommend continuing inulin and the oils during an illness but not if there are substantial intestinal issues. If the child is not hungry or experiencing vomiting or diarrhea, I recommend stopping the entire protocol until the child recovers.

There is no way to improve normal immunity. One can only improve immunity by reversing the conditions causing poor immune function. Improved nutrition, more sleep, and reduced inflammation are a few well-known methods to improve impaired immune function. Supplements such as Vitamin C and Zinc have no impact unless one is suffering from extreme malnutrition.

A common scenario is that despite a child readily improving on the protocol, they seem to develop a new problem. Sometimes the problems can arise from an injury, and if this is the case, the problem will resolve within a few weeks. But sometimes, a new negative behavior (food aversion, stimming, cupping ears) can develop and not spontaneously resolve. nIn a developing child, what you are seeing is just a new level of awareness, reactivity, and sensory perception that did not exist in the child’s less developed state. Many parents will ask me, “But why?” My honest answer is, “I don’t know, but as long as other neurological areas continue to improve, the new negative behavior will also resolve if given more time.”nThe short answer is, don’t fret. This, too, will resolve.